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JUNE, 1873.)
REMAINS IN MEKRAN.
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REMAINS IN MEKRAN.
BY CAPT. S. B. MILES, POLITICAL AGENT, MUSCAT. The province of Mekran is remarkably poor in very scanty and bad, for the best part of a year. archæological remains of every kind, there not be- The construction of this dam is generally as: ing, so far as I know,any extensive ruins or archi- cribed by Europeans to the Portuguese, but it tectural monuments anywhere to be found in it. appears to me of much more ancient date, and is
From this circumstance we may be justified perhaps due to one of the Persian monarchs. in concluding that Mekran has never been in No information can be gathered from the in
state of civilization, and that the inhabitants habitants on the subject, as the Baluches are have ever remained in the same state of poverty singularly wanting in national traditions of any and semi-barbarism in which they now are. kind likely to throw light on their past history.
The canses of this are probably not far to About a hundred miles to the W. of Guadar, seek; the general sterility and unattractiveness near the village of Tiz, are some curious and of the country, its hilly nature and want of interesting caves, which I had last year an opwater, are sufficient to account for its disregard portunity of visiting. The village of Tiz is by more advanced and energetic races, and for situated in a small valley, and is closely enviits not being permanently occupied and settled roned on all sides but one by ranges of hills. in by them, while it has also laboured under the In the range to the N. E. of the town, and about additional disadvantage of lying out of the two hundred feet above the plain, is a circular general highways of commerce. But these chamber with a large entrance, evidently causes, though they have successfully preserved artificially excavated, opening on to a small it from development and progress, have not been platform. The diameter of this chamber is about able to protect it from being frequently invaded twelve feet, and in the centre of it is a rectangaand plundered by various conquerors.
lar block of stone or masonry seven or eight feet The names of several cities and walled towns long with a small dome on it; in front of the are enumerated by Arrian as having existed on block is an opening leading to a cavity underthis coast and in the interior at the time of neath. There is no inscription, but it appears Alexander's march through it, and subsequently to have been intended for a tomb. The face of by Ptolemy and Marcian, but no traces of these the rock to the left has been smoothed and towns now remain to indicate their sites, and it covered with plaster: this is covered with scribis probable they were merely of the same rude blings and symbols (the swastika and tribula) and temporary character as the forts and ham- in Gujarati, done by the Hindu traders of the lets of the present day.
neighbouring port of Charbar, who believe the Among the few memorials of ancient vigour caves to be of Hindu origin, and are in the still to be seen is a hewn-stone bănd or dam of habit of resorting to them. Below this, to the considerable extent on the top of the "Batel" | left again, is another smaller chamber neatly or high headland forming the peninsula at excavated and chunamed, but quite empty. Guadar. This band has been admirably built The platform is made of kiln-burnt bricks and across a declivity or ravine, draining a large mortar, and has apparently formed part of some portion of the surface of the hill, which is very building or structure which has been destroyed, flat. The huge sandstone blocks of which it is or has disappeared by the disintegration and composed have been very regularly and com- falling away of the sandstone rock. Some pactly placed, and are so morticed or dovetailed distance away to the right, the ta of the cliff together, without any cement being used, as to is perfectly smooth and perpendicular, and at form a barrier of great strength and solidity, the foot of it is a spacious natural cavern, the which though now partly in ruins is still service- month of which is now almost entirely blocked able, and after the winter rains usually retains up by huge fragments of rock and debris. In a large body of fresh water. It has been supple- shape this cavern is semicircular, and it is, I mented by a modern band of sand thrown up at should think, about a hundred yards in circum8n angle to it. The reservoir thus formed ference, but the roof is rather low. It appears usually lasts the inhabitants of the town of to have been used as a temple. The roof and Guadar, where the water obtained from wells is sides, which bear signs of being greatly eroded
