d in water
every few days.

We had a nasty wind against us, but the way was flat and good; our
direction, due east across the long narrow valley of sand, nowhere
broader than a couple of miles. To the north were a number of low hills
shaped like so many tents, white, grey, and light-red in colour, and also
to the south, where there was an additional irregular and somewhat higher
rocky mountain.

In the evening of November 24th we had crossed the entire Salt Desert and
arrived at the large city of Birjand, after Meshed the most important
city of Khorassan, the journey having occupied twenty days, which was
considered a very fast crossing.

There was a beautiful new caravanserai here, with clean spacious rooms,
and with a most attentive and obliging keeper in charge of it.

CHAPTER XI

My caravan disbanded--Birjand--Ruined fortress--The city--Number
of houses--Population--The citadel--Artillery--Trade
routes--Birjand as a strategical position--A trading centre--No
fresh water--The Amir--Indian pilgrims--Birjand
carpets--Industries--A pioneer British trader--Imports and
exports--How business is transacted--Russian and British
goods--Long credit--A picturesque caravanserai--Afghan
soldiers--Beluch camel men.

At Birjand, my camels being utterly exhausted, I disbanded my caravan,
paid up Ali Murat, and attempted to make up a fresh caravan to proceed to
Sistan. This would take two or three days at least, so I employed my time
at first by seeing all that there was to be seen in the place, then by
receiving various official callers, and last in trying to shake off the
fever, which I partially did by very violent but effective methods.

[Illustration: The City of Birjand, showing main street and river bed
combined.]

We entered Birjand from the west by a wide, dry river bed which formed
the main street of the city. A ruined fortress which seemed at one time
to have been of great strength, was to be seen on the western extremity
of the town on a low hillock. The interior was quite interesting, with
several tiers showing how the walls had been manned for defensive
purposes.

The general view of Birjand reproduced in the illustration was taken
from the fort and gives a better idea of the place than any description.
It can be seen that the city is unequally divided by the combined
river-bed and main street, the northern portion (to the left of observer
in the photograph) h