Down in
Jiruft, where, according to the people I questioned, such storms now never
occur. On the 29th of September, 1879, at Kerman, a high wind began to
blow from S.S.W. at about 5 P.M. First there came thick heavy clouds of
dust with a few drops of rain. The heavy dust then settled down, the
lighter particles remained in the air, forming a dry fog of such density
that large objects, like houses, trees, etc., could not even faintly be
distinguished at a distance of a hundred paces. The barometers suffered no
change, the three I had with me remained in statu quo." "The heat is
over by the middle of September, and after the autumnal equinox, there are
a few days of what is best described as a dense dry fog. This was
undoubtedly the haze referred to by Marco Polo." (Major Sykes, ch. iv.)
- H. C.]
Richthofen's remarkable exposition of the phenomena of the loess in
North China, and of the sub-aerial deposits of the steppes and of Central
Asia throws some light on this. But this hardly applies to St John's
experience of "no deposit of dust." (See Richthofen, China, pp. 96-97 s.
MS. Note, H. Y.)
The belief that such opportune phenomena were produced by enchantment was
a thoroughly Tartar one. D'Herbelot relates (art. Giagathai) that in an
action with a rebel called Mahomed Tarabi, the Mongols were encompassed by
a dust storm which they attributed to enchantment on the part of the
enemy, and it so discouraged them that they took to flight.
NOTE 5. - The specification that only seven were saved from Marco's
company is peculiar to Pauthier's Text, not appearing in the G. T.
Several names compounded of Salm or Salmi occur on the dry lands on
the borders of Kerman. Edrisi, however (I. p. 428), names a place called
KANAT-UL-SHAM as the first march in going from Jiruft to Walashjird.
Walashjird is, I imagine, represented by Galashkird, Major R. Smith's
third march from Jiruft (see my Map of Routes from Kerman to Hormuz); and
as such an indication agrees with the view taken below of Polo's route,
I am strongly disposed to identify Kanat-ul-Sham with his castello or
walled village of Canosalmi.
["Marco Polo's Conosalmi, where he was attacked by robbers and lost the
greater part of his men, is perhaps the ruined town or village Kamasal
(Kahn-i-asal = the honey canal), near Kahnuj-i-pancheh and Vakilabad in
Jiruft. It lies on the direct road between Shehr-i-Daqianus (Camadi) and
the Nevergun Pass. The road goes in an almost due southerly direction. The
Nevergun Pass accords with Marco Polo's description of it; it is very
difficult, on account of the many great blocks of sandstone scattered upon
it.
