Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 2.djvu/189

 Juxe, 1873.] REMAINS IN MEKRAN. 165 REMAINS IN MEKRAN. BY CAPT. S. R MILES, POLITICAL AGENT, MUSCAT. The province of Mekran is remarkably poor in archaeological remains of every kind,there not be¬ ing, so far as I know,any extensive rains or archi¬ tectural monuments anywhere to be found in it. From this circumstance we may be justified in concluding that Mekran has never been in a state of civilization, and that the inhabitants have ever remained in the same state of poverty and semi-barbarism in which they now are. The causes of this are probably not far to seek; the general sterility and unattractiveness of the country, its hilly nature and want of water, are sufficient to account for its disregard by more advanced and energetic races, and for its not being permanently occupied and settled in by them, while it has also laboured under the additional disadvantage of lying out of the general highways of commerce. But these causes, though they have successfully preserved jt from development and progress, have not been able to protect it from being frequently invaded and plundered by various conquerors. The names of several cities and walled towns are enumerated by Arrian as having existed on this coast and in the interior at the time of Alexander’s march through it, and subsequently by Ptolemy and Mercian, but no traces of these towns now remain to indicate their sites, and it is probable they were merely of the same rude* and temporary character as the forts and ham¬ lets of the present day. Among the few memorials of ancient vigour still to be seen is a hewn-stone band or dam of considerable extent on the top of the “ Batel” or high headland forming the peninsula at Guadar. This band has been admirably built across a declivity or ravine, draining a large portion of the surface of the hill, which is very flat. The huge sandstone blocks of which it is composed have been very regularly and com¬ pactly placed, and are so morticed or dovetailed together, without any cement being used, as to form a barrier of great strength and solidity, which though now partly in ruins is still service¬ able, and after the winter rains usually retains a large body of fresh water. It has been supple¬ mented by a modern band of sand thrown up at an angle to it. The reservoir thus formed usually lasts the inhabitants of the town of Guadar, where the water obtained from wells is very scanty and bad, for the best part <5f a year. The construction of this dam is generally as¬ cribed by Europeans to the Portuguese, but it appears to me of much more ancient date, and is perhaps due to one of the Persian monarchs. No information can be gathered from the in¬ habitants on the subject, as the Baluches are singularly wanting in national traditions of any kind likely to throw light on their past history. About a hundred miles to the W. of Guadar, near the village of Tiz, are some curious and interesting caves, which I had last year an op¬ portunity of visiting. The village of Tiz is situated in a small valley, and is closely envi¬ roned on all sides but one by ranges of hills. In the range to the N. E. of the town, and about two hundred feet above the plain, is a circular chamber with a large entrance, evidently artificially excavated, opening on to a small platform. The diameter of this chamber is about twelve feet, and in the centre of it is a rectangu¬ lar block of stone or masonry seven or eight feet long with a small dome on it; in front of the block is an opening leading to a cavity under¬ neath. There is no inscription, but it appears to have been intended for a tomb. The face of the rock to the left has been smoothed and covered with plaster: this is covered with scrib- blings and symbols (the swastika and trisula) in Gujarati, done by the Hindu traders of the neighbouring port of Charbar, who believe the caves to be of Hindu origin, and are in the habit of resorting to them. Below this, to the left again, is another smaller chamber neatly excavated and chunamed, but quite empty. The platform is made of kiln-burnt bricks and mortar, and has apparently formed part of some building or structure which has been destroyed, or has disappeared by the disintegration and falling away of the sandstone rock. Some distance away to the right, the face of the cliff is perfectly smooth and perpendicular, and at the foot of it is a spacious natural cavern, the mouth of which is now almost entirely blocked up by huge fragments of rock and debris. In shape this cavern is semicircular, and it is, I should think, about a hundred yards in circum¬ ference, but the roof is rather low. It appears to have been used as a temple- The roof and sides, which bear signs of being greatly eroded