When the darkness dispersed they
separated, and the consternation of both parties was so great at the
events of the day that both made a precipitate retreat. In 1844 this
battle was still spoken of with wonder. (J. Bomb. Br. R. A. S. I. 423.)
Major St. John has given a note on his own experience of these curious
Kerman fogs (see Ocean Highways, 1872, p. 286): "Not a breath of air was
stirring, and the whole effect was most curious, and utterly unlike any
other fog I have seen. No deposit of dust followed, and the feeling of the
air was decidedly damp. I unfortunately could not get my hygrometer till
the fog had cleared away."
[General Houtum-Schindler, l.c. p. 493, writes: "The magical darkness
might, as Colonel Yule supposes, be explained by the curious dry fogs or
dust storms, often occurring in the neighbourhood of Kerman, but it must
be remarked that Marco Polo was caught in one of these storms 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.
