Journey to the North of India, overland from England, through Russia, Persia, and Affghaunistaun

Chapter I

Capabilities of Persian Khorassaun. — Heraut. — Its Popu lation. — Filthy state of the City. — Beauty of the Environs. — The Climate. — Teool Lands. — Agricultural Produce. — Government Assessments. — Extortion of the Police. — . Exactions on Trade. — Commerce of Heraut. — Audience offered by the Shah declined. — Singular mark of Royal Favour. — Shah Kamraun's Stud. — His Gardens. — Magni ficent Ruins. — Varieties of the Grape cultivated near Heraut. ...... Page I

Chapter II

Excursion to the village of Gauzer Gau Shrine of a Soonnee Saint. — Cure for the Toothache. — Pleasant Repast. — Pecuniary Embarrassment. — Moolla Ismael. — Attempt at Extortion by a Caubul Merchant Arabic Copy of the Scriptures. — Mohummudan Opinion of them. — Religious Controversy. — Discussion of Mohummudan Divines. — Their Sentiments towards Christians. — Character of Moolla Ismael. — Hindoo Merchants at Heraut. — Failure of the Syud's application to them. — An offer of Assistance Reason for declining it. — The Author relieved by the Syuds of Pisheen.— Syud Muheen Shah. . . .21 CONTENTS. IV

Chapter III

Kamraun's March upon Candahar. — Political State of Affghaunistaun Character of the Khans. — Dost Mohum mud Khan Ameer Mohummud Khan — Anecdote of Kam raun. — His morose disposition. — A great Debauchee. — His indecision. — His Family. — Road from Heraut to Caubul. — Fanaticism of the Inhabitants. — Dangerous Roads. — Moolla Mohummud's kindness. — Departure from Heraut. — A false Alarm. — A Moolla robbed — The Syud's determination. — • Town of Subzaur. — A Persian Wag Halt at Dowlutabad. .... .43

Chapter IV

Barter for Provisions. — Persian Credulity. — Furrah-Rood Valley. — Halt at Largebur Kahreeze. — The Affghauns ex pert Thieves — Pleasant Travelling. — Pastoral Anecdotes. — Anecdote of Tor Khan. — Gunneemurgh. — The predatory Belooches. — Affghaun account of their Ferocity. — Baadees, or running Camels. — Atchickzye Robbers. — Bra him-Jooe River. — Anecdotes of the Belooches. — Arrival at Washeer. — Anxiety for Kamraun's coming Kullah Dooshauk. — Mineral Springs near Heraut. — A Soonnee Saint. — Danger in crossing the Helmund — Deceptive depth of Water. ..... 64

Chapter V

Arrival at Girishk. — A troublesome Acquaintance. — Stra tagem to evade the Duties. — Muheen Shah's apology A pious Hypocrite. — Ride to Khooshnakhood. — Muheen Shah's residence — An Affghaun welcome. — Affghaun etiquette. — Character of Syud Syfooddeen. — Disgust of Hog's flesh. — Remedies for Fever. — Route from Heraut to Candahar A barren Country. — The Nomade Aff ghauns.—The Noorzye tribe.— Tact of Syud Muhee Shah. CONTENTS. V — Difficulty of keeping up an Army City of Candahar. — Climate. — Appearance of the Sirdars. — The Syud taken for a European.— Munsoor Khan. — Mucksood Khan. — Noble spirit of Munsoor Khan — Treachery of the Persians. — Hypocrisy of Syud Syfoo. . . . .87

Chapter VI

Departure from Munsoor Khan. — Tradition respecting Lylee Mujnoon. — Character of the Noorzyes. — Muheen Shah's denunciation. — Asiatic Credulity. — Well of the Lord Khan-e-Alum. — Khojeh Amraun hills. — -Caution of Muheen Shah. — Abdoollah Khan Atchickzye. — Syud Muheen's residence. . . . .114

Chapter VII

Khojeh Amraun, Speen Taizhe, and Toba hills. — Valley of Pisheen Shorawuck and Shorarood. — Inhabitants of Pisheen. — History of the Shadeezye, Hyderzye, and Ker bolah Syuds. — Jaffer the Liar. — Khail of Shadeezye. — Employment of the Inmates. — Dress of the Women. — Muheen Shah's grievances. — Stratagem of Muheen Shah. — Passion for Intrigue Character of Muheen Shah Affghaun Women. — Courtship. — Boys of the Khail. — Character of Syud Daoud. — Hyena hunt — Tying a Hyena. — Syud Daoud's Success. ... .25

Chapter VIII

Pisheen Superstitions. — Demons. — Exorcism of Pos sessed Persons. — Thomas Lodge's "Josephus." — Moolla's great Exorcists Moolla Mohummud's ability. — Gins and Deeves. — How to obtain power over them. — The Ordeal. —The Peris. — Peri Muran Gool. — An Affghaun's "Evil Eye." — Fancies respecting the wind. — The Leilut-ool- Kudr. — Reliance on Dreams — Religious Customs. — An VI CONTENTS. Eastern Argument. — Apology for Karamaut Allee and Muheen Shah. — Tender mercies of Abdoollah Khan. — Jews and Hindoos. — Bad character of Abdoollah Khan. — Anecdote. — Dine with a Syud. — Story of Hajee Khan.— After-dinner amusement. .... 159

Chapter IX

Preparations for starting. — Ceremonies on departing. — March to Terkha Oba. — Character of Mr. Elphinstone — Qualifications for a hero. — Vain boasting. — Blood. — Feuds. — Custom of Trysting. — March to Quetta. — Town of Quetta. — Peak of Tukkatoo. — Merchants of Quetta. — Horse-dealers Indifferent Cattle. — Jellal Khan. — Poy indeh Khan, and the Banditti. — Visit of Jellal Khan. — Affghaun Repast. — Arrival of Horse-merchants. — Poetry and Music. — Affghaun Songs. — Ahmud Shah's Poetry. 187

Chapter X

The Attun Dance. — Thamas Khan. — Jellal Khan's conde scension. — .Confidential discourse with him Compliments exchanged. — Doubts the object of my journey. — Departure from Quetta. — A Bivouac. — Kurklekkee Hills. — Defile of Bolaun. — The Place of Slaughter. — Halt at Gurm-aub. — Hilly route. — A difficult Pass. — Mountain Torrents. — Town of Dauder. — Journey to Baugh. — Town of Baugh. — Affghaun Grooms. — Contempt of Affghauns for Hin doos. — Affghauns resemble the Welsh. — A Persian Anec dote. — An unceremonious Fakeer. — A curious Anecdote. — Departure from Baugh. . . . ■ 210

Chapter XI

Ride to Muchee. — Ride to Cunda Village of Saatee Travelling in Beloochistaun. — Village of Poonoo. — Town of Ghurree. — Ride to Shikarpore Town of Shikarpore. — Character of its Inhabitants. — To whom tributary. — CONTENTS. VII Soil and Produce. — Disturbed Country Timour Shah Belooches and Juts. — Cultivators of the Land. — Courses of the Rivers, — Food of the Inhabitants. . . 235

Chapter XII

Halt at Shikarpore. — River Indus. — Town of Khirepore. — Anecdote of Meer Morad. — Arrival at Khirepore Wel come Letters from our Friends. — Departure from Khire pore. — Town of Rohree. — Fortress at Bukkar. — Fishing at Rohree. — Ameers of Sinde. — State of the People. — Roh ree well situated for Commercial Purposes. — Arbitrary Exactions. — Trade. — Produce of Affghaunistaun. — Rus sian Trade. — Russian Trade with Bokharia. — Trade of Affghaunistaun. — English and Russian Trade. — Baron Meyendorff on the Trade of Affghaunistaun. — English Trade. . . . ' . .252

Chapter XIII

Departure from Rohree. — Accident at Raatee. — A pleasant Traveller Khoosroo Shah's opinion of the Feringees. — Ride to Cawnpore. — Town of Ahmudpore. — Civility ofthe Khan. — City of Buhawulpore. — Hindoo Superstitions Feasting Brahmins. — Village of Parwullah. — Road from Maroot to Meerghur. — Phoolera to Anopghur. — Halt at Kummaul Ser. — Sand Hills. — Arrival at the British Fron tier.—-State of the Country. — The Bhuttees. — End of the Journey. ...... 277 OVERLAND INVASION OF INDIA. 299 AFFGHAUN HISTORY. NARRATIVE OF AN OVERLAND JOURNEY TO THE NORTH OF INDIA.

Chapter I

Capabilities of Persian Khorassaun. — Heraut. — Its Population. — Filthy state ofthe City Beauty ofthe Environs. — The Climate. — Teool Lands. — Agricultural Produce Government Assessments. — Extortion of the Police. — Exactions on Trade. — Commerce of Heraut. — Audience offered by the Shah declined. — Singular mark of Royal Favour. — Shah Kamraun's Stud — His Gardens. — Magnificent Ruins. — Varieties of the Grape cultivated near Heraut. The capabilities of Persian Khorassaun must not be judged by its present condition, for it is in its worst state: much of the country is naturally fine ; it has been rendered desert by the turbulence of the chieftains and by the inroads of the Toorkmuns, but these are both evils which may be corrected, and if they should be, the province assuredly would in a VOL. II.

B POPULATION OF HERAUT. great measure recover itself. The roads do not appear to oppose many difficulties to the march of troops : the country is level, water is in sufficiency, and even now the country west of the small branch as far south as Khauff could send considerable supplies to commissariat points. Once rendered safe, the roads would be thronged, the country would be repopulated, and plenty would take the place of barrenness. Heraut is a well fortified town, three quarters of a mile square. It contains about forty-five thousand * inhabitants, the majority of whom are Sheahs ; and there may be one thousand * When we first enquired about the population of Heraut, the inhabitants told us that there were twelve thousand houses within the walls ; but our host, who was the calenter of the city, said that only four thousand houses were re gistered in the Shah's books, or, as he expressed himself, only four thousand house-doors.

At the high computation of ten persons to each house, we have only forty thousand souls, but one entrance may lead to more than one domicile, and I think that, considering this, and taking into account the inmates of the citadel and palace, those who reside in seventeen large caravanseras, and in some of the shops, the residents may altogether be rated at the round number of forty-five thousand. Captain Christie estimated the population of Heraut at one hundred thousand souls : either I con ceive that officer was misled by the statements of the inha bitants, or he took into account some quarters outside the walls, which were destroyed when the city was besieged by the Candahar Sirdars, I think in 1824. INTERIOR OF THE CITY. 3 Hindoos settled there, and forty families of Jews. The outside wall is thickly built upon a solid mound formed by the earth of a wet ditch, which, filled by springs within itself, goes entirely round the city.

There are five gates, defended each by a small outwork, and on the north side is a strong citadel, also sur rounded by a wet ditch, which overlooks the town. The interior of Heraut is divided into quarters, by four long bazaars covered with arched brick, which meet in a small domed quadrangle in the centre of the city. It contains four thousand dwelling-houses, twelve hundred shops, seventeen caravanseras, and twenty baths, besides many mosques, and fine public reservoirs of water. The city itself is, I should imagine, one of the dirtiest in the world. Many of the small streets, which branch from the main ones, are built over, and form low dark tunnels, con taining every offensive thing. No drains having been contrived to carry off the rain which falls within the walls, it collects and stagnates in ponds which are dug in different parts of the city.

The residents cast out the refuse of their houses into the streets, and dead cats and dogs are commonly seen lying upon heaps of the vilest filth. In a street which we were obliged B THE SUBURBS. to pass through to get at the bazaar lay for many days a dead horse, surrounded by bloated dogs, and poisoning the neighbourhood with its unwholesome effluvia. More could be said about the bestiality of the citizens, but, as it is not a choice theme, I will not enlarge upon it. " Rusm ust," — " It is the custom," was the only apology I heard from those even who admitted the evil : my wonder was how they could live, but, as the Aukhoondzadeh observed, " the climate is fine, and if dirt killed people, where would the Affghauns be !" Candahar is quite as dirty a place, and Caubul, the " city of a hun dred thousand gardens," is said to be little better.

But though the city of Heraut is as I have described it, without the walls all is beauty. The town is situated at four miles distance from hills on the north, and twelve from those which run south of it. The space between the hills is one beautiful extent of little for tified villages, gardens, vineyards, and corn fields, and this rich scene is lightened by many small streams of shining water, which cut the plain in all directions. A bund is thrown across the Herirood, and its waters, being turn ed into many canals, are so conducted over the vale of Heraut that every part of it is watered. The most delicious fruits of every kind are THE CLIMATE. 5 grown in the valley, and they are sold cheaper even than at Meshed : the necessaries of life are plentiful and cheap, and the bread and water of Heraut are a proverb for their ex cellence.

I really never in England even tasted more delicious water than that of the Herirood ; it is " as clear as tears," * and, the natives say, only equalled by the waters of Cashmeere, which make those who drink them beautiful. The climate of this country is said to be salubrious ; the heat is excessive for two months in summer, and in winter much snow falls. The year before our coming to Heraut, the cholera morbus had swept away many thousand persons from the city and the pro vinces round ; but this is a scourge which seems to visit all climes. The small-pox, I imagine, occasionally makes sad havoc among the people of this country ; they hardly know the practice of vaccination, and are so dirty that any contagious disease must spread rapidly among them. On the 24th of September the thermometer stood at 85° (in the shade at the hottest time of the day) : between that date and the 6th of October it fell gradually to 65% and on the four last days of our stay at Heraut, * " Clear as pearls," or " clear as the waters of the eye," are terms commonly used by Persians.

TEOOL LANDS. the mercury stood at 70°. The nights were very cold, and winter was evidently fast approaching. In the province of Heraut there are eight belooks, or pergunnahs, into which are divided the lands in the valley, chiefly watered by eight large canals from the river, and four small velaits or counties. We were able to obtain the following registered account of the villages, water, ploughs, assessment, and teool lands, which I have every reason to believe a correct one. "Teool" is jagheere ; land held free, or on condition of military service, as the greater part of Affghaunistan is, or rather was, under the royal government, for the rebel sirdars have in a great measure resumed the crown grants. The produce is calculated from the number of ploughs that are rated against the villages of each district, for every plough is averaged to turn up land for three khurwars of seed.

The soil of Heraut returns at a medium calculation tenfold, and at this rate the produce is estimated : i. e. for every plough three khurwars of seed ; and ten times the quantity of the seed for the gross produce. The eight belooks are named — Injeel, Aulin jaun, Oodvan-o-Teezan, Khiabaun, Subbukkur, Ghoorivaun-o-Pushtaun, Goozara, and Kum- PRODUCE OF THE LAND. 7 berrauk; and in these districts are four hun dred and forty-six villages, eight large canals, which feed innumerable smaller ones, one hundred and twenty-three canauts,* and two thousand two hundred and eighty-eight ploughs. The gross produce of wheat and barley in the eight belooks, by the above calculation, amounts to more than sixty eight thousand six hun dred khurwars, or measures of one hundred maunds :| of these, twenty -eight thousand are assigned to the crown, and the rest to the cultivators, except a tithe, which is set apart for seed.

The velaits, or counties, are — Oubeh, Koorkh, Shaffbaun, and Ghourian. Our accounts gave to the three first eighty-three villages, one hun dred and three canauts, and six hundred and forty-eight ploughs, or a produce of nineteen thousand four hundred and forty khurwars, of which five thousand seven hundred were as signed to the crown. We could obtain no statement of the produce of Ghourian, further than that the Shah received five hundred khur wars, and granted the rest in teool ; but, as it is * Artificial water-courses. t The khurwar of Heraut is one-fourth larger than the standard one of Tabreez ; our statements are according to the latter measure. TOTAL ESTIMATES. the finest of the velaits, its produce may well be estimated at ten thousand Tabreez khurwars. Formerly the country of Ghourian sent in much money and grain, but of late years it has suffered from the inroads of the Toork muns, and there has been a great falling off in the duties which were once levied upon the passing trade.

When we were at Heraut, the government of Ghourian was held by a brother of sirdar Yar Mohummud Khan, protected by whom, it was said, he generally gave a very Flemish account of his receipts. The above estimates give a total of about ninety-eight thousand khurwars of wheat and barley. So much of the land being teool, the produce can only be guessed at, but I should conceive it to be greater than above calculated, because Kamraun has frequently laid extra taxes of grain upon the cultivators, and as they do not appear in the first instance to get their just share, they could not well otherwise have met his demands. The lands were con sidered to be under-assessed, and, as far as we could judge from the information we received, very irregularly : of the crown share, eight ninths were stated to be given in teool.

The population of the province must now be great, and, were this fertile country settled, and equit- GOVERNMENT ASSESSMENTS. 9 ably governed, there would scarcely be bounds to the produce. Kamraun's money receipts from the city of Heraut and its vicinity were rated at twenty thousand two hundred and eighty-eight He raut tomauns. An Heraut tomaun is divided into twenty reals (or rupees), thirteen of which make one tomaun of Irak ; so that we have thirty-two thousand nine hundred and sixty eight Irak tomauns, or £21,429. 4*. This money was collected by assessments on the eight belooks, on the many gardens and vineyards, and on city lands ; from several Elaut tribes (or portions of them) tributary to Heraut ; from the customs (two and a half per cent, upon every thing, whether money or goods,) and from the mint (said to yield a good profit).

Part was realized by many vex atious duties imposed upon nearly every thing marketed in the city, few articles being al lowed to be sold without the Shah's stamp upon them ; the law extended even to butcher's meat, and any one who transgressed it rendered himself liable to a fine and a beating. The strangest item in the account was the sum of a lac of Heraut rupees, said to be the rent from the police ; so that our visiter, Meerza Aga, had to make a profit upon this sum, —by charging POLICE EXTORTION. the inhabitants for the protection of his night watch, by taxing wine and gambling houses, and levying penalties upon every sort of im morality, real or pretended, he not being likely to want evidence of any offence that he might choose to affix upon a person able to pay a fine. In bad seasons, he was obliged to stretch a point or two to make up his rent, sure of support from the Shah ; and the monarch some times made him his instrument for performing an act of violence with a show of justice.

Not long before our arrival, they had carried into execution the following ingenious scheme for plundering a very respectable and wealthy merchant who had come to the city. As he was too prudent a person to give the authorities any just cause of offence, Meerza Aga gave a dan cing girl money to make her way into the man's house at night and create a disturbance ; he took care to be in the way, and when the noise commenced, entered the house with a party of myrmidons, and took the stranger prisoner, for acting immorally and making an uproar; nor was the man released until he had paid a very heavy fine. In the lock-up house in the bazaar there were generally one or two offenders, sentenced to punishment on a certain day, who continually shouted out entreaties to the passers- EXACTIONS ON TRADE. 11 by to contribute a trifle towards the sum required for their release, and they often ob tained it.

With regard to trade, the merchants declared that Kamraun's exactions were scarcely propor tioned to their means of meeting them, and that they were for the most part ruined ; asser tions in which there was evidently much truth. " If we but knew," they said, " the actual sum that he would extort from us yearly, we would make up our minds to pay it, or to go and live elsewhere ; but, in addition to the regular heavy duties, we are constantly called upon for extra contributions. The sum of twenty thousand two hundred and eighty-eight Heraut tomauns was the nominal amount to be collected as above stated, but the people said that his Majesty had not failed one year to exact fully as much more upon some pretence or other. In the accounts which were shown to us, there was no mention whatever made of the districts of Furrah, Sub zaur, and Ghore ; neither were the money receipts from the smaller places given.

These governments are held by the Shah's sons, or by favoured sirdars, who doubtless do not account very strictly for their collections either in money or grain. The province of Furrah, we learned, is almost entirely teool, and, as I before ob- TRADE OF HERAUT. served, the capabilities of a country thus disposed of are not easily ascertained : however, though many items were wanting on the re cords, the total annual money income was stated in a sum amounting to (Irak) tomauns one hundred and thirty-seven thousand three hun dred and five, or £89,248. 5*. In my account of the trade at Meshed, I mentioned the articles that are exported from Heraut. Silk is obtainable in the neighbourhood, but not in sufficient quantity for export. In the city, many lamb and sheep-skins are made up into caps and cloaks, and returned into the country round, from which they were brought.

There were, if I remember right, more than one hundred and fifty shoe-makers' shops in the city, but they were unable to sup ply the demands from the province, and many camel-loads of ready made slippers were brought from Candahar, where they are manufactured in great quantities. The leather comes from Hindoostan. The lead mines in the vicinity of Heraut are reported to be rich, but they are scarcely worked. The carpets of Heraut, so famed for softness and for the brilliance and permanency of their colours, truly deserve their repute: they are made of all sizes, and at any price, AUDIENCE OF THE SHAH DECLINED. 13 from ten to one thousand rupees ; but carpets of any size and value are now seldom ordered, and the trade has altogether declined of late years. The best pieces that we saw appeared to me to equal the Turkey carpets, and, con sidering their texture and beauty, to bear a moderate price ; but I fear that the expense of the land carriage would prevent our re ceiving many of them in Hindoostan, in barter for the goods which the Affghauns yearly take from us.

We continued to receive every civility from our host, and through him it was intimated to me, that Shah Kamraun had been pleased gra ciously to accept the letter which I had for warded, and that I should be received at audience, and presented with a robe of honour ; but as the Shah was bestowing such distinctions upon those whom he wished to engage in his projected attempt upon Candahar, I feared lest I should be represented as an ambassador ex traordinary from the British Government, and so, with many protestations of my sense of the great honour proposed to be conferred upon me, I declined it, on the ground of my being a mere traveller, not possessed of an offering for the king, unprovided even with apparel suitable to the occasion of a presentation, and THE SHAH'S PROFESSION OF ESTEEM. added that, having had the honour to forward the sincere expressions of my chief's consideration, I would pray for his Majesty, and proceed on my journey as soon as opportunity served and he permitted.

This answer was not taken in ill part, and subsequently, some indirect communications were made to me through the same channel, the purport of which was, profession of Shah Kamraun's immense esteem for the British, and hope that if he succeeded in recovering his kingdom, lasting friendship would be esta blished between the two nations. The com mercial advantages which could accrue to the English from the restoration of order in Aff ghaunistaun were adverted to, and our friend would have touched upon the political rela tions which .should exist between the Aff ghauns and the English, as regarded the Fran ceese and the Oroos, but here he fairly bothered himself, and appeared to be relieved when I assured him that we had no great dread of the attack of either nation. I was much pressed to say if I came in any way as an agent of the British Government, but I answered, that I was a mere traveller, and could say nothing in the name of my masters, though, I added, every Englishman knew that his rulers wished SINGULAR ENQUIRY. 15 to see the Affghauns united and happy, and to be friends with them, (witness their embassy to Shah Shoojah, the shelter which that monarch had found in the British provinces, and the great encouragement given to Affghauns trad ing to India), that, Inshallah ! affairs would turn out for the best, &c. Apparently these an swers were sufficient, for the only subsequent communication that I received was, an enquiry whether I possessed, or could prepare, a liquor which would make his Majesty drunk at once.

Abbas Khan was said to enjoy much of the Khan's favour, and I believe he did, for Kam raun felt that he could better depend upon his foreign servants than upon many of the lords of his own country, since the former could exercise no influence among the Doorrannee tribes. The favour of monarchs may some times be so great as to be burdensome; and perhaps our host thought so one evening, when he returned home quite exhausted from the effect of the Shah's graciousness to him. He had engaged to come over to our house, but sent an excuse by his servant, who told us the reason with many interjectional remarks upon the greatness of the Shah's sheffaxut for his master. The Khan was out riding, about two miles from the city, when he met Shah Kamraun on DISTRESSING DISTINCTION. his return from hunting.

He dismounted to do reverence, and the Shah was pleased to honour him with a call to the fortunate stirrup, and ask what horse he was riding. The Khan took occasion to state that it was a colt of the Coord chief's best breed, which he had brought from Meshed, in the hope that it might be deemed worthy the regard of the royal eye, upon which the Shah was graciously pleased to notify his approval of the Khan's dutifulness ; and then, moving on towards the city, still in conversation with the Khan, he allowed him to run at his bridle all the way, discoursing with him about one thing or other, a degree of mihir baungee* which was seldom shown to any one, and which the Khan was bound to be grateful for, though it sent him to bed. Shemshoodeen Khan, the king's favourite, expressed himself civilly towards us, and told me to come and see him in the citadel, when he would show me the king's horses.

I appointed a day to go, but the evening before it, the Khan was ordered out suddenly in com mand of one thousand horse, to check a large body of Toorkmuns said to be in the neigh bourhood, so I missed the opportunity of see ing the interior of the citadel. We were told * Affability. THE SHAH'S STUD. 17 that Kamraun had a large stud of good horses, seven or eight of which were famous for their pedigree and for their performances. These fine animals were trained to a quick amble, a pace which enables horses to perform long marches with ease both to themselves and to their riders, and which certainly might be well adopted by the hussars of European armies. At a rough guess, formed from what I have heard of the marches of troops in these countries, I should say, that their pace on a forced march is a fourth quicker than ours, a circumstance worthy of consideration.

Kamraun, while we were at Heraut, used to ride out twice a week far into the country to hawk or hunt : he would start early in the morning with a dozen attendants, and seldom return till past sunset, riding in the course of the day from fifty to sixty miles. There was one horse in his stable, which, though old, was still watched with great care. It had been bred by the chief of an Hazaureh tribe, and was so famous, that when Kamraun sent to demand the animal the clan protested against their chief's giving it up ; for, with these mountaineers, as with those of our country, " the laird's honour is Dugald's," and fearing lest the prince should endeavour to possess himself of VOL. II. c HOW FURNISHED. their famed steed by force, they kept guard round the tent in which it was stabled. Kam raun's desire to obtain the horse was not lessened by this tribute to its value, but he craftily pre tended to have lost his fancy, and some time after invited the chief to a conference at He raut.