Wanderings in Balochistan

Front matter

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Introduction

When I was returning through Khoraaan in 1875, after my attempt to reach Herat, one resolve was uppermost in my mind, that " nothing would ever induce me to travel in these countries again." The fact was, all the salt had then gone out of that trip. I had undertaken it with a definite view in the interests of Government, and Government, rightly or wrongly, had interfered with me, and the trip had thenceforth no more interest for me, and the stages through the dreary wastes of Khorasan seemed interminable ; the sun appeared to increase its fervour; the people became more uninteresting; nothing looked bright but a little spot in the old country, where my wee bairn was living ; and having the meeting with her in .prospect I lived in the future and forgot the present, always repeating, " Nothing will induce me to come again." Alas for the frailty of human resolves! here I am at it again 1 I cannot conceive how it has come about, for if there was one thing on which my resolve was fixed, it was that Central Asia should see my face again no more. I continued in this frame of mind all through the winter of 1876, during which no more dangerous subject could be broached

2 . INTRODUCTION.

to me. In the spring of 1876 I could bear a little to hear about it; in the summer my interest almost revived ; in the autumn I was on my way, and now, ere a second winter is over, I am again in the thick of it. I think a good deal of this state of affairs is owing to an idiosyncrasy of mine, for the sight of a map with blank spaces on it produces in me a feeling of mingled shame and restlessness. Of course it is not any particular fault of mine that maps have blank spaces on them, yet I always feel the glaring whiteness of the blanks is looking reproachfully at me. Major St. John's map of Persia is, in this respect, particularly aggravating, for all oyer it is written " unexplored." Judging from my own feelings, I think it would be a good plan if the Geographical Society were to have all unexplored tracts painted on their maps some conspicuous colour, say scarlet, as the sight of these burning spots, thus prominently brought fco their notice, would, I feel sure, rouse much of the latent energy of young Britons, and perhaps divert a good deal of it from mooning about the Bow, to more useful wanderings in imknown regions.

But to explain how it all came about that I again found myself so soon on the move. I may mention that Lord Salisbury had been particularly considerate towards me in the expression of his views about my late travels in Persia, and such kindness, coming at a period when I was somewhat sore at the result of my journey, led me to wish to make some return, if possible, for the encouragement thus received. And so it happened that in an interview I had with him, when we were discussing, with the map before us, my late travels, I said that, though I had had enough of

INTRODUCTION. 3

travelling in such wild countries, I should be very glad to go anywhere and to do anything he might think me capable of undertaking, and I particularly suggested certain regions in Mekran as a field of exploration. Lord SaUsbury said that any information about the comparatively unknown locaUty in question could not fail to be interesting, and he promised to consider whether he would allow me to travel in those regions. On a subsequent occasion his Lordship informed me that he had obtained the assent of the Council of India to my returning to duty via Balochistan, with the view of procuring detailed geographical information of the districts through which I should pass.

So it happened that the autumn of the year of our Lord 1876 was again destined to see me on the road to the East.

All preliminaries being settled, I was to have left London on the 23rd September, 1876, but a bad attack of fever rendered it necessary to put off my departure till the 25th of the month, when Lockwood and I moved out of Charing Cross station, our hearts brimming over with excitement at the work before us.