of loading them, and in half an hour we were already on our way. Our Belooches informed us that we could not take the usual road by Subzulkote, as the bridges had been destroyed by the inundations, and that we must therefore go along the edge of the desert, through its whole length. At four o'clock on the morning of the 10th, we set out for the village of Barra, a distance of thirteen miles. The first few miles lay along a steep, stony road, through a bare and desert tract. We then passed two handsome sepulchral, vaulted towers, forty feet high. From this eminence is a view of the ruins of Allore, formerly the capital of the Musikanus; few traces of it remain, but the ground is every where covered with hewn stones and fragments. In the valley, through which a branch of the Indus once flowed, is now a pond, and on the side of an eminence declining towards it, is a small village. An arched bridge is thrown over a canal above fifteen paces broad, which runs from this pond, in a northwest direction to the Indus. The form of the stones and the excellency of the workmanship, seem to indicate, that this bridge belongs to a very remote period. It is however in such a decayed state, and so full of holes, that we were obliged to be very careful in crossing it. From this spot the country is level, intersected by ditches and small canals, with plantations of millet and cotton. We pitched our tents in the midst of tombs, under some fine tamarind trees behind the village. Two fakirs, who dwelt here in clay huts, offered their services; but their civility degenerated into importunity, when one of our party gave them some arrack, and we had much difficulty in getting rid of them. Soon afterwards several musicians came to amuse us, and celebrated the power of the Queen of England, and the deeds of her ancestors, accompanied by a guitar made of a dry gourd. We sent the Belooches into the village to buy fowls, which our servants dressed for dinner, with which we had shipatos or aaps instead of bread.* On the following day we were only six miles from the little town of Sangeram; this place is enclosed with clay walls, has 2000 inhabitants, and lies on the border of the desert; the road to it led through a richly-watered and cultivated low tract of land. A little beyond the town, where we pitched our tents, we found an encampment of several hundred persons, who had come from a great distance to be present at the celebration of a marriage. We were told that a little girl, only six years old, a near relation of the Ameers of Khyrpoor, was to be betrothed to a boy fourteen years of age, the son of an eminent Belooche chief. The father of the bridegroom, a handsome, elderly man, was seated smoking his pipe under a large tent, surrounded by his attendants, while dancing girls and musicians, were exhibiting their performances before him; and outside the tents the people likewise amused themselves with dancing. Above twenty men, with wooden staves in their hands, went round in a circle, jumped and leaped in the air, and when they met in the centre, turned backwards and forwards, both parties touching their staves, and beating time to the music with their feet. There was something wild and original in this dance, which was continued for nearly an hour, under the ་ * The flour is kneaded with water, and the dough pressed into a flat cake between the hands, and roasted in an iron pan. scorching rays of the sun, till they were quite exhausted. In the afternoon the bride, closely veiled, appeared, seated on a camel under a red palanquin, which was completely covered, in order to thank the company and to take leave. As soon as she retired, the chief made an address to the persons assembled, mounted his horse, and all hastened homewards. Our tents were surrounded the whole day by people, who assured us that they had never seen white men before, and gazed with wonder and amazement at our watches, arms, and other things. On the 12th, we had to travel eighteen miles to Moobarekpoor; a very fatiguing journey indeed. Our way led through a tract mostly covered with tamarisk jungle, and intersected with numerous ditches and channels; we had to cross the river Narra, which is eighty paces broad, and, in one place, so deep that my horse was obliged to swim across. After a ride of five hours, we reached the place of destination; but our camels did not arrive till several hours later. Some had fallen into the water, with our luggage, and others were so weary that the drivers were obliged to pack them afresh. Moobarekpoor is a large village, at the eastern entrance of which is a square fort, built of clay. Close to our encampment was a band of gypsies: I was quite surprised to find them sheltered under moveable huts made of reeds, as in Europe, and that they gained their livelihood by basket-making. All All day long we were pestered by hawkers, beggars, and musicians, and at night we were disturbed, as usual, by the howling of dogs, jackals, and hyenas. On the 13th, the Belooches conducted us through unbeaten paths along the borders of the desert; we every where saw traces of former civilisation, abandoned villages, dry ditches, and decayed walls. An hour after sunset, we met several Belooches armed to the teeth, with their servants, mounted on camels and horses; our guides told us that they were hastening to Khyrpoor to assist the youngest of the Ameers. We did not reach the village of Ghara-Kakote, which was nineteen miles distant, till nine o'clock. It lies on the edge of the desert, consists of wooden and reed huts, and was first inhabited, only a few years ago, by some Belooches who preferred agricultural pursuits, to their former predatory habits. We had pitched our tents under a shady plane-tree, close to a channel full of good water. Towards evening, when our camels were about to be sent on, the leader of the camels came running up in great alarm, and informed us that our Belooches having been affronted by the subaltern officer, had inflamed the inhabitants of the village, and that there was every prospect of our being attacked. Soon afterwards we heard a great noise in the village, upon which we ordered our guard to load their pieces, and made every preparation to defend ourselves. We were told that we should have to encounter more than a hundred wellarmed men; but happily for us, just at this juncture, the news of the taking and destruction of Cabool reached the village, and the chief succeeded in quieting the people, by prophesying that they might expect the same fate. He subsequently came to us, with several of the oldest inhabitants, and promised to furnish us with a guide the next morning, as the Belooches had deserted us. For the sake of security, we deferred our journey through the desert, till after sunrise on the following day. It was ten o'clock when we reached the twelve huts of Heyet-Kekote. The village, which is built on a sandy eminence, is separated by a pond from a marshy jungle, near to which we encamped. In the evening, on entering my tent, such a sudden weakness overcame me, that I sunk down on the carpet. Werner covered me with my cloak and blankets, and I soon fell into a sound sleep. A profuse perspiration relieved me from this attack of fever, and on the following day I felt quite vigorous. On the 15th of October we started for the village of Retee, sixteen miles distant; our way led through |