le or thereabouts away, at the foot of the hills I am descending. One's first impression of Beerjand is a sense of disappoint

of the prospect; the impression is that of a place existing under some dread ban of nature that

am of water seems thrown away on Beerjand, except as furnishing a place for closely-veiled females to come and wash clothes, and for t

to the east. Curious to see something of a place so much out of the world, and so little known as Beer

tan character, and as being the most unscrupulous and keenest people for money one can well imagine. The city seems a seething nest of hard characters, who buzz aro

re the pressing needs of hunger can be attended to before the inevitable mob gathers about me and renders impossible this very necessary part of the programme. Having duly fortified myself against the anticipated pressure of circ

tanding room for a mass of human beings, to the imminent danger of breaking it in. So, at least, thinks the caravanserai-jee, who become

st-looking assembly that could be collected anywhere in the world. Afghans, with tall, conical, gold-threaded head-dresses, converted into monster turbans by winding around them yards and yards of white or white-and-blue cloth, three feet of which is left dangling down the

career in the form of a kammerbund about the waist. Fights and tumults occur as the result of the caravanserai-jee's attempt to shut the gate and keep them out, and in despair he puts me in a room

ing rid of the crowd. Whatever his object, its consummation is far from being realized; the unappeased curiosity of the crowds of newly arriving people finds expression in noisy shouts and violent hammering on the door, creating a din

d ride around the pla

he people wil

an the door is locked, and the wily Yezdi has accomplished his purpose of ousting me and thereby securing a little peace for himsel

impulse to follow than if they were so many bleating sheep following the tinkling leadership of a bellwether or a goat. The caravanserai-jee begs me to come down again, fearing the weight will cause the roof to cave in. well-nigh at my wit's end what to do, I next take up a squatting pos

vidual to his companion, and their black eyes glisten and their fingers rub together feveri

pool!" suggests another; and the coveteousness of dozens of keenly interes

which he asks the outrageous sum of three kerans; a second villainous-looking specimen worries m

ing interesting for my note-book, I at length make pretence of acceding to his wishes. Bystanders at once interfere

n," they say; "

nder his protection and lead me out of the caravanserai to-where? He vouchsafes no explanation where; none, at least, that is at all comprehensible to me. Where do th

person of a dervish. Our path is barred at the outer gate of the caravanserai, however, by two men in semi-military uniforms, armed with sw

elf understood through the medium of the small stock of his native tongue at my command. The linguistic abilities of the strange, semi-civilized aud

ves me up in despair, and, addressing the crowd about us, cries out in astonishment: "Parsee

shout at least a dozen more

lly for not having thought of so simple a thing before. But having ascertained that I speak English, he now proceeds to treat me to a voluble discourse in simon-pure Persia

to the officer and get him to take me out and show me the Ali-

rmine to change my quarters quietly by the light of the moon, leaving the crowd in ignorance of

and archways cast weird shadows across the silent streets, with a few chosen companions, parties to the secret of the removal, the b

to leave, the figure rises up and thrusts forth an alms-receiver and in a loud voice sings out, "Backsheesh, backshe

menced, by the fearful yowling of Beerjand cats. Several of these animals are paying their feline compliments to the moon from different roofs and walls

ing cats as the authors of such unearthly music; but cats it is, nevertheless; for, seeing me listening outside by the door, one of the sharers of my rude quarters comes out and removes all doubt by drawing the rude outlines of a cat in the dust with his finger,

summer-garden, and a goodly share of the population of the adjacent village of Ali-abad. While yet miles away, Ali-abad is easily distinguished as being something out of the ordinary run of Persian villages by the luxuriant foliage of the Ameer's gar

dirty, and uncivilized, looks anything but an appropriate dwelling-place for a great chieftain. The summer garden itself is enclosed within a high mud wall, and it i

and a round tent of blue and white stripes. Winding its silvery course to the summer garden, from a range of hills several miles distant, is a clear,

rkling water, and a couple of guards are stationed near by to keep away intrusive villagers; an abundance of ea

a samovar of tea. Everything possible to contribute to my comfort is attended to and nothing overlooked; and the Ameer furthermore proves himself sensible and co

of Shiraz, or sipping fragrant tea, it is very difficult to associate my present conditions and surroundings with the harassing experiences of a few hours ago. This marvellous transformation in so short a time-from the madding clamor of an inconsiderate mob, t

sit at noon, apparently to supervise the serving up of the-more than bountiful repast sent in from his master's table. My attention is at o

y to my inquiries-it is a relic o

a low arch beneath the wall and lends itself to the maintenance of an artificial lake that spreads over a large proportion of the enclosed space. The summer garden is a fabrication of green trees and the cool g

rt. He is a person, however, that improves with acquaintance, and is probably more intelligent than he looks. He seems to be living here in a very plain and unpretentious manner; no gaudy stained glass, no tinsel, no mirror-work, no vain gew-gaws of any description impart a cheap and garish glitter to the place; no gorgeous apparel bedecks his ample proportions. Clad in the ordinary dress of a well-to-do Persian nobleman, Heshmet-i-Molk, happy and contented in the enjoyment of creature comforts and the universal estee

of the lake yonder (200 yards); tund (swift) as a swif

ry-boat? no means

es the Ameer. "Pull

e forded wi

tor

e to assist with poles

nd-t-u-n-d! skins neis, poles neis; t-u-n-d!!" and the Ameer points to a bird hopping abo

sand and burning heat of the dreadful Lut Desert intervenes between me and the Mekran coast; the route through Beloochistan, barely passable with camels and guides and skin

utter impracticability of crossing either in the summer and with a bicycle; but the wish gives birth to the thought that perhaps he may

interpreted into English, means Desert of Despair. A gleam of hope that things may not be quite so hopeless as pictured is born of the fact that, in dwelling on t

raph-pole, and shall enter Afghanistan at a point so much nearer to Quetta than to the Boundary Commission Camp that the

absence of any alternative save turning back) determination to point my nos

e takes a few vigorous whiffs at his kalian as though, conscious of the uselessness of arguing the ma

e muzzle like a two-pronged pitchfork; swords, pistols, and the brave but antique display of warlike paraphernalia characteristic of the East. One of them, I am pleased to observe, is the genial young mirza whose snuff-colored roundabout is held in

scort's horses and ten times worse for a person reduced to the necessity of lugging his horse along; over the summit, and down, down, down again over a fearful trail for a wheelman, or, more correctly,

ularity, although some attempt has been made at forming streets. Darmian and Poorg are twin villages, but a short distance apart

prehensive mind. Hearing of the arrival of a Ferenghi with an iron horse, this person's subtle intellect pilots him into the stable of the place we are stopping at and leads him to search curiously therein, with the expectation, we may reasonably presume

atified to learn from my map that Persia is much the larger country of the two. A small corner of India is likewise visible on the map, and, taking it for granted that the map represents India as fully as it does Persia, the khan, on whom I am unwittingly bestowing the rudimen

s. The ends of the turbans here are often seen gathered into a sort of bunch or tuft on the top; the ends are fringed or tipped with

hed, "unwiped," and otherwise undistinguishable from others of the same age about the place, they are gravely introduced as khan this, that, and the other respe

iculous to see grown people bearing themselves in a retiring, servile manner in deference to youngsters glaringly ignorant of ho

hem away for half an hour, and then ushers them into my presence again, transformed into gorgeous youths with nice clean faces and wiped noses. Marshalling themselves gr

feet, and their snowy turbans end in a gold-flecked tuft of transparent muslin that imparts a bantam-like air of superiority. Their father comes and squats down beside me, and, as we sip tea together, he bestows a fond, p

er, and the Darmian people use the term "ow." Upon my calling for ob, the khan's attendant stares blankly in reply; but an animated indi

yers, likewise utters the summons here at Darmian quit

voice, I may perhaps be permitted to mention that the people are twice admonished, and twice a l

m, while his comrade guides me for a couple of miles over a most abominable mountain-trail, rejoining the river and the dutiful son-in-law at Foorg. Foorg is situated at the extremity of the gulch, and

awless tribes-people whose hereditary instincts are diametrically opposed to the sublime ethics of the decalogue

man; walled gardens, rocks, orchards, and ruins, with hundreds of water-ditches winding and twisting among them, the water escaping through broken banks and creating new confusion where confusion already reigns supreme. Among this indescribable jumble of m

s the mirza's iron-gray gingerly enters the water, an interesting and instructive spectacle is afforded by a hundred or more Foorgians following

usbies. A number of tall, angular figures stemming the turbid stream in the elegant costumes of our fi

lities on the mind of the mirza and the sowar than was possible yesterday, by quickly leaving them far in the rear. Some

he bicycle when my escort comes galloping along; not seeing me anywhere in view ahead, they had wondered what had becom

r; during a brief halt at the umbar these Darmian delicacies are fished out of his saddle-bags and duly pronounced upon, a

row of one-storied mud huts, each of which contains a pair of grindstones. Connecting with the upper stone is a perpendicular shaft of wood which protrudes through the roof and extends fifteen

hat redeems it entirely from the commonplace. A system of mud walls are built about, the same height or a little higher than the shaft,

of these mills are in operation at Tabbas; and to see them all in full swing, making a loud "sweeshing" noise as they revolve, is

test hesitation is made about knocking out the threshold. Every male visible about the place seems eagerly desi

ual who enters objections about killing a sheep. Whether, in the absence of the village khan, the objections are based on an unwillingness to supply the mutton, or b

erved their customary purpose, they are carefully emptied into a saucer, sprinkled with

blowing down the stem. This mighty difference in the manner of clearing the water-chamber of a hubble-bubble will no doubt impress the minds of intellectual Occidentals as a remarkably important and valuable piece of information. Not less interesting and remarkable will likewise seem the fact that the flour-frescoed propr

practice of chewing snuff. Almost every man carries a supply of coarse snuff in a little sheepskin wallet or dried bladder; at s

ble in a manner that leads his guests to think he worships the "Ingilis" people humbly at a distance, and is highly honored in being able to see and entertain one of those very worshipful individuals. Like

istic Eastern head-dress; the snowy whiteness of the material, the gracefulness of the folds, and t

of the Harood than did the Ameer at Ali-abad; he says it will be fordable for camels, and t

ussion of the subject between Abdurraheim Khan and the mirza. About noon a messenger arrives from Ali-abad, bringing a letter from the Ameer, which seems to cle

ut all other considerations in favor of a determination never to touch it again. An attempt to distribute it among the people about us is interpreted by the well-meaning khan as an impulse of p

within hearing of the merest whisper, is detailed to guide me to a few hovels perched among the mountains, four farsakhs to the southeast, from

gather about me, my aged but valiant protector comes galloping briskly up and imperatively waves them away. A grandfatherly party, with a hacking cough, a rusty cimeter, and a flint-lock musket of "ye olden tyme," I fancied "The Aged" merely a guide to show me the road. As I

ine as well! As he comes galloping bravely up and dismisses the wild-looking children of the desert with a grandiloquent sweep of

e Aged," and toward nightfall three picturesque horsemen ride up and dismount; they are the sowars detailed by

ts "h-o-i!" He then regards me with a peculiar and indescribable smile. It is not a very hard smile to interpret, however, and I present him with the custo

s out to be an uncharitable judgment, however, for once; he goes through the pantomime of using a pen and says, "Abdurraheim Khan." He saw me write

it is nothing surprising to happen across one acting in the humble capacity of a sowar; a mirza gets his title from his ability to write letters; the precise social status of a mudbake is more difficult to here determine, but his proper roosti

ament and possesses a headstrong disposition; coupled with his perverted notions of meum and tuum, these qualities will some fine day end in his being brought up with a round turn and required to part company with his ears or nose, or to be turned adrift on the cold charity of the world, deprived of his hands by the crude

omposing and writing letters, his bump of cautiousness is several degrees larger than the khan's, but is, nevertheless, not large enough to counterba

; but, instead of this, his frequent glances at my packages are, if anything, more heavily freighted with the

size them up pretty thoroughly by their conversation, and thus to adopt a line of policy to counteract the baneful current of their thoughts. Their display of cunning and rascality is ridiculous in the extreme; fancying themselves deep and unfathomable as the shades of Lucifer himself, they are, in reality, almost as transparent and simple as children; their cunning is th

eas, larger than I would care to say, for fear of being accused of exaggeration, hold high revel on our devoted carcasses all the livelong night. From the swarms of these frisky insects that disport and kick their heels together in riotous revelry on and about my own person, I fancy, forsooth, they have discovered in me something to be made the most of, as a variety of food seldo

le party starts eastward under the guidance of a villager whom I have employed to guide us out of the

t, six horse-pistols of various degrees of serviceableness, swords, daggers, ornamental goat's-paunch powder-pouches, peculiar pendent brass rings containing spring nipp

he saddle. "Inshallah, Al-lah," is the response of the mirza and the mudbake, as t

g the merest suggestion of a trail, but quite as frequently following no trail at all. At certain intervals occurs a piece of good ridable ground; our villager-guide then looks back over his shoulder

s as though it might be the battleground of the elements. A trail, that is only here and there to be made out, follows a southeasternly course down a verdureless tract of country strewn with rocks and bowlders and furrowed by the rushing waters of torrents now dried up. Jagged rocks and bowld

. As the commissaire of the party, I have, of course, intrusted him with a sufficient quantity of money to meet our expenses; and the mirza and the mudbake no sooner find themselves alone than another excellent t

ne to spend money where they cannot witness the transaction. They are sorely troubled as to

tered kermis, intrinsically not worth a moment's consideration; but it serves

say the least. While they are growling out to each other their grievances and apprehensions, that artful schemer is riding his poor horse miles and miles over th

or so the bizarre figure of the absentee is observed approaching us from over the hills, and before many minutes he is welcomed by a simu

ord, but openly accuse him of deceiving them. The khan maintains his innocence with vehement language and takes refuge in counter-accusations. The wordy warfare goes merrily on for some minutes as earnestly as if they were q

eriority the mudbake is now required to assume the burden of carrying the youthful goat; he takes the poor kid by the scruff of the neck and flings it roughly across his saddle in a manner that causes the gleeful spirits of the khan to find vent in a peal of laughter. Even the usually imperturbable countenance of the mirza lightens up