TRAVELS IN BALUCHISTAN.* THOSE of our readers who recollect the
interesting volumes in which Sir Charles Macgregor described his travels in the Persian province of Khorasan four years ago, will turn to his present book with expectations of pleasure ; and we may at once say that they are not destined to be disappointed. Of all little-known countries, Baluchistan is probably the one which presents fewest features of interest, and General Macgregor has had to struggle with no slight difficulties, not merely in preventing his story from becoming dull and monotonous, but absolutely in filling a volume about it at all. General Mac- gregor's explorations lay, too, in the least interesting parts of this very uninteresting State,—those deserts of the west where the exact frontier lines with Persia and Afghanistan are either unknown or a matter of individual fancy, and whither the most adventurous travellers have failed to find a sufficient inducement to turn their steps. But Sir Charles Macgregor, who had ex- plored a great portion of Khorasan, and compiled a very excellent official gazetteer about the countries adjacent to Western India, felt bound to ascertain the true position of places, and the capabilities of moving caravans and troops through districts, first mentioned by the travellers Pottinger and Christie more than seventy years ago. It was with this object in view that, on his return to India in 1876, he resolved to make his way through Baluchistan from west to east, and to explore the northern parts of Mekran, and the Zirreh Desert. With his companion, the late Captain Lockwood, an officer of promise, he succeeded in accomplishing his purpose, and in giving to the map of Western Baluchistan, which had been almost a blank, the names of many inhabited spots, of some rivers, and of several mountain ranges. But although General Macgregor came across a few places which he thought might be reclaimed from the desert, the greater proportion by far of the country is hopelessly barren, and presents so uninviting an aspect, that we feel sure a perusal of these pages will at once remove all desire to have anything to do with this region or its people.
General Macgregor has the quick eye for details of the ob- servant and experienced traveller, and he accordingly supplies many particulars which bring the natives before us as living and animate creatures. The tribes of the west, living in a state of constant fend with each other, and hardly deigning to take the least notice of the behests of the Khan of Khelat, are composed almost exclusively of the Baluch race, whereas the ruling class and a large portion of the people of the eastern districts are Brahooes. There is a marked difference between these two races, as the following anecdotes, taken at random from General Macgregor's experiences of them both, will reveal :—
"My guide amused me much by his conversation to-day. Like all Baloches, he is deliciously simple in his ideas, and has none of the Eastern habit of putting things sweetly. When I was stooping down to get the slide for my camera, he looked at me and remarked, Why do you have your trousers so tight ? '—I laughed, and said I thought they were very loose.—' Loose ! ' he replied, 'I thought they would split ; mine are loose if you like,' bolding out his to his side.—Next thing he said was, Now I have shown you my country, you must show me yours.'—' Very well,' I replied, bat that would not be a fair exchange ; there is nothing to see here, where there is nothing but stones; my country is one large garden.'—' Is it ?' said he ; and then turning to the men, he repeated, His country is all a garden, date trees everywhere.'—I protested that there were no date trees. —` No date trees ! whew ! ' and he looked as if he thought a country without date trees could not be much worth seeing."
Again, General Macgregor writes as follows about his Baluch attendants and guard :—
"I gradually took sketches of each of my brave army, most of which I have since lost. This is a pity, as they made very queer pictures. Some really were quite ruffians, and others looked it. Their habits were anything but soldierly, and they thought nothing of firing off their matchlocks at any moment ; but
I tried to put a stop to this Certainly, one trait of the Baloches is their intense avariciousness. If you give them anything, they unblushingly ask for something more. The fate of my present to Muhammad Shah has already been mentioned. Again, some days ago I gave Muhammad my gun, and he came to Lockwood to-day to ask what it was worth ; and lastly, I gave the
• Wanderings in Balochistan. By Major-General Sir C. M. Macgregor, C.B.I., C.I.B. London: W. H. Allen and Co. 1F/32. guide a capital clasp-knife ; he took it, never said thank-you, but remarked to his rafik (companion), It has got neither a sheath nor a sling.' Whenever you ask a Belot+ to do anything for you, he invariably says, What will you give me ?' The other day, one of my paid escort wanted payment for coming to the top of a hill with me !"
The Brahooes, whose origin is so obscure, that, while one great authority declares them to be of Tartar stock, another identifies their language with Tamil, are quite a superior people, with whom General Macgregor's relations were of the most friendly kind. The following scene may be quoted, by way of contrast with those in which the Baluchis figured as the prominent characters :—
"We arrived after twelve miles at a Brahui camp, near a watering- place to the north called Pishak. As we were going along, an elderly gentleman rushed oat with a small carpet, and called out, Hi ! where are you going ? Stop here!' And when he saw we still kept on our way, for I wanted to be near the water, he said, Hi ! stop
here. You are my guest ! Don't blacken my face ! Agha [Sir], do stop ! For God's sake, be my guest !' and so on. I was so amused
that I halted. Then he came up and seized hold of my leg, and said, There, now you are going to stop !' But I protested that I wanted to go on, to be near the water. Water ! I will give you water, and meat, and milk, and bread, whatever you want.' So I said, I am very much obliged, and since you are so kind, I will stay here.'—' Kind,' he called out, laughing, wait till you see—Now, what do you want ? A little milk ? Nothing else ? Have some bread F'— No, I have bread, but if you could get us a little wood.'—' Of course ; and you'll have some meat ? I have lots of meat.'—' Thanks,' I said, I have meat ; could you get some grass for the horse ?' Before the words were out of my mouth he shouted, Hi Shahn ! ho Hernia! run and get some grass for the Agha's horse. Now, what else do you want Nothing more,' I replied; but he went on pressing me for a long time to have this and that. This, as a specimen, and a first specimen of the Brahnis, was certainly a great improvement. I was more than a month among the Baloches, and no man ever offered me a glass of water, an the last %loch I met, Khan Jahan, when I arrived at his camp, told me to go on. The benevolent old gentleman, who was called Shah Dost, continued his attentions late in the night, and in the morning it was just the same ; I feel sure there was no arriere pensde, for he never asked for any payment, and when I gave his little daughter a couple of rupees as a delicate way of returning his kindness, he wanted to return them ; at which the young lady pouted and was going off into a boo ! boo I said, Let her take them on my account ; your kindness cannot be- paid for by money.' How different from the Baloch, who, if he does anything for you, always precedes it by an inquiry what his hakk is to be !"
General Macgregor showed throughout his journey, under many trying circumstances, great tact and good temper. The way in which he managed his unruly Baluch escort, will excite the admiration of the reader ; and we may say that we have seldom met with a traveller who knew better how to temper firmness with discretion. It is not very likely that a reference to these pages will encourage a desire to visit this quarter of Asia, nor will any future Alex- ander, sighing for new worlds to conquer, seek to reach India by marching through the desert and waterless plains of Mekran.
The Baluch tribes offer no inducement, even to the petty Government of the Khan of Khelat, for direct interference in their affairs. They may recognise, or they may not—just as they choose—the authority of the agents that Chief has placed in some of their villages ; but the rights of sovereignty can bring no profit and little honour to Mir Khododad. If there is any actual ruler in the western parts of Baluchistan, it is the bandit Azad Khan, of whom General Macgregor has a great deal to say, although he never met him person- ally. Azad Khan has established a fort of refuge at a place called Khormagah, in the heart of the desert, whence he dispenses his orders to the surrounding tribes. He has won his way by several successful wars, and by vanquishing many rivals, to a position of superiority over his neighbours. There is some interest attaching to his declaration that he only recog- nises the authority of the Afghans, and not of the Brahoo ruler of Khelat. In this declaration may be perceived a reminiscence of the old Afghan claims over the country of Baluchistan, while Azad Khan's chief motive in adopting this course is, no doubt,
to set-off the name of the Afghans against that of the Brahooes- The affair is one of purely local interest, and the Khan of Khelat
is not likely to be so ill-advised as to interfere with a turbulent race, which is sure to give great trouble if meddled with, but which, if left alone, will hurt nobody except itself. At the same time, General Macgregor's information concerning a people through whose country passes one of the principal telegraph lines to India, adds much to our knowledge of our Indian neigh- bours. It certainly completes the useful data which it is always desirable to possess about the dominions of the Khan of Khelat, and there will be a general opinion that its author has con- tributed another solid piece of work to that he had previously rendered towards the comprehension of Asiatic questions.
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