MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



513 



was frequently in the Sirdar's 

 Ghedan, when his whole family 

 was present. 



A Belooche soldier, when arm- 

 ed cap-a-pee, makes a very for- 

 midable display. He carries a 

 matchlock, sword, spear, dagger, 

 and shield, besides a multiplicity 

 of powder flasks, priming horns, 

 and pouches j the latter crammed 

 with balls, slugs, flints, tinder 

 boxes, and other warlike ap])ara- 

 tus, which, on active service, must 

 encuniljer hirxi beyond conception j 

 they do not, however, seem to 

 mind it, and a warrioi-'s prowess 

 is often estimated by the weight 

 of his accoutrements. They are 

 all capital marksmen, and on that 

 account in battle, avoid as much 

 as possible, coming to close com- 

 bat ; but when they have no al- 

 ternative, tliey either throw away 

 their fire-ai'ms, or sling them by 

 the side of the camel, or horse on 

 which they are mounted. The 

 best and most prized warlike 

 weapons they have, are of foreign 

 manufacture. Matcldocks, swords, 

 and daggers, they get foom Per- 

 sia, Kliora-:an, and Hindoostan : 

 shields from the latter country ; 

 and for spears tliey are generally 

 indebted to their neighbours the 

 Sindians. At Kelat there is an 

 armoury for matchlocks, swords, 

 and spears, belonging exclusively 

 to the Khan, but the workman- 

 ship I saw from it was bad and 

 clumsy. 



Tlie amusements of the Be- 

 looches are such as we should ex- 

 pect to find among a wild and un- 

 civilizfd people : they are enthu- 

 siastically fond of every species of 

 field sports; and much of their 

 time is passed in shooting, hunt- 

 ing, and coursing, for which lat- 



VoL. LVIII. 



ter purpose, they bestow a vast 

 deal of attention on the training 

 of their greyhounds : a good one 

 is valued at two or three camels, 

 or even more, and I was informed 

 that the Khan of Kelat has been 

 known to pay to the value of four 

 hundred rupees for one dog. Fir- 

 ing at marks, cudgelling, wrest- 

 ling, practising with swords, and 

 thiowing the spear, are likewise, 

 all favourite diversions with theraj 

 and neighbouring Kheils cope 

 with each other at these exercises ; 

 the four latter they understand 

 scientifically, and at the former, 

 some of them are so incredibly 

 e.Kpert, that I am ass\ned they 

 can invariably hit a target, not 

 more than six inclies square, off a 

 horse at full gallop ; and I can 

 positively affirm, that the different 

 guides 1 had during my journey 

 killed, at the distance of fifty or 

 sixty yards, every small bird, such 

 as larks, sparrows, &c. they fired 

 at with a single ball ; nor did 

 they appear to consider this as 

 any signal proof of their dexterity 

 as marksmen. Before I close this 

 enumeration of their diversions, 

 I may describe a very hazardous, 

 though popular one among all 

 classes, which they perform on 

 horseback, and call Nezuh Ba- 

 zee, or spear play. A wooden 

 stake of moderate thickness is 

 driven into the ground, and a 

 horseman at full speed, pierces it 

 with the point of his spear in such 

 a manner, as to force it out of the 

 earth, and carry it along with 

 him ; the difficulty and danger in 

 accomplishing this feat, is evi- 

 dently augmented or decreased, 

 according to the depth that the 

 stake is in the ground ; but in its 

 easiest form, it requires a violent 

 2 L and 



