32 Captain Postans on the Bilichi Tribes inhabiting Sindh, 
of honour and good faith, which was little to be expected from 
what we had seen of their neighbours. The occupation of this 
stronghold, its gallant and almost unparalleled defence by a 
mere handful of our men, the fierce battle of Nuftisk, which 
cost us an awful sacrifice of valuable lives, were the prelude to 
scenes, wherein the most extraordinary and striking proofs 
were given by the Murri Biltchis, of their being a high- 
minded set of men; actuated by principles which all must 
honour, even in more civilized communities, and lastly beget- 
ting, from deadly hostility, that mutual confidence, and indeed 
admiration, which springs from just appreciation of good quali- 
ties. (Interesting details of these may be seen in the United 
Service Gazette for March, and subsequently.) Inhabiting 
the same range of hills are the Bigtis. Neither these nor the 
Murris were actively predatory, though they allowed the 
Damkis and Jekranis the shelter afforded by the strong hilly 
country they inhabited. The Murris commanded the lower 
portion of the Bolan pass, disputing the domain over this ter- 
rific defile with the Kakurs and Khusacks ; and beyond these 
again, westward, the Muzaris and Kulpurs. These two latter 
were troublesome subjects of the Punjaub government, and 
as restless and predatory as all about them; but they were 
kept in admirable order by the governor of Multan, who occa- 
sionally dispatched large forces against them. The Muzaris 
are at deadly feud with the Burdis, alternate devastating forays 
being made by both. 
The Biltchis, particularly the wild tribes of Cutchi, enter- 
tain Bards, or as the Rajputs call the same class of people, 
Bhats ; in Sindh the Livis are a kind of gipsy vagabond tribe, 
who make this their vocation. The songs are often composed 
on the warlike deeds or records of forays, or chapaos; the 
music, if so it can be called, is rude in the extreme; the 
opening of each stanza being given by a loud cry, as of a per- 
son in intense pain, or under great grief, and the voice is 
gradually lowered until the conclusion of the stanza; it is 
accompanied by a rude guitar. Thus amused, a group of these 
wild men will sit for a whole night smoking and dozing, 
their greatest idea of happiness being the “ dolce far niente” 
of the Italian, or the Kheif of the Turk. With the Cutchi 
7 
