THE SUDR BAZAAR. 163 



crowded with people. Shikarpoor is truly the 

 capital of merchants, bankers, and money- 

 changers. Its position is eminently favourable 

 to commerce, and it may be considered the 

 entrepot of the Khorassan and Indian trade. Its 

 shops are filled with the finest shawls of Cash- 

 mere, cloth of gold from Mooltan, Hindustan, 

 and the Deccan, furs from Astracan, swords 

 from Persia and Damascus ; cloths of all kinds 

 and at all prices, ripe and dry fruits, with all 

 kinds of groceries, and what the Americans call 

 notions. The best time for viewing the Sudr 

 Bazaar is about four o'clock in the afternoon, 

 when all Sindli arouses itself after the midday 

 siesta, and pours into the bazaar, either for 

 purchases or pleasure, despite the stifling heat 

 from want of fresh air, and the poisonous 

 smells that exhale from a closely packed multi- 

 tude of not over-clean persons. '' Here," says 

 Captain Postans, "is to be met the haughty 

 Moslem, mounted on his fine Khorassan steed, 

 decorated with rich trappings, himself wearing 

 the tall Sindhian cap of rich brocade, and a 

 scarf of gold and silk, jostling through the crowd, 

 between whom a way is opened by the Sindhian 

 soldiers who precede and follow him ; then 



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