BELOOCHEES OF SINDH. 43 



mercenaries, chiefly Patlians, with a sprinkling 

 of Khorassanees, Rohillahs, Mooltanees, &c. 



The Beloochees of Sinclh are fairer in com- 

 plexion and more powerfully formed than the 

 SindheeSj and of more hardy constitution. The 

 BeloocheCj says Bm-ton, '' is when intoxicated 

 sufficiently brave in battle. He is debauched 

 in his habits, slow in everything except the 

 cunning of a savage, violent and revengeful, 

 rough in manner, and coarse in all his tastes." 

 This is, I think, rather too severe, for I alv/ays 

 found both Sindhees and Beloochees courteous 

 and ready to oblige, and without exception tlie 

 most merry and checrfid people that I ever met 

 with in the East. They overwhelm one with 

 polite inquiries on meeting, commencing with 

 the usual Mahomedan salutation of " Salaam 

 Aleclc^^' or ^' Aleclcoom Salaam," or ''^ Khyr-o- 

 Aufijet" followed by a torrent of inquiries whe- 

 ther one is ''well," ''perfectly well;" "happy," 

 "completely happy;" "contented," "quite 

 contented;" " at ease," "joyful," " very joyful." 

 "All the others" (meaning one's wife) "well, 

 quite well," " children all well," " house pros- 

 perous," &c. &c. ; and the more rapidly the 

 questions are uttered the higher breeding docs 



