HIGHWAY ROBBERY. 61 



the Mecr. I was so much disgusted with the 

 conduct of my Bhcestij in the above matter 

 that I sent him about his business, much to 

 the astonishment of my other servants, who 

 seemed to consider him a very injured man, 

 and after some days teased me into re-enter- 

 tainino; him. 



Highway robbery was formerly of frequent 

 occurrence in Sindh, but, thanks to the excel- 

 lence of the police, is now almost unknown. 

 The favourite localities for these depredations 

 were the road between Sukkur and Sliils:arpoor, 

 and the vicinity of the Lukkee Pass, on the 

 right bank of the Indus, and on the left bank, 

 between Halla and the Khyrpoor territories. 

 The robbers were principally from the hills 

 towards Beloochistan ; they came down in 

 parties of five or six, armed -with sword and 

 sliield, and occasionally one or two of the 

 number carried also a matchlock. These rob- 

 bers were mounted on sorry-looking mares, 

 but capable of such great endurance as to get 

 over 50 or GO miles at a stretch in a rapid 

 ambling pace, thus bafiiing the pursuit of the 

 police. Nobut, the notorious leader of a rob- 

 ber band, was, however, at length taken, and 



