JEWISH ORIGIN OF BELOOCHEES. 69 



drones in Inam, or gift ; and every cliief, how- 

 ever small, and every community, has a 

 Peer o 3Ioorshid, or spiritual guide, who does 

 not maintain charge of their consciences for 

 a trifle. The Faquirs of Sindh too arc a 

 class that I do not admire, especially the 

 stui'dy and truculent ruffians who solicit alms 

 in a tone that will hardly admit of denial 

 from the weak and peaceful cultivator. 



The late Sir Henry Pottinger, who was 

 probably more profoundly acquainted with 

 the Beloochees than any other European writer, 

 exj)resses it as his opinion that they are of 

 Israelitish descent, as a branch of the Af- 

 ghans ; and he quotes certain instances of 

 resemblance between the laws of the Beloo- 

 chees and those of the ancient Jews. Thus, 

 that in the event of the death of a husband 

 his brother is bound to marry the widow, and 

 any children she may have are heirs to the 

 deceased [see Deuteronomy xxv. 5 and 6] ; 

 if a married woman elope, she and her pa- 

 ramour are to be put to death, ^' that evil 

 may be put away ;" and a man may only 

 divorce his wife according to rules similar to 

 those of the Jews. The opinion of Sir Henry 



