148 MEEK SHAH NOWAZ. 



occasionally take shots from a Koodnee,* but he 

 is the favourite. His eldest son, upon one oc- 

 casion, exj)ressing a wish to remain behind, the 

 Meer said, " I consider those only to be my 

 sons who accompany me to the chase." Meer 

 Shah Nowaz has repeatedly told me how dis- 

 tasteful it is to himself to be thus dragged 

 about in the jungles, when he would prefer 

 remaining at home with his family, and enjoy- 

 ing himself with books; for, unlike the generality 

 of his race, he is fond of study, and has really 

 some taste for drawing. These tastes, however, 

 can only be gratified now and then ; and as his 

 father had started two days previously for the 

 Narra, where he expected great sport with an- 

 telope, which abound in that quarter, it behoved 

 him to push on, more especially as the Meer's 

 youngest son, Meer Khan Mahomed, was then 

 an invalid at Khyrpoor. Meer Shah Nowaz 

 was very anxious that I should accompany him, 

 but the weather was getting warm, and I felt 

 unwilling needlessly to expose myself to the 

 burning sun of Sindh at the commencement of 

 the hot season, as the tent at my disposal was 

 exceedingly small, and afi'orded little better 



* A shooting lodge. 



