FASTING UNFASHIONABLE AT KHYRPOOR. 173 



themselves the slightest particle of food, but 

 water also, and must not even swallow 

 their saliva, from the earliest streak of dawn 

 till stars are visible in the evening ; they are 

 also debarred the use of the pipe, which, to a 

 native of Sindh, is the greatest of all privations. 

 During this fast, the days of the wealthy are 

 chiefly passed in sleep ; but the really strict 

 Mahomedans spend much of their time, during 

 the Ramzan, in meditation and prayer, exclu- 

 sive of their usual devotional exercises, and the 

 learned read the Koran and other religious 

 books. I have my doubts, however, whether 

 there are many conscientious fasters at the 

 Meer's capital, as the practice does not appear 

 popular at the Court of Khyrpoor. Mahomedans, 

 like Eoman Catholics, are not expected to fast 

 when travelling, and His Highness, who passes 

 his time almost entirely in hunting, is ever on 

 the move ; thus neither himself, nor any of his 

 suite, is expected to fast during the Ramzan. 



The month Shawal, which follows Ramzan, 

 was equally ushered in by a royal salute on 

 the first glimmer of the new moon ; and this 

 must have been a profoundly gratifj^ing an- 

 nouncement to all strict observers of the Ma- 



