64 By Mountain, Lake, and Plain 



becoming crowded with arrivals from the far-dis- 

 tant lakes of the north. 1 



There are few places in the world where wild- 

 fowl collect in greater number or variety than on 

 this lake of Seistan, and few where the efforts 

 of the gunner to take a reasonable toll of them 

 appear so futile. Of one thing I am deter- 

 mined, and that is, if ever it is my fortune, or 

 misfortune, to visit this country again, I shall 

 risk collision with the Customs officials on the 

 question of the importation of cannon, and bring 

 with me the biggest punt -gun that London can 

 produce. 



Let me describe one of our trips to the Hamun 

 armed only with our puny "hand guns." A 

 November morning, cool, bright, and still. It is 

 not ideal weather for wildfowling, but in Seistan 

 one does appreciate a halcyon day. 



We have been riding for an hour and a half 

 and have entered the reed tract. Through the 

 Naizar, as it is called, runs a narrow track it is 

 in fact the highroad to Kain and Khorassan, but 

 though now dry, and even dusty, it had been 

 churned up by cattle when soft and is rough 

 going. We are surrounded by a forest of high 

 reeds, our only landmark the Koh-i-Kwaja swing- 



1 Many kinds of duck breed in Seistan, notably some of the 

 pochards, and teals, and marbled duck. 



