By the Way 149 



In case you had forgotten your tooth-brush, for 

 instance, there was one attached to the wall by 

 a piece of string, which might be used but not 

 taken away ! There is, besides, in these sarais a 

 form of animal life there are, of course, many 

 forms : this one, however, has a more than usually 

 infamous reputation. He bears the significant 

 title of gharib-gaz or " biter of strangers." 



When travelling in Eastern Persia, a common 

 sight is an encampment of black tents belonging 

 to Baluch nomads. These tent-dwellers are more 

 picturesque than attractive looking, their hospi- 

 tality great, their manners rude. The rugs, woven 

 by their women-folk on rough horizontal looms, 

 are often very beautiful, and the spirit of acquisi- 

 tion frequently led us to make a detour to pass 

 through an encampment visible from the road as 

 distant black specks. The best "carpets" are 

 those called jaizi, a word signifying those made 

 by unmarried girls to form part of their dowry. 

 The better rug a girl is capable of turning out, 

 the greater her value in the matrimonial market. 

 It was not, perhaps, surprising to find the women 

 sometimes averse even to the point of tears 

 to selling what was at once the result of months of 

 labour, the sole furniture of their home, and the 

 chief currency in the important business of match- 

 making. The men were generally keen enough on 



