406 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



a sheep, which was soon converted into a savoury 

 raess. After we had refreshed the inner man, we 

 held a " durbar," at which all the elders, and indeed 

 most of the inhabitants of the hamlet attended; 

 and never, either in civilised or savage life, have I 

 seen a finer-looking race than the specimens then 

 before me. The men were all of noble stature, 

 stalwart, and muscular to a degree, with highly in- 

 telligent countenances and strikingly handsome 

 features, the lower part of which were generally 

 covered with long flowing beards. The women 

 were extremely beautiful, with finely-chiselled fea- 

 tures, lustrous eyes, and pearly teeth, which they 

 disclosed in gracious and fascinating smiles, that 

 lighted up their faces with the most bewitching 

 radiance. They wore no head-dress, generally speak- 

 ing, except their luxuriant tresses, which flowed in 

 unconfined freedom over their shoulders, although 

 during my stay among them 1 noticed some in 

 jaunty-looking scarlet caps. Their hands were 

 beautiful, and when they walked their flowing 

 drapery revealed the exquisite symmetry of their 

 legs and feet, which throughout the world are un- 

 rivalled. We all sat down in a semicircle in front 

 of the door of my hut, the women a little distance 

 behind the men, and, after Hoossain and Abdulla 

 had served the greater part of the assembly with 

 coffee, "chibouks" were lighted, when, with an air 

 of great ceremony, I commenced a speech in Turkish, 

 eked out with Hindostanee, which was translated 



