TO THE SHAYAK. 193 



floods. The thanadar junior is here, I believe, to recon- 

 struct it ; but that will be a most difficult job from the 

 distance the timber will have to be brought. There is 

 stone enough and to spare ; but they are not architects 

 good enough to make use of it. Yet their houses are 

 fairly put together of stone and sun-brick, but the stone 

 rough certainly. They could never form a durable arch, 

 even if they contrived tetes-de-pont, and piers. And 

 now to wait as patiently as may be the subsidence of the 

 waters. 



3rd August. Cloudy and showery. I was informed 

 that men had been sent to get information of the state of 

 the river, and in the evening they returned, stating there 

 was little or no change since yesterday. There was rain 

 in the evening, and a heavy storm apparently bursting 

 over the mountains east of us. 



4th August. Again a cloudy day. I sent off Phuttoo 

 and Subhan with the Lobrah man, Tar-gness, to get news 

 of the river, and employed the morning in writing. 

 About 2 P.M. Subhan returned with the welcome news of 

 the waters having subsided, and Phuttoo and Tar-gness 

 having gone across to the other side to the village of 

 Lanjoong, he hastening back to give me the information : 

 he said also, that he had marked down some wild fowl in 

 the watery meadows. I despatched my letters carefully 

 sewn up in a bit of sheepskin, being assured that they 

 would be safely delivered at Sirinuggur, under cover to 

 the Baboo ; then took gun and shot, and went with 

 Subhan after the ducks which we soon found, and I 

 knocked down one, and wounded another, but, unfor- 

 tunately, we could not get either. "We tried all about, 

 and saw others, but could not get near them, so, after an 

 hour and a half's fruitless endeavours, returned in heavy 

 rain. 



