JOUENEY FROM HERAT TO ORENBURG. 213 



in his remark, still I hoped we had outwitted the 

 evil fates by leaving the city by the Maleck instead 

 of the Kootubchak gate, which would have been the 

 direct road. His reply was made in a solemn voice : 

 " Colonel Stoddart, though going in the same direc- 

 tion as yourself, made a much greater circuit than you, 

 for he left the city by the Kandahar gate, and yet you 

 see the result." This was a very pleasing and gratify- 

 ing remark of the old gentleman ; but not wishing 

 for any more such consolation, I turned the subject 

 on his own affairs, and then bade him good-bye. 



My party consists of the Kazi, Moollah Mahomed 

 Hassan, who, from his being somewhat of a con- 

 spirator, we have been in the habit of calling 

 " Brutus "; his son, Mahomed Daood, an active young 

 fellow, who is so fond of adventure that he cheer- 

 fully leaves his young wife to come with us ; Khoda 

 Woordee Khan, a man of old but ruined family, who 

 ought to be faithful, if there is such a thing as gra- 

 titude in this part of the world ; and lastly, Fazil 

 Khan, a fine specimen of the troopers of the irregular 

 horse of India, true as steel, fearing neither man nor 

 devil, and obeying the orders of his immediate 

 superior to the very letter. Brutus, I should say, is 

 about sixty years old ; he is a man of considerable 

 rank, a Moollah and Kazi, whose family in former 

 years possessed great influence and wealth in the 

 valley of Herat ; he is passionate and violent, but of 

 unflinching courage, and has much influence with the 



