JOURNEY FROM HERAT TO ORENBURG. 275 



eternity 1 Heaven be praised ! neither his father nor 

 grandfather had eaten the salt of ingratitude ; and as 

 for himself, what petition should he make 1 Was it 

 not evident to all people that he lived but in the 

 favour of the gentleman," &c., &c. The old man, I 

 really believe, had I wished it, would have accom- 

 panied me with the best grace in his power ; but his 

 age and infirmities prevented my ever dreaming of 

 such a thing. He has a young son and an old wife 

 to look after; young Daood had been purchasing 

 some presents for his young wife, to whom he had 

 been married about a month previous to our leaving 

 Herat, but his only remark was, with a sigh, " Well, 

 father, you must take these Russian boxes to my 

 house ; " and he has been invaluable in superintend- 

 ing all the thousand preparations for this long and 

 harassing march. Khoda Woordee considered it a 

 matter of course that he should accompany me ; and 

 Fazil, " the faithful," said he, " of course, should not 

 return to Hindostan except in my company ; " and 

 he has been about a fortnight endeavouring to explain 

 the purport of a letter which he wishes to have sent 

 to his bhae (brother), to the effect that a certain 

 young damsel in Rajputana may be released from her 

 betrothal to him, as he is going to accompany the 

 gentleman to Peterspork. Brutus is much horrified 

 at my expressing a determination to shave off my 

 beard when I arrive in Russia. At first he thought 

 I was joking ; but finding that I Avas serious, he 



