12 Continuation of the Route of Lieut. A. Burnes (Jan. 
conduct on that occasion; and however strange it may appear toothers, 
as I fancy it did to Burnes, our situation at Khulm only struck me in the 
light of an opportunity I should have of realizing former prospects, and 
the idea of meeting the chief of Kandtz, either as a tyrant or a friend, 
was by far from the least cherished of my adventures ; but I was doomed : 
to disappointment, and for some reason or other, my sunburnt face, 
silvery beard (which is now black enough), and ignorance of Persian, 
(though Turki is the spoken language in Kiunduz,) were supposed by 
the catchers of the loaves and fishes to be unfavorable to our disguise ; 
consequently I was left behind, and Burnes alone paid Morad Bég a visit 
at his country seat. We had been summoned to his presence to give an 
account of ourselves, and to remove the suspicions which rumor had 
attached to our character. Neither Burnes nor I anticipated any per- 
sonal danger, but the chance of restraint, or at least incalculable 
delay, and the certainty of a pecuniary sacrifice, or absolute depri- 
vation of all our resources, had sufficient alarmstomake both of us anxi- 
ous for the result. Bad as the repute of Morad Bég was, and too surely 
deserved, by his treatment of Moorcroft, I could not resist the idea that 
we should find him better than he was described; and though poverty 
and power together might plead an excuse for robbing us of our money, 
sordidness itself could not wholly destroy the common sympathies of our 
nature, and make him stare forth the naked savage. The self-will of an 
arbitrary tyrant, enjoying a penurious chiefship, might induce him to 
an act of extreme rigor; but self-interest would scarcely allow him to 
trespass the bounds of discretion, and insulate himself from the feelings 
of all around him. Burnes successfully appeared before Morad Bég, as 
an Armenian watch-maker from Lucknow, and it turned out, that the 
blackest person of our party would have answered equally well; with 
the above simple reply, the despot of Kunduz and king of terrors 
was satisfied. Could this be, amidst the game that was playing, the 
gold that was shining through us, promised bribes and open trickery ? 
besides, Morad Bég had heard of us at Péshawar and Kabul approaching 
with five lak’hs of rupees, and the custom-house officers were looking 
out for us; yet all this and much more happened, and if there was no 
delusion, confirms the character of the Oozbeks as given by Elphin- 
stone, for unsuspecting candor and the most stupid credulity. Burnes 
passed a pleasant-enough time at Morad Bég’s country-seat, drinking tea 
all day, and eating the leaves, according to custom, after the manner of 
the ancients ; and having been presented by an honorary investiture of 
some new clothes, he returned to Khulm, a distance of 70 miles, without 
dismounting, much better dressed than when he left it.—Moorcroft, ‘at 
