202 Journal of a voyage from [March, 



ing their propensity to thieving, but which most probably encourages 

 the habit. As it is a tax openly paid by the principal Rath or J at 

 zemindars to the Nawab, free-booting is in a measure countenanced 

 and rendered honorable by it. The present Nawab, I am told, has 

 never hitherto visited the country to the east of Mdbdrakpur, from a 

 dislike to trust himself among these tribes. 



The river diminishing in breadth and the banks low ; country more 

 open on both sides, but still presenting large tracts of heavy jhau 

 jungle. 



We lost sight of the Desert soon after leaving Darpur. The scenery 

 near Goth Nur Muhammad is rather pleasing from the number of palm 

 trees in its neighborhood ; here also are ruined forts and a few ruins 

 of paka bricked houses, the former residence of chiefs of other 

 branches of the Ddudputra tribe. 



On the 7th to Dera Baku, near which the district of Goth Nur 

 Muhammad terminates. The villages are more substantial, and the coun- 

 try more open and better cultivated as we proceed. The people also 

 appear to be less rude, and not so scantily clothed as we found them 

 in the frontier district. The revenues are collected regularly and with 

 little trouble. 



On the 8th to Bakarpur, the ghat opposite to Bahdwalpur ; estimated 

 distance by the river 4j kos. The river narrowed extremely during 

 the two last days' journey. The banks have become very low and the 

 current sluggish, running about \\ miles in the hour. The country is 

 well cultivated on both banks of the river, the people are more engag- 

 ed in agricultural pursuits, and herds of cattle are less numerous than 

 they were above Khairpur. 



From the 8th to the 25th of February the Mission remained at 

 Bahdwalpur, employed in negotiation with the Nawab. The town of 

 Bahdwalpur, the most populous in the Khan's dominions, is situated 

 about two miles south-east of the present channel of the river ; during 

 the floods a branch of the river runs close under its walls and the 

 intervening space, at present a moist sand covered with low strag- 

 gling jhau, is then one sheet of water. At the present season only 

 the beaten tracks to the ghat are passable on horseback and the rest 

 is quagmire. The walls of the town enclose a number of gardens, 

 and from the river the only signs of buildings we could descry through 

 the trees were the minarets of the large mosque. The approach to 

 the town from the river is by a number of narrow lanes separating 

 gardens, in which the bed-mushk, the apple and orange tree, the 

 mulberry, and rose bushes are seen in great profusion. A bridge of 



