204 Journal of a voyage from [March, 



priest or gusdin who enjoys some consideration with the Nawab, they 

 are looked down upon by their Mussalman fellow subjects with the 

 utmost contempt, and subjected to every kind of oppression. Some 

 few of them enjoy offices of trust near the Nawab and the other great 

 men of his court, but this they owe to the indolence and ignorance 

 of their masters, which quite unfits them for the tiresome details of 

 business. 



On the 25th we again started in our boats from the Bindra-wdla 

 ghat at Bahdwalpur to proceed to the junction of the five rivers of 

 the Punjab with the Indus at Mithankot . 



We arrived sometime after nightfall at Nahur-wdli ; estimated 

 distance from Bahdwalpur 1)^ kos. The banks of the river were 

 exceedingly low almost throughout our journey, and the river still 

 diminishing in size, not measuring more in some places than 150 

 yards across. The current not averaging 1^ miles an hour. There 

 were numerous sand- banks, and the river, saving that it is deeper, is 

 more insignificant in appearance here than at any part of its course 

 from liopur downwards. The numerous canals which are cut from 

 below Khairpur might account for this, but very few of them are fed 

 from the river in the cold weather. 



The country on both sides of the river was tolerably open, and 

 cultivation more general, with fewer tracts of the jhau jungle. The 

 inhabitants on both sides of the river are chiefly of Jat origin, mixed 

 with a few Daudputras and Baloches ; they are not generally addicted 

 to predatory habits, but the dismemberment of the Khan's dominions 

 has involved them in the general disorder which now prevails. 



On the 26th to Mahabatpur ; estimated distance by the river 3 

 kos. At about two miles from Nahur-wdli we came to a heavy 

 jhau jungle on the left bank, one of the Nawab's preserves or hunt- 

 ing seats, where he had proposed that we should take our leave of 

 him. We joined him towards the afternoon, and after witnessing the 

 slaughter of a few hog-deer returned to our boats, with the promise 

 to hunt with him again on the following day. 



On the 27th we passed the day in hunting with the Nawab. The 

 following is a description of his mode of following that pastime. 



The jungles in which the game is preserved, are divided and tra- 

 versed in their whole extent by strong hedges made of twisted boughs 

 of the jhau running at acute or at right angles with each other in 

 the form of a funnel, into which the game is driven. The hedge* are 

 not made to join at the apex of the triangles, but a space is there 

 left open and cleared of jungle in which the ambuscades are formed. 



