THE SURVEY CONTINUED 131 



looked down with the scorn of true Mahomedans on their 

 poorer pagan neighbours, the Barbiirr, though from our 



DYEIXU-l'IT.-S AT KWuNt 



experience we found the latter more truthful and charming 

 in every way. 



Early on the morning of the 31st a runner came in from 

 Alexander ; he had met two men whom I had sent off to 

 Gujba with the broken theodolite and a letter, and had thus 

 heard of my whereabouts. I at once rode back to him at 

 Burutohai and found that he had heard so many contra- 

 dictory rumours as to where I was, that he had not known 

 where to look for me. The sad truth was now mutually 

 revealed that on both sides provisions had given out, owing 

 to the fact that he had not expected to be so long in finding 

 me ; and also because he thought that before now I should 

 have worked round in the direction of Gujba, where the 



