324 Journal kept while travelling in Seistan, [No. 112. 



ing the governor called again, accompanied by the heads of all the 

 Kheils around, who apologized for not having come out to meet me, as 

 they had not expected me so soon. I disclaimed all title to such honors, 

 but this they evidently considered as mere words of course. The 

 room was so small that it was with difficulty all my guests could 

 squeeze in. I had heard reports of Khyrmun Meerza having encamped 

 outside Subzawar, and of his having sent to Shah Pussund Khan to 

 desire him to get ready 60,000 khurwars of grain, as he was coming 

 with an army. " I have written," said Futteh Khan to Shah Pussund to 

 say, " that if he does any thing of the kind he shall repent of it." This 

 flourish was amusing enough to me, who knew the relative situation of 

 the parties. There was much talk of the Beloochee chuppaoing, 

 Beloochee plunder- ana * Juma Khan, the brother of the Ex-Candahar 

 ln 2- sirdar, was reported to have been stripped. 



The many stories T heard of the boldness and strength of these 

 plundering bands, and the assertion of several people, who pretended to 

 have been well informed on the subject, that there was no grain procur- 

 able at Jorodine, determined me to leave eighty camels, (which I had 



_, . . , brought from Herat with me for Major Todd to load 



Determined to leave ° 



camels brought for with grain for the use of the mission,) at Furrah. 

 grain at Furrah. „,, . .11. . •, «, 



I his measure, too, might disarm any jealousy Shah 



Pussund Khan might have perceived by my bringing these camels, 



which he might suppose were sent by his rival the vuzeer, and it would 



serve to counteract the prevailing notion of my being laden with 



gold, which caused all the beggars to collect around me from far 



and near. I was much annoyed with people rushing into my room 



with a large tray, perhaps containing one melon, or getting introduced 



on the plea of business, and then presenting a pair of gloves, or some such 



trifle, and begging for shufkut, which literally means 



honor, and really money. As all the heads of Kheils 



had sent me presents of fruits, we had more grapes and melons than 



we could have consumed for several days. I asked Futteh Khan how to 



get rid of the nuisance, and if it was the " custom" for travellers to 



be thus taxed -, he said it was all imposition, and mentioned as an 



example, that when the king of Persia rides out an order is given 



that no one should make an offering, I of course profited by the lesson. 



Beggars of this kind are sometimes very impertinent and exacting, and 



1 



