198 Memoir on the Province of Lus. [March, 



Ootul, a town situated on the eastern side of the valley, which ranks 

 next in importance, scarcely a fourth ; Layaree, Oot, Momadary, and 

 the others, are small villages of thirty or forty houses each, part built 

 of mud, and the rest of mats, and none have more than 150 or 200 

 inhabitants. The people generally are scattered over the face of the 

 country, and have no fixed habitations ; their huts are erected where- 

 ever there is pasturage for their cattle, and being constructed of stakes 

 and reed mats, are easily removed to other spots when the supply of 

 fodder is exhausted. Beylah, the capital, is built upon a rising ground, 

 on the north bank of a small river flowing from the mountains to the 

 north-east, which joins the Poorally about a mile to the westward of 

 the city. It contains about 800 houses built of mud, and a population of 

 about 5000 souls. The palace of the Jam is situated in the north- 

 east quarter, and this part of it is surrounded by a mud wall of no 

 great strength, which is the only defence of the place. 



The productions of Lus, are grain, (chiefly wheat, and jowaree) oil 

 seed, a kind of gram called gogur, and cotton ; ghee is made in large 

 quantities, and sent to Kurachee or Soonmemy for exportation, and 

 the flocks furnish a small supply of wool: — cotton cloth, with the 

 coarse woollen dresses worn by the peasantry, and coarse carpets made 

 at Beylah, are the only articles manufactured in the country. 



It is difficult to form an estimate of the amount of the population, 

 from the people being so much scattered over the face of the country, 

 but I do not think it exceeds 25,000 souls. It is composed principally 

 of Noomrees, descendants from the ancient Summa and Soonvia Raj- 

 poots, whose chiefs formerly ruled in Sinde, and who are divided into 

 seven tribes — the Jamootry, Arab Gudoor, Shooroo, Boorah, Shukh, 

 Warah, and Mungayah. The Arab Gudoor is said to be a branch 

 from the celebrated Arab tribe the Koreish, and to have settled in 

 Lus in the reign of the third caliph Omar. That the family of Arab 

 Oosmanany, the chief, is from an Arab stock is evident, for in him and 

 all his relatives the Arab form and features are strongly marked, but 

 the resemblance is not visible in the tribe generally, and it is no doubt 

 of Noomree origin. The Jokeeas, and Jukreeas, who are also Noom- 

 rees, and inhabit the mountainous country to the eastward, were also 

 formerly subject to the chief of Lus ; but when Kurachee was taken by 

 the Scindians they threw off their allegiance, and have ever since 

 acknowledged the authority of the Ameers. Besides Noomrees there are 

 also many Hindoos, and a large number of African slaves : the latter 

 perform all the work. The chiefs and a few of their military followers 

 an- robust, and good looking men, but the Noomrees generally possess few 

 of those qualities, either physical or moral, which would entitle them to 



