586 Journal of a Tour through parts [No. 139. 



situated at the entrance of the Wazeeree valley, and contains about 

 one hundred houses. I took up my quarters in the mosque as usual ; my 

 writer had an acquaintance here who entertained us. The hills abound 

 with iron, that the people work and take to Kot-i-Singee. 



8th Shawal. — Set out with the intention of proceeding to Aleekhel. 

 The road was through jungle, defiles, and over hills. On arriving 

 at a stream I halted, and made preparations for cooking, when a 

 party of six men, apparently robbers, presented themselves, and par- 

 took of the fare, and smoked our chillums. They 

 Meeting with Robbers. 



then questioned us as to our homes, and the object of 



our journey. I replied, that we had come from Mecca, and were pro- 

 ceeding home to Baghdad. They then asked what we had with us. 

 I replied we were poor Hajees, and had nothing but a few medicines. 

 These they requested to see. On my complying with their request, the 

 English writing on the packets attracted their attention, and demanded 



_. what the strange character was. I replied that they 



Discovery. L * 



were marks of my own invention, and mere help to my 



memory, marking the different medicines. They became suspicious, and 



opening my bundle, extracted the articles that pleased them most, such 



as penknives and scissors. They then bound us and took us to Khel-i- 



Masaood, beating us all the way, and on our arrival, sent for the village 



Akund and shewed him the inscriptions. He immediately decided that 



we were Feringees, in which opinion the Akhund confirmed them also, 



on reading the notes of the road my Persian writer had. We were very 



badly treated during our captivity, which lasted twelve days, and were 



daily threatened with death. They endeavoured to 

 Captivity. . 



make my companions give evidence against me, by 



beating them apart, and promising them freedom if they would confess. 



During their punishment, they would allow I was a Feringee, but when 



it ceased, declared only I was a fakeer. When we were alone, I warned 



my companions not to peach, as we should certainly all be killed. A 



man of Kheli Masdood went one day on an errand to Kot-i-Singee, the 



head-man of which place was Dilasa Khan, who on enquiring the news, 



was informed, that some Feringees had been discovered and confined in 



his village, and they were thinking of killing them. Dilasa Khan being 



a great friend of the late Mr. Moorcroft, on hearing this, immedi- 



Mr. Moorcroft. ately set out, and arrived where we were confined, 



