676 Tour through parts of Baloochisthan, in [No. 153. 



karez, that turns a small mill near the huts of Meer Kureem Khan 



Halikzai. The inhabitants of Washuk do not exceed 800 male adults. 



Of the five camels paid yearly to Kharan, the Halikzais furnish fds, 



the nakeebs or serfs ^d, and the Kudhadonees |d, 



the fractions being collected in wheat. The Halikzais 



do not pay a tithe of their lands, it having been remitted by the 



ancestors of Azad Khan of Kharan, as " the price of blood/' or khoon- 



bha. The tithe of dates may amount to 400 pats or 



packages. The principal men are Kureem Khan? 



Alum Khan, Meer Sahadad, Ameer Khan, Juma Khan, Meer Bijad, 



and Fukeer Mahommed. Meer Azad Khan yearly sends a deputy to 



collect the revenue, but he does not, nor can he, hit them very tight. 



There is a small insignificant tower in Washuk, and the inhabitants 



store their grain in pits in the ground. 



From Washuk to Jalk is an 8 days' journey, and to Kal 7 days. 

 A tax is levied on strange merchants of 2 jorees for every camel 

 Duties. purchased, and they are numerous, and Kashanee import 

 duty for every camel load of goods. 



The inhabitants live in gidons in the summer, and in mud and mat 

 huts in the winter ; they use for firewood the gaz, kanboor and 

 kaghaz; and for building, the date stem. 



The productions which form articles of export are ghee, wool, dates, 

 wheat, barley, and juwaree. Dates this year were with 

 great profit exported to Kharan, Nashky and Welat, on ac- 

 count of the dearness of grain at those places. 



There are no resident Hindoo tradesmen here, but a few come 



at the grain and date harvest time, which latter is 

 Date Harvest. 



called Hamen. 



2\st October. — Having hired a camel for two jorees to take me as 



far as Panjgoor, made my preparations for starting. I found I was to 



have the company of Kurreem Khan Halikzai, who on 

 Companion. 



hearing of the Shahghasee's intended visit to Panjgoor, 



had been ordered to proceed to the latter place with 30 match - 



lockmen to hold out the fort of Khardabddan, which belongs to 



Muheem Khan Nowshervanee, uncle of Azad Khan, against the 



Khalat troops, until letters could be received from Sardar Raham Dil 



Khan of Candahar, who no doubt would write to Mehrab Khan, de- 



