334 Supplementary account of the Hazarahs. [No. 161. 



They hold fire-arms in greater esteem than their rivals, and do not, as 

 they do, trust to the vaunted Toora (sword) entirely. They make ex- 

 cellent powder, and are capital shots ; and, strange for a people inhabiting 

 a hilly country, are good riders. 



They feel ashamed of their Tartar cast of countenance and want of 

 beards ; and I invariably observed that the higher in rank a Hazarah 

 chief was, the less he resembled his race. 



They call the Afghans, " Avghoons." Such is their aversion to the 

 Tartar cast of countenance, that it is reported they ask no question of 

 their wives for presenting them with children, the images of some of 

 their Afghan handsome neighbours ; and the opportunities afforded a 

 passing stranger, even, by some tribes are said to be most shameless.* 



As an instance of their want of polish, I instance the case of a Haza- 

 rah chief who visited me in the end of 1841 at Kalat i-Ghiljye. This 

 man resided at so small a distance from town (Candahar), that had he 

 been inclined he might have visited it once a week at least. As his 

 services were required for our garrison, I made him a present of a shawl, 

 and sent him round the fort to see the buildings and the commencement 

 of our fortification. On his return, after signs of great uneasiness in his 

 chair and sundry whisperings with his confidential attendant standing 

 behind him, he at last confessed that he had a request to make before 

 taking leave, if I would not be offended. This was, that in his tour round 

 the fort he had been struck with wonder at a large copper deg (caul- 

 dron) used by the executive engineer to mix lime (the weather requir- 

 ing warm water to be used), and that he hoped I would give it him in- 

 stead (if I liked) of the shawl. It was of the common size used at 

 cooks' shops at Candahar. 



The vessel was accordingly purchased for him, and presented after 

 being scrubbed as well as time permitted ; and he left with it highly de- 

 lighted, vowing he would make soup of a whole sheep in it and feast 

 all the tribes. I never heard that the lime had any bad effect on the 

 soup eaters. I have no doubt that this deg will after a generation or 

 two have wonderful tales told of it in connection with the Faringees, 

 who built Kalat in the autumn to destroy it in the spring. 



* The Afghans give their Dutch build in the following couplet: 



" Pushti koonash naghara darad, 

 Hazarah dumba darad." 



