142 The Ethnology of India. 



composite people, made up of the Wood of Persians and Arabs, and 

 I don't know what besides. However, if that is so, it is not now a 

 mere mixture, but a chemical union of the elements thrown together, 

 and the Belochees, if their language is composite, are still now a 

 people of distinct traits and nationality. They acquired, as is well- 

 known, at a comparatively recent time the dominion of Scinde, and 

 they are pretty well-known as settlers in the North- West of India, say 

 to about as far as Dehli ; but they have there none of the dignity and 

 station of the Pathan settlers. I dare say there are decent cultivators 

 among them ; but they are more often camel-drivers and such like, and 

 they have not a good name, being generally supposed to have consider- 

 able robber and cut-throat proclivities. I don't think they have any 

 villages of their own ; they are generally only scattered about in the 

 capacities which I have mentioned. They are fine powerful men, 

 but rather dark. Those whom I have seen of the families of the 

 Ameers of Scinde are fair and good looking, but even in Belochistan 

 I believe it may be said of the Belochees generally, that they are a 

 good deal darker than the Pathans. They are similarly arranged in 

 tribes, and are similarly predatory upon the border ; but I understand 

 that they are a good deal less democratic in their constitution, and 

 more amenable to the authority of their chiefs than the Pathans. 

 This too may make them preferable as mercenary soldiers. It is 

 somewhat curious that, while in the west of India Arabs are en- 

 tertained in that capacity, on the Coasts of Arabia itself and of 

 Africa, Belochees are the people so employed by the chiefs. They are 

 in fact the Swiss of those parts. 



I have alluded before to the Brahooes, and as I believe that they 

 are not known as residents within Indian limits, I need not recur to 

 them. 



The Afghans or Pathans. 



I have included the Indian Pathans among modern Indian tribes, 

 and have sometimes called the Pathans proper " Afghans," to distin- 

 guish them, and in deference to English habit. But among the people 

 themselves, the name Afghan is hardly known. 



Physically these people are among the very finest on the earth. 

 And they have a pleasant, frank, simple, unaffected way, that makes 



