THE PEOPLE OF THE SHIR COUNTRY. 375 
tied with rope to the gunwales, and the men only re- 
quired to keep the boat in the stream and prevent her 
getting ashore on banks of sand. When any exertion 
was required, they rose from their seats, laying the 
weight of their bodies on their oars, and joined in a 
pleasing monotonous song, led by the " stroke " of the 
party. Proceeding in this way against a slight head- 
wind seemed no labour to them; they rowed, joked, 
sang, or munched dry " dooro," bread and garlic, from 
sunrise to sunset. By noon of the third day we had 
made great progress — namely, one degree of north lati- 
tude — notwithstanding that we lay-to during the night 
on account of the shallows. We had reached a sta- 
tion of Koorshid Aga's in the Shir country, and passed 
through a corner of the Berri country. The banks 
were grassy and flat, and the trees were covered with 
creepers, giving them the appearance of old towers or 
abbeys. The river was divided by islands into four 
branches, and it required all the knowledge of our 
captain to decide which of them to choose. Some of 
the islands were covered with cattle, which ran off as 
they saw our boat approach. In the dry season, the 
natives bring down their cattle to graze and water 
them near the river. Their rustic settlements, of a 
conical form, with numerous people about, were built 
upon the very banks of the river, and were so small 
that a single man could hardly lie at length in them. 
The people sometimes spoke to us, wishing to get 
beads ; but possessing so many cattle, they certainly 
were not objects of compassion. Nearly all of them 
were covered with ashes, as if they had lain in them 
during the night. 
Sitting on the poop-deck, we watched the scenes on 
