COURDISH TRIBES. 
469 
The people of Baytoush are of the Mickri tribe, and of a suf¬ 
ficiently daring reputation; but those of most notorious fame in 
the arts and achievements of rapine, are the Bilbossi and Re- 
wandoozi tribes. The country of the Bilbossi is not more than 
eight hours journey to the north-west of Baytoush ; and its 
people have so effectually raised “ their arm against every man,” 
that every man’s arm is now raised against them : amongst others, 
my present host, assisted by the chiefs of Serdasht and Soak 
Boulak, two Courdish towns to the north, have lately consider¬ 
ably curbed the inroads of these their more savage brethren. In 
short, plunder is the glory of the untameable tribes ; whether it 
be the carrying off of cattle, or of women, the sacking of a village, 
or the robbery of a caravan, all are equally acts of necessity with 
them; their wants are to be provided ; the sword is their reap¬ 
hook ; and woe to the poor wretches who come in view of such 
husbandmen ! Knowledge of the mountain-passes, which bul¬ 
wark these tribes, can only be obtained from the Gourds them¬ 
selves. Hence, any neighbouring province, wishing to stem 
these violences when exercised on its people, immediately con¬ 
federates with some other tribes; who, jealous of their more 
successful brethren, and generally sufferers also by their pre¬ 
datory incursions, gladly join their own talents at stratagem and 
surprise to the more open warfare of their auxiliary, for the 
sake of revenge and sharing the spoil. Scarcely six months ago, 
a coalition of this kind against the Bilbossi took place between 
Abbas Mirza and the Courdish triumvirate I have just men¬ 
tioned. His quota was two thousand of his European organized 
troops, under their own officers ; who, led on by their three 
allies, suddenly pushed into the mountain-fastnesses of the 
plunderers ; burnt their villages, took 6000 families prisoners, 
