'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1865 to December 1867. (Edited by the Honorary Secretary.) Volume XVIII.' [‎61] (196/268)

ROUTE PROM GWADUR TO KURRACHEE.
61
Ba S,
's:
■h n,
as a istiij
ontains 4
Toscany,
iUr ' n ?ffljslii
fliom I lia||
the fort, It
lands of§t
er Malic*
e it is notj
r
ast two mil
This sect!
Sami and III
and to decl
I expected 1 :
r seen all ft
iredfor mel
r, There f
most di® c:
tl g insisted:
deterniin^l 1
They proposed beheading him on the spot, which of course I forbade.
I then questioned the man himself as to his motive in assaulting me,
buthe took not the slightest notice of my questions, and looking
straight over my head kept moving his lips, apparently in prayer. I
at once perceived from bis manner that it was a case of fanaticism.
Why the first blow was not struck with the dagger I cannot understand,
but having escaped uninjured I thought best to affect to treat the
affair as no more than an insult. On inquiry I learnt that this man
was a native of Kabul, who had arrived lately with some other Afghans
at Kej, I believe on their return from Mecca. I handed the prisoner
over to the Kotwal of Tnrbnt, with instructions to deliver him to Futteh
Khan. To the latter I sent a request that he would hold the Afghan
a prisoner until the Naib’s return, when I would send instructions as
to his disposal. Seeing no occasion to delay my departure further, I
proceeded en route for Sami at 7 p.m.; the blow I had received was
sufficiently violent to cause me some inconvenience during this night’s
ride.
Sami is situated in the same valley with Kej, and is about 20 miles
„ . further east on the same river. At four
miles from Sami passed the fort and village
of Shahrak, where there are some 50 houses. The fort is held by a
member of the Esazai Gitchki family. Sami, where I halted on the
22nd September, is a considerable place, the population, consisting of
Sami and Kullugi Belooch, Kowdaees, and Durzadais, amounts to 2000.
It possesses a fine grove of date trees, and paddy and jowari fields of
considerable extent. In addition to the water of the Khor, an unfail
ing supply of excellent water is conducted by artificial water-courses
from the adjacent hills. Sami, though formerly a town of the Kej
province, is not so now, having in recent times been transferred to
Punjgoor. It is now immediately under Mir Esa Naib and Gitchki
Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. of Punjgoor, and the fort is held for him by his nephew Mir
Kumalan; the latter did the honours and showed me much civility ; he
!s something of a Persian scholar and seemed highly pleased to have
some one to listen to his quotations from well known authors—he
informed me that he had composed in Persian verse a History of
Mekran from the time of “ Hazret Suleiman,” which he promised to
se nd me, and which I suspect may contain some rather wonderful
levelations. One statement he made arrested my attention, viz : that
nearly up to the time of Nasir Khan, a yearly tribute had been paid