'Travels in Beloochistan and Sinde; accompanied by a geographical and historical account of those countries, with a map.' [‎20] (62/476)

,2Q VISIT FROM MERCHANTS.
tion in their mercantile speculations, under the mild and equitable
government of the Jam.
When we returned to the house in which we resided, we were
visited by several merchants from Mooltan and Shikarpoor*, with
whom we had a great deal of chat on different subjects connected,
with trade; and after treating them with Beetel, or Areca nut, and
cloves, which is the practice here, sent them away, deeply impressed
with a favourable notion of our commercial skill and abilities. It
was with the utmost difficulty I could refrain from laughing heartily
at this meeting, when my esteemed fellow-traveller. Captain Christie,
entered into a long and particular dissertation on the description of
goods most fitted for the Bombay, or rather Indian market, to which
our visitors listened with the greatest avidity and belief; even our
own Hindoos began to doubt the evidence of their senses; and when
the merchants departed, were quite amazed to find that Captain
Christie had been, all the time, explaining a subject regarding which
he might be said to be, in fact, entirely ignorant: this deception,
trifling though it may seem, was attended with the most advantage
ous consequences to us afterwards; and, subsequent to its being
practised, it would have been almost impossible to persuade the Bela
merchants that we had assumed any character foreign to our station
in life.
24^ January. The Jam's Deewan, or manager, came to us early
this morning, with his master's compliments, and inquiries after our
healths : we were much vexed to find that he treated us with this kind
of respect, as it betrayed a suspicion of the professions we had made
to him the preceding day, of our being the servants of Soondurgee;
however, to obviate its bad effects as far as possible, we gave a very
submissive answer in return. About two hours after the Deewan had
* Mooltan is a large trading city, the capital of the province of that name in the Pun
jab. Shikarpoor lies east of Kelat, on the western side of the Indus, and is equally dis
tinguished for its commerce.
O