'Travels in Beloochistan and Sinde; accompanied by a geographical and historical account of those countries, with a map.' [‎155] (197/476)

CHUPAO OF KHAN JUHAN KHAN. 155
berries, shells, and other baubles. They are impudent and immodest
in demeanour, and addicted to every species of vice and gross sensu
ality ; for, as they never marry, the females live promiscuously with
the men. Nor are any bounds set to this incestuous commerce.
They have seldom offspring, so that they prefer stealing girls, who
ai c instructed by the force of example ; but when any of the women
do conceive, the issue is considered the joint property of the whole
community, and at a certain age initiated accordingly.
Tn my route to-day, the spot was shewn to me where Khan Julian
Khan, a Seistanee chief, had encamped about two months before,
when he made an inroad into these districts with seven or eight
hundred banditti, and swept away every thing that he could lay his
hands on. I should have conjectured that his booty could not have
been great, and was surprized to Iparn that it amounted to some
thousand sheep and goats, beside a few slaves and camels. Captain
Christie was afterwards at the town at which Khan Juhan Khan
resides in Seistan, and heard him spoken of as the terror of the
neighbouring countries.
This evening, a little before sunset, Meer Khodadad desired I
would come to prayers. I excused myself and sauntered away from
the spot we had halted upon, whilst the Kabool Fakeer was bellowing
out the Uzaan *, and as time was short, he could not follow to press
me; but the moment their devotions were over, he came to me,
where I was ruminating on the extraordinary scene I had witnessed
at Mughsee, and after a short preamble, said, that he could not ima
gine the reason for my disinclination to join himself and his people
at prayers. He remarked that Futtuh Mohummud was equally
censurable with myself; and that, in every light, it was unpardonable
in both of us who were going on pilgrimage, and on whom the per-
1 he Uzaan is a word for which I know no English phrase: it signifies a warning
or call preparatory to prayers. The person who makes it is called the Moouzzin, and in
niosques it is done from the top ot the highest minaret. The effect is very pleasing and
solemn when (as is mostly the case) the Moouzzin has a clear and sonorous voice.
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