'Travels in Beloochistan and Sinde; accompanied by a geographical and historical account of those countries, with a map.' [‎166] (208/476)

166
PUHRA.
to meet after dinner in the Mihman Khanu, was warmly applauded on
all sides. The Khan, with much affability, said that he should come,
and we had an overflowing house, which did not break up till past
midnight; his presence kept every person of the party at a proper
distance, beside stimulating them to add to the good fellowship by a
display of their amusive anecdotes and abilities, in both of which
he himself excelled.
I accidentally discovered that he was totally uneducated, lor hap
pening to disclose that I had brought letters from Eidel Khan at
Nooshky, to different chiefs, through whose districts I passed, but
had not delivered them, he asked leave to see them, and on my
reading the superscription, expressed his astonishment by asking me
if I was a Moollah, that is, if I could read and write ? I replied, I
knew my own language tolerably well, and also understood a little
Persian and Hindee. This answer led to his wishing to have ex
plained the difference between English and Persian when written,
and as I could not do so to his satisfaction by words, he sent for
pen, ink, and paper, and dictated a long sheet of sentences, which
he wound up with his own name and titles. He begged I would also
put mine, my profession, the Christian year in which I had visited his
capital, and the treatment I had experienced, whether good or bad.
The paper was then put in charge of his Meerza or writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , to be kept
until some other Firingee might make his appearance, whom he said
he should call upon to interpret it, and judge of my disposition by
the manner in which I spoke of him. I could not help feeling that
he had adopted, with regard to me, a kinder and more courteous
course than I had any right to anticipate, after the deception I had
tried to put upon him, and I recorded my sentiments conformably.
I have been induced to dwell more circumstantially on the occur
rences of this evening, than they may perhaps seem, on a cursory
perusal, to merit; but have done so here, and likewise in various
other places in this narrative, because it places, in my opinion, the
genius and character, not only of the individual 1 am speaking of at
the time, but his whole tribe in the most prominent point of view,