Beluch Boys off to the Races—Horse Fair at Sibi.
It never does to boast. I was feeling somewhat proud to have travelled such a long distance with no serious mishaps or accidents, when, much to my sorrow, Sadek, my Persian servant, returned one evening to the hotel dreadfully smashed up. He had been attacked in the bazaar by three Englishmen of Calcutta, two of whom had held him down on the ground while the third kicked him badly in the head, body and legs. It appears that these three ruffians had a grievance against Persians in general, hence their heroic deed against a man who had done them no harm.
It was indeed too bad to have to register that, in a journey of over 10,000 miles, the only people who had shown any barbarity were—in a sort of way—my own countrymen!
Much as I love Beluchistan, I like India less and less each time I go there. Maybe it is because I always have misfortunes while in the country. Indeed, I received a last and severe blow while proceeding by train from Calcutta to Bombay to catch a homeward steamer. My faithful cat Lawah died, suffocated by the intense moist heat in the carriage. The other two cats I just managed to keep alive by constant rubbing with ice.
From Bombay I despatched Sadek back to Teheran via the Gulf and Bushire, and the two surviving cats and I sailed by P. & O. for England, where we all three arrived happy, safe, and sound.
APPENDIX
Tables Showing the Distance From Quetta To Meshed via Robat, Sher-i-Nasrya (Sistan), Birjand.
| Distances from Quetta to Persian frontier. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name of Stage. | Distance. | |
| Miles. | Yards. | |
| Quetta to Girdi Talab | 16 | — |
| Girdi to Kanak (Taleri) | 16 | — |
| Kanak to Morad Khan Kella | 24 | — |
| Morad Khan Kella to Kishingi | 24 | — |
| Kishingi to Nushki | 12 | — |
| Nushki to Mall | 31 | 1,320 |
| Mall to Kuchaki Chah | 15 | 1,154 |
| Kuchaki Chah to Padag | 13 | 756 |
| Padag to Yadgar | 22 | 1,390 |
| Yadgar to Karodak | 15 | 970 |
| Karodak to Dalbandin | 16 | 380 |
| Dalbandin to Chakal | 18 | 190 |
| Chakal to Sotag | 14 | 220 |
| Sotag to Mirui | 12 | 1,320 |
| Mirui to Chah Sandan | 20 | 220 |
| Chah Sandan to Tretoh | 23 | 760 |
| Tretoh to Noh Kundi | 21 | 1,660 |
| Noh Kundi to Mashki Chah | 21 | 1,100 |
| Mashki Chah to Sahib Chah | 28 | 660 |
| Sahib Chah to Mukak | 23 | 660 |
| Mukak to Saindak | 13 | 880 |
| Saindak to Kirtaka | 18 | 750 |
| Kirtaka to Chah Mahommed | 16 | 1,107 |
| Chah Mahommed Raza to Raza Kuh-i-Malek-Siah | 24 | 368 |