igh
mountains, and following water-courses with various turnings and
windings, insomuch that in travelling twelve coss our direct course did
not exceed six c. The 5th we again followed the bed of a water-course or
river, full of large pebbles, travelling eight c. The 6th we rested. The
7th we went four c. still along the water-course, the 8th eight c. the
9th twelve c. and the 10th three c. when we came to _Chatcza_, [Chatzan]
a small fort with mud walls, inclosed with a ditch, where the Mogul
keeps a garrison of eighty or 100 horse, to scour the road from thieves,
yet these are as great thieves as any, where they find an opportunity.
The captain of this castle exacted two _abacees_ for each camel in the
caravan, though nothing was legally due, as he and his troops have their
pay from the king. In the whole of our way, from the river Lacca to
Chatzan, we found no sustenance for man or beast, except in some places
a little grass, so that we had to make provision at Lacca, hiring a
bullock to carry barley for our horses. The _Agwans_ or _Afgans_, as the
people of the mountains are called, came down to us every day at our
resting place, rather to look out what they might steal, than to buy as
they pretended.

[Footnote 151: The great river passed on the 29th must have been the
Sinde, Indus, or Nilab, and from the circumstance of falling in next day
with the _Lacca_ or Lucca, Pettoallee in the text may possibly be what
is named _Joghiwallah_, on the east side of the Indus, almost opposite
the mouth of the Lacca.--E.]

[Footnote 152: Chatzan, a town or fortress in Sewee, or the country of
the Balloges; to the west of a ridge of rocky mountains, described as
consisting of hard black stone, which skirt the western side of the vale
of the Indus, and on the north join the mountains of Wulli in Candahar.
Chatzan is in lat. 31 deg. 3' N. and long 69 deg. 42' W. from Greenwich--E.]

Having made provision for three days at Chatzan, we went thence on the
12th June, and travelled fourteen c. The 13th ten c. The 14th ten c.
This day the mountaineers brought down to us sheep, goats, meal, butter,
and barley, in abundance, sufficient both for us and our cattle, all of
which they sold at reasonable prices; and from this time forwards, they
did the same every day, sometimes also bringing felts and striped
carpets for sale. The 15th we went six c. the 16th four c. the 17th ten
c. the 18th nine c. the 19th nine c. when we came to a small t