fertile
orchards and extensive vineyards. After a few miles' ride we crossed
a low range of hills, and came upon the flourishing district of
Be-tout,--literally, "without mulberries." The sagacious reader will
justly infer that mulberry trees were in profusion every where else;
indeed so plentiful are they in general that many of the natives
live almost exclusively in winter upon the fruit, which is dried and
reduced to a powder, and after being mixed with a little milk, or even
water, forms a palatable and nutritious food. The view from the
crest of the low range of hills was really enchanting, and strongly
contrasted with the wild and craggy mountains amongst which we had of
late been struggling. An extensive plain, bounded by high mountains,
and again crowned by the snowy peaks of those more distant, lay
before us, its whole surface dotted with a multitude of white forts
surrounded by a belt of the most vivid green, the barrenness of the
uncultivated spots acting as a foil to the rich vegetation which
springs under the foot of the Affgh[=a]n husbandman wherever he can
introduce the fertilizing stream. We rode leisurely on through this
wilderness of gardens, till on approaching the village of Be-tout the
loud wail of women hired to pour forth their lamentations for some
misfortune assailed our ears, and on enquiring we learnt that one
of the inhabitants had been murdered the preceding night under the
following circumstances.

It appears that ten years ago the murdered man (who was a Persian) had
a very pretty daughter, and that a neighbouring chief hearing of her
beauty caused her to be forcibly seized and conveyed to his own fort.
The father, regardless of any consideration but revenge, arming
himself with his long Affgh[=a]n knife, gained admission into the
chief's house and immediately cut him down and made his escape. For
ten years he concealed himself from the vengeance of the relatives
of the chief, but a few days before he had returned to his native
village, hoping that time would have softened the vindictiveness of
his enemy; but he shewed his ignorance of the Affgh[=a]n character,
with whom revenge is a sacred virtue. He had not been long returned,
when a nephew of the chief he had slain shot him through the heart
from behind a wall. As we passed through the village we saw the
inhabitants crowding round the still unburied corpse of the injured
father, and our thoughts were painfully diverted from a contempl