our departure was fixed for 5 o'clock a.m., but my three
cats, suspecting that we were going to move from our comfortable
quarters, disappeared during the night, and some hours were wasted by
Sadek and all the servants of the Consulate in trying to find them again.
I was determined not to start without them. Sadek was furious, the camel
men impatient, the guard of Lancers sent by the Consul to accompany me
for some distance had been ready on their horses for a long time, and
everybody at hand was calling out "Puss, puss, puss!" in the most
endearing tones of voice, and searching every possible nook.

After four hours of expressive language in Persian, Hindustani, Beluchi
and English, at nine o'clock the cats were eventually discovered. One had
hidden under a huge pile of wood, all of which we had to remove to get
him out; the second had found a most comfortable sanctum in Mrs. Benn's
room, and the third, having ascertained that his companions had been
discovered, walked out unconcerned and entered the travelling box of his
own accord.

I was sorry to leave Sistan too, with its ancient ruins, its peculiar
inhabitants, a mixture of all kinds, its quaint city, so strikingly
picturesque especially at sunset, when, owing to the moisture in the air,
beautiful warm colours appeared in the sky, and the thousands of camels,
and sheep, moving like so many phantoms in clouds of dust, returned to
their homes. The sad dingling of their bells sounded musical enough in
the distance, and one saw horsemen dashing full gallop towards the city
before the gates were closed, every man carrying a gun. Far to the west
in the background stood the Kuh-i-Kwajah mountain, so famous in the
history of Sistan. All this after the dreary, long Salt Desert journey
had seemed heavenly to me, and I was more than sorry to leave the place.

Had I been a Russian instead of an Englishman I would not have continued
my journey on the morning of my departure, for on coming out of the
Consulate gate the first thing I saw was a dead body being washed and
prepared for interment by relatives in the dead-house adjoining the
Consulate wall. The Russians believe the sight of a dead body an ill-omen
at the beginning of a journey.

Gul Khan, the Consul's assistant, accompanied me as far as the
Kuh-i-Kwajah mountain, to inspect which I had to make a detour.

We passed south of Sher-i-Nasrya, and, after wading through numberless
water channels and skirting large pool