hape, the highest point of the sand hills was in any case
always to the north-east, the lower to the south-west. As can be seen by
the diagram there were single hills and composite ones; there were
well-rounded hills, semi-spherical hills, and then came the sand dunes,
such as those on the right of our track, like long parallel walls of sand
extending for great distances from east to west.

[Illustration: View of Sher-i-Rustam from Rustam's House. (West portion
of City under the lee of wall.)]

One sand hill, 80 feet high, quite semi-spherical, and with a solitary
tamarisk tree on its top, rising some 40 feet above all the others, was
quite a landmark along this route. It marked a point from which to the
east of our track we found more uniformity in the shape of the sand
mounds, which were lower and all semi-spherical. To the west of the
track, curiously enough, there were hardly any sand hills at all,--but
this was due, I think, to the fact that tamarisk shrubs did not seem to
flourish on the latter side, and therefore did not cause the sand to
accumulate.

Several miles further, however, at a spot protected by high sand dunes,
tamarisk trees were found growing, some being 4 to 6 feet high, and
seeming quite luxuriant after the usual desert shrubs which hardly ever
rise above two to three feet.

Sadek had purchased at Warmal two big bottles of milk for my use, but as
we had found no good water on the way and the heat of the sun was
great, he could not resist the temptation, and had drunk it all. When I
claimed it he professed that my cats had stolen it. A long jolting ride
on the jumbaz camel produced the marvellous result that, although the
cats had drunk the milk, Sadek himself was attacked by indigestion caused
by it. He seemed to suffer internal agony, and lay on his camel's hump
doubled up with pain. He felt so very ill that he requested me to take
him on my camel, and to let him exchange places with my driver. To my
sorrow I consented.

In a moment of temporary relief from the aching of his digestive organs
he entered into one of his favourite geographical discussions. Having for
the twentieth time eradicated from his brain the notion that London and
Russia were not suburbs of Bombay, he now wanted to know whether
_Yanki-dunia_ (by which glorified name the Persians call the United
States of America) were inside the "walls" of London city or outside!

He had an idea that the earth was flat, and that London,