actual frontier, however, is on
the summit of the watershed, a short distance to the east of the Ziarat.

This Ziarat was a fine one, of the Beluch pattern, not covered over by a
building such as those, for instance, that we had found on Kuh-i-Kwajah.
There seemed to be a fate against photographing these Ziarats. It was
only under the greatest disadvantages that I was ever able to photograph
them. On this particular occasion I had hardly time to produce my camera
before a downpour, such as I had seldom experienced, made it impossible
to take a decent picture of it.

There was a central tomb 15 feet long, of big round white stones,
supported on upright pillars of brown and green stone, and a white marble
pillar at each end. Circular white marble slabs were resting on the tomb
itself, and a few feet from this tomb all round was a wall, 3 feet high,
of upright pillars, of brown and green stone, forming an oblong that
measured 20 feet by 8 feet, with a walled entrance at its south-eastern
extremity. An additional wall like a crescent protected the south-eastern
end of the oblong, and due east in a line were three stone cairns with
bundles of upright sticks fixed into them, on which hung rags of all
colours.

[Illustration: Plan of Kuh-i-Malek Siah Ziarat.]

To the west of the tomb, between it and the enclosing wall, was a great
collection of long sticks and tree branches--which must have been brought
here from a great distance--and at their foot offerings of all sorts,
such as goat-horns, ropes, leather bags, hair, stones, marble vessels,
and numberless pieces of cloth.

In the spring of each year, I am told, the Beluch make a pilgrimage to
this Ziarat, and deposit some very quaint little dolls made with much
symbolic anatomical detail.

Extending west, in the direction of Mecca, from the main Ziarat, were
nine more stone cairns, most of them having a _panache_ of sticks and
being divided into sets of three each, with a higher wall in the shape of
crescents between. A second wall of round stones protected the north-west
side of the Ziarat. Where it met the entrance way into the inner wall
there was a much used sacrificial slab where sheep were beheaded.

To the north-east of the Ziarat were a number of cairns, and a small
stone shelter in which lived a hermit. This old fanatic came out to greet
us with unintelligible howls, carrying his vessel for alms, and a long
stick to which a rag was attached. He touched us all