large scale, the closest
resemblance.

We passed a great many parallel sand dunes, 100 feet high, east and west
of our track, and went through a cut in one of these sand banks, beyond
which the sand hills had accumulated in a somewhat confused fashion upon
a crescent-shaped area. They seemed of a more ancient formation than
those to the west of the track, and had a great quantity of shingle upon
them, which gave them a black and greenish appearance, while those to the
west were of a light brown colour. The shingle in this case, I think, had
not formed on the hillocks themselves, but had been washed and blown down
from the high mountains to the east.

We were now in the territory of Beluchistan, and with a bounding
heart--after the experience of Persian rest-houses--we saw a nice clean
square whitewashed bungalow standing on a high prominence under the
shelter of a rugged mountain. This was Robat, the furthermost British
post in West Beluchistan.

Although still some 463 miles from the nearest railway I looked upon this
spot as the end of my difficult travelling, and, taking into
consideration the fact that most of that distance had to be performed
across barren and practically uninhabited country, I found that I was not
far wrong in my opinion.

CHAPTER XXVIII

The Lahr Kuh--Robat _thana_ and bungalow--Said Khan--Persian and
Beluch music, songs and dancing--Beluch musical
instruments--Beluch melodies, love and war songs--Comic
songs--Beluch voices--Persian melodies--Solo
songs--Ululations--Persian instruments--Castanets--Persian and
Beluch dancing--The _chap_.

South-west of Robat (at 210 deg. bearings magnetic) stands a fine mountain,
the Lahr Kuh, and from it descends a little stream flowing towards the
north-east. There is a large _thana_ (fortified post-house) at Robat of
eight rooms and a spacious court for horses. A shop with grain and
provisions is found here, and a post office with the familiar black board
outside on which one was rather amused to read the usual postal notices
in the English language stuck upon it--announcing Queen Victoria's death,
notifying that the office would be closed on such and such bank holidays,
and other public news.

The quarters of the _Jemadar_ and his seven levies, of the _Duffadar_ and
the postmaster, were enclosed in the high-walled _thana_ with its
imposing entrance gate and four towers at the corners. Beyond the _thana_
was the o