ld resting place built of stone, with six rooms, but now rather
in a tumbling-down condition.

Then last, but not least, of the buildings was the new bungalow, with a
nice portico all round. It contained four spacious, lofty rooms with
well-drawing chimneys. There were windows, but not yet with glass in
them, and this was rather an advantage, because the air of the mountains
was pure and better than would have been the shut-in atmosphere of a
room. Each room had a bathroom attached to it--but of course the bath had
to be brought by the traveller himself.

[Illustration: Said Khan, Duffadar and Levies at the Perso-Beluch
Frontier Port of Robat.]

This was one of two types of rest-houses which are being built by the
British Government for travellers on the Nushki-Robat route. The other
kind was of similar architecture but with only two rooms instead of four.
These bungalows were solidly built, well ventilated and excellent in
every way--of course in relation to the country they were in. It was not
proposed when they were put up to compete in comfort and _cuisine_ with
the Carlton Hotel in London, that of Ritz in Paris, or the
Waldorf-Astoria of New York. They were mere rest-houses for traders and
travellers accustomed to that particular kind of travelling, and the
British Government ought to be greatly thanked for building these
shelters at the principal halting-places on the route. Only a few are
completed yet between Robat and Nushki, but their construction is going
ahead fast, and within the next year or so, if I understood right, they
would all be ready to accommodate travellers. They were a great
improvement on the old _thanas_, which, although comfortable enough, were
not always quite so clean on account of natives using them.

After travelling in Persia, where one climbs down a good deal in one's
ideas of luxury and comfort and is glad to put up even in the most modest
hovels, it seemed to me quite the zenith of luxury and comfort to set
foot inside a real whitewashed rest-house, with mats on the floor and a
fire blazing in a real chimney. News had come that I should arrive that
afternoon, and the levies with the _Jemadar_ in their best clothes all
turned out to receive me, which involved considerable hand-shaking and
elaborate compliments, after which I was led into the room that had been
prepared for me.

Said Khan, who has been employed by the Government to look after the
postal arrangements and other polit