amels.

About eleven miles from Mahommed Raza-chah, a track diverged to Mirjawa.
One noticed on the mountains to our right (south-west) a superabundance
of tamarisk, the cause of this abnormal vegetation being undoubtedly long
streaks of moisture filtering through the sand. No actual water, however,
was visible flowing, not even along a deep channel which bore the marks
of having been cut by it, and in which salt deposits were to be seen on
the surface soil.

Kirtaka, the next rest-house, was by no means an attractive place, but
was interesting, inasmuch as, besides the track over the mountains
leading to Mirjawa, a direct route went from this point to Sher-i-Nasrya
in Sistan, which city could be reached in three days, by crossing Afghan
territory, and cutting off the long westerly detour via Robat--the
Malek-Siah; and yet another track to Cabul, the capital of Afghanistan,
which could be reached in twenty days. The latter track was said to be
absolutely waterless for the first three days' march, no wells and
therefore no villages being found, but after three days, on striking the
Halmund, plenty of water, fuel, and food could be obtained, and plenty of
people were to be met with.

South-east of the old towered enclosure, which had five rooms, a new
bungalow of two rooms and bathrooms, with kitchen buildings apart behind,
was being built. It was sheltered by a rugged background of mountains of
no great height, but picturesque enough and highly coloured when the sun
shone upon them. Being, however, well rounded and looking like petrified
accumulations of sand, they did not quite compare in interest with the
fantastic cutting edges of the Malek-Siah and neighbouring ranges. They
formed the southern barrier to the Beluchistan extension of the Afghan
desert.

The altitude of Kirtaka was 3,710 feet.

There was a curious Beluch grave here made of white stones with an edge
of grey pebbles, and a circle round it, with a smaller outer kneeling
place, such as may be seen in the numerous Mesjids so common all over the
country, the various styles of which will be duly described in a
subsequent chapter.

Innumerable sand hills and, in fact, a long hill range some 350 feet high
stood to the west in front of the rocky mountains behind. These caused a
great many ups and downs on the track, the principal heights I measured
being: 3,800 feet, 3,700 feet, 3,420 feet (8 miles from Kirtaka), this
latter altitude where the road lay cl