nclosing wall, and trophies of heads of _dumbahs_ near the
flat roof. In one room of this dwelling lived the family, in the other
the animals. An out-of-door enclosure for horses was also noticeable. Two
mud huts were next to it.

The thatched semispherical huts of palm tree leaves and tamarisk were
also interesting, as was the windmill, identical with those already seen
in Sistan.

On my arrival at Mushki-Chah two large tents had been placed at my
disposal--the first time I had been under a tent on this journey--and I
received a great many callers. A very amusing incident occurred when I
asked an old Beluch and his two sons to sit for their photographs. They
put on a sarcastic smile and said they would rather die a natural death
than be taken. The old man, who said he had heard all about "the black
boxes," as he styled cameras, and all the mischief they could do,
complained that since one or two sahibs had passed along the route
carrying "black boxes" a great many Beluch had been taken ill, had
misfortunes of all kinds, and those who actually had the camera pointed
at them had died from the effects. One sahib had offered him, personally,
a bag of silver if he would only sit for his picture, but "No, sir, not
I!" said the father, as he shook his head and scratched his beard; and
"No, sir, not we!" echoed the grinning youths, "never shall we be taken!"

Before they knew where they were, and without any suspicion on their
part, I had, by a dodge of my own, taken three photographs of them, the
best of which is reproduced facing page 350.

They were rather characteristic types of the lower class Beluch of
northern Beluchistan. They possessed very quick, bright, shining eyes,
dark complexions and long noses, very broad at the base. The mouth was
generally the worst feature in their faces, the upper lip being drawn
very tight over the teeth and giving rather a brutal expression to their
countenances. The men were very powerfully built, thick-set, with ribs
well covered with muscle and fat, powerful, coarse wrists and ankles, and
square-shaped hands with short stumpy thumbs.

[Illustration: Windmill at Mushki Chah.]

[Illustration: Three Beluch who would not be Photographed!]

Their attire was simple; a sort of long white cotton blouse buttoned over
the right shoulder and ample trousers of the same material. Many,
however, wore a felt "overcoat"--or rather, "overskin," for there was no
other garment underneath. A white