a bolt at the end, and on proceeding inside, the
ceiling was supported on very neat but most insecure-looking wooden bars
no thicker than three inches. A most ingenious theory of angles kept up
the heavy roof--why it did, Heaven only knows! In contrast to the other
bungalows, where we had no glass at all, here we had glass everywhere.
One's bedroom door was two-thirds made of the most transparent panes of
glass that could be got, and so were the two doors of the bath-room--one
leading directly on to the outside verandah. The boards of the floor had
shrunk, and between the interstices one got a bird's-eye view of what
went on in the underlying room.

A great deal of space and expense has been devoted to outer show and
scientific detail, whereas the rooms were small, and unfortunate was the
man who tried to occupy the upper room when a fire had been lighted in
the chimney of the room below. The bungalow was, however, comfortably
furnished, and from its spacious verandah afforded a most magnificent
view all round.

The high Chiltan Mountains above Shalkot were on one side, and various
picturesque hill ranges stretched across the large plane dotted with a
Beluch village here and there.

In front of the entrance gate at the bungalow a nice pool of water
reflected in its more or less limpid waters the images of over-leaning
leafless trees.

[Illustration: The Horse Fair at Sibi, Beluchistan.]

Whatever remarks one may make about the construction of the bungalow it
must be confessed that it photographed well. (See illustration facing
page 438).

The altitude of Kanak was 5,730 feet.

We made an early start on this our last march, steering between the
handsome Takatu Mountain and the Chiltan, between which Quetta lies. We
met a number of Afghan women in long, loose black gowns from neck to
foot, and silver ornaments round the neck and arms. They had austere but
handsome features with expressive eyes.

About six miles from Quetta we struck the wide Kandahar Road at the foot
of the Takatu Mountain. From this point we got the first glimpse of
Shalkot or Quetta. "Quetta" is the English corruption, abbreviation, or
adaptation, if you please, of the word "Shalkot!" One almost wished one
could have trembled when one stopped for a moment to read the first
notice in English on approaching the town, warning new-comers of the
dreadful things that would happen to any one entering the town carrying a
camera or found sketching or t