the preceding province, has a scanty population, living in
kha'ils, hut having some permanent places of larger size, the
principal of which, Béla, has upwards of 2000 houses, partly
within, and the rest on the exterior of the walls.1 The next
place in point of importance is the port of Liyárí, which contains
1600 or 1800 houses.2
The chief of Lus is nominally obliged to furnish the Khan
of Kelát with 4500 irregular troops.
From this province are exported considerable quantities of
grain, with a few felts, some coarse carpets, dates and almonds;
coffee and slaves being received in return.
The second or eastern portion of territory contains four
districts, viz., Sárawán, J ’hálawán, Kach’h Gándávah, and
Harand, all of which were, till recently, subject to Kelát.
S á r aw á n is the most northerly district of Bálúchistán,
and partly encircles the province of Lus. It has Kach’h Gándávah,
or rather the Hala mountains, on the east, the desert on
the west, and to the north the Afghán hills.3 Like Lus, it
contains several chains of mountains, interspersed with much
waste land, and some which is cultivated. It is peopled by
the pastoral Baráhúi, or Brahooes, who are essentially wanderers,
not having towns or permanent villages. The Baráhui
Túmans, therefore, are constantly moving from mountain to
mountain in search of pasturage, as there is not, throughout
the whole country, a level spot, except the desert tract of
Dashtí bé Daulat, the circumference of which does not
exceed a few miles.4
There are, however, at the north-eastern extremity of the
province five different places where, although with difficulty,
this mountainous country may be traversed in a northerly
direction from the side of Kach’h (Cutch); the most remarkable
of these being the celebrated pass of Bolán, which is
encountered by the caravans nearly midway between Bukkur
and Kandahar. For a distance of about twenty-five miles
from Bebee-Nanee,6 this defile is comparatively open, although
1 Pottinger’s Travels, p. 298. s Ibid., p. 300.
s Ibid., pp. 261, 262. 4 Ibid., p. 262.
5 Grandmother.—Major Hough’s Nar. of the Army of the Indus, &c., p. 51.
it is closed on each side, and commanded by mountains. But
at Ser-e-Khujoor the difficulties commence, and, for a distance
onward of ten miles, a road of loose pebbles or sand continues
to wind along the bed . of the Bolán river, between high
and precipitous rocks, which at intervals leave between them
only sufficient breadth for a dozen horsemen.1 But during
the passage of our troops, it was ascertained that the rocky
fissures and ravines falling from each side into this formidable
pass are occupied by the villages of the Báluches, who ascend
and occupy the apparently inaccessible ground on each side,
in order to command and levy contributions on passing
caravans.
The province of J ’h á law á n lies immediately southward of
Sárawán: it has on the east Kach’h Gándávah, and on the
west Mekrán. The climate and soil of J’hálawán are superior
to those of Sárawán; yet it is understood that the population
of the latter province, exclusive of Kelát, is nearly double that
of the former. Kelát belongs, geographically, to J’hálawán,
though it has been for generations the acknowledged capital
of both; and as the seat of the only regular government, it
enjoys a certain degree of authority over the whole of Bálúchistán.
The communication between the winter station of the
principal Báluches on the sunny plains of Kach’h and the
capital takes place through the Hala mountains at Gándávah,
where the pass, between two marshes, is traversed in a west-
by-northerly direction, by a road practicable for artillery, and
abundantly supplied with water. The country from thence
to Kelát is mountainous, and remarkable for a succession of
precipitous ridges of rocks, forming difficult defiles. Kelát,
or the City, occupies a part of one of the former, at the
western side of a well-cultivated valley plain; and it contains
about 2500 houses, constructed of sun-dried bricks, with about
half as many more, which constitute the suburbs. The town
itself is a parallelogram, having three of its sides defended by
a bastioned loop-holed mud wall; whilst the fourth, or
western side, as well as the summit of the hill, are occupied
1 Lieut. A. Conolly’s Overland Journey, Vol. II., p. 186.