party was immediately sent out, and they found the
body of poor Hand horribly mutilated. A good number of these rascals
have been since taken, and, I suppose, hanged; unless the conciliation
principle lets these rascals off also. They belong to different bands,
under different robber-chiefs, among the hills. These robber Khans have
strongholds on the almost inaccessible mountains that run up the whole
west frontier of Sinde, and divide it from Beloochistan. All merchandize
and travellers passing through Sinde to the west of the Indus are
obliged to pay a sort of black mail to these Khans to be allowed to pass
through; but so bad is their name for treachery, ferocity, &c., that
few, if any, of the traders between India and Central Asia go this
route. They do not care a farthing for the Ameers, who also secretly
connive at their proceedings, in order to draw recruits from them on any
emergency.

Well; we got the steam up again on the 12th, and, together with the 4th
Light Dragoons, and about sixty Irregulars, started for the celebrated
Bolan Pass, with a great quantity of commissariat stores from Bukkur,
for the army in advance, under our charge. This celebrated Pass would be
the best line of communication between the countries of Central Asia and
Sinde; and as far as the Pass is concerned itself, it is quite guiltless
of the bad character it holds. It is merely the bed of a winter torrent,
and is an easy ascent the whole way through; and during the greater
part of the year quite passable for any description, of conveyance; but
in consequence of the great number of robbers, from all parts of
Beloochistan and Sinde, who infest it, no one thinks of travelling this
route, unless with a very strong escort. A great number, therefore, of
native merchants, &c., took advantage of the opportunities offered by
the passage of it by the different divisions of our army. We had with us
a native horse-dealer, who had travelled the same way down the year
before, with horses for the Bombay market, and, as he considered, with a
sufficient escort; but they were suddenly attacked, his brother killed,
and he only saved himself by the swiftness of his horse. These robbers
are several degrees more savage than even their brother Beloochees in
the south of Sinde. There are two clans of them. The Kaukers and
Tuckers; of these, the Kaukers are by far the worst. They are
represented as being regular barbarians, and are even said to be
cannibals, tho