e three hours after their departure I proceeded to catch them up on my
excellent _mari_. There was very little of interest on the march. We rose
over a gentle incline, travelling due south upon undulating ground to an
altitude of 3,870 feet, beyond which we descended into a flat basin with
a broad outlet to the south-south-east, and another south-west by a
narrow defile in the mountain range. We then crossed a broader plain,
about two miles broad, with good grazing for camels, and here again,
being well out in the open, we got a magnificent view of the Daftan
volcano (south-west) in all its splendour.

We reached Mukak (3,580 feet) in the afternoon, the distance from
Saindak being 13 miles, 880 yards, and, owing to my camels being tired,
and the small beady plant called _regheth_--much cherished by
camels--plentiful, we halted for the remainder of the day.

At this place we found the usual _jemadar_, a _duffadar_, and four men,
and were cordially received by the _palawan's_ moonshee, a nice fellow
who wore a peaked turban of gigantic size, and a brown coat beautifully
embroidered on the back and sleeves with violet-coloured silk. The
embroidery, he informed me, took six years to make--it was not fully
completed yet--and, on inquiring the cost of it, he said that it would
certainly fetch as much as 10 rupees (13_s._ 4_d._) when quite finished!
The pattern on it was most cleverly designed and produced a graceful
effect. On the middle of the sleeves were a number of superposed T's made
of ribbon bands and with delicate ornamentations round them, such as
little squares with radiating threads, a frieze going all round the arm,
and parallel lines. On the back was a large triangle upside down, the
base at the neck and the point downwards, joining at its lower end a
square the inside of which was most elaborately embroidered.

The _palawan_, or strong man, in charge of this station, was a man with a
romantic history of his own, and perhaps the British Government were very
wise to employ him. He is said to possess enormous muscular strength,
being able to perform such amazing feats as reducing to dust between his
first finger and thumb a silver rupee by merely rubbing it once, or
breaking any coin in two in his hands with the same ease that one would a
biscuit. Aid Mahommed, that was his name, was unfortunately absent on the
day I passed through, so I was not able to witness his marvellous
feats--of strength or palming(?)--and