ould not have so much crime
in the country. "Your laws," he added, "protect criminals; our ways deter
men and women from crime. To prevent crime, no matter in how cruel a way
it is done, is surely less cruel than to show leniency and kindness to
the persons who do commit crimes!"

That was one way of looking at it. Taking things all round, if blood
feuds and cases of personal revenge are excepted, there is certainly less
crime in Persia than in many European countries.

CHAPTER XXI

The London of the East--A city eighty-six miles long--The village
of Bunjar--An ancient tower--Iskil--The _Kalantar_ of
Sistan--Collection of ancient jewellery from the buried
city--Interesting objects--A romantic life and tragic death--A
treacherous Afghan--Strained relations between the Sistan and
Afghan Governors--Sand-barchans--Flat roofs and gable roofs--The
pillar of Mil-i-Zaidan--A conical ice-house--The imposing fort of
Zaidan--A neighbouring modern village.

The Consul, Mrs. Benn and I, started off early one morning on horseback
to inspect the ruins of the ancient London of the East, the great city of
Zaidan, which in the days of its glory measured no less than eighty-six
miles--from Lash Yuwain on the north to Kala-i-Fath on the South--ruins
of the city being traceable the whole distance to this day, except in the
portion which has been covered by the waters of the Hamun Halmund.

On the way there was little to be seen for the first four miles until we
reached the village of Bunjar, the biggest trading village in Sistan and
the residence of the Iman Jumeh, the next holiest man to the head priest
of Sher-i-Nasrya. This village and neighbourhood supply Sher-i-Nasrya
entirely with wood and very largely with food. There are many stunted
trees about, all curved southwards by the wind, and much cultivated
land, the ground being intersected by numerous natural and artificial
water channels.

A very curious ancient tower, split in two, and the portion of another
very much corroded at its base, and looking like a big mushroom, are to
be seen on the south near this village. We cut across, almost due east,
to Iskil, wading through several canals and channels into which our
horses dived up to their saddles.

On approaching Iskil from the west one was impressed by the unusual
height of some of its buildings, most of which were two-storied and had
domed roofs, the domes being of much larger