them wherever it suits our convenience. They are chiefly distinguished from the other tribes by their wandering life, to which my observations shall, therefore, be confined.

In spring we find them scattered in parties of three, four, or five tents, over the wastes in the countries of the Tokhees and Hotukees. Later in the year, they assemble in camps of one or two hundred tents, move about by short stages in quest of grass for their flocks; and as soon as the autumn begins to close, they hold their councils, strike their tents, and set off on their long migrations to the warm plains of Damaun.

The tribe marches through the hostile country of the Vizeerees, in two divisions; and it is settled by the Khaun, and the Mooshirs, which is to march first. The rendezvous for each division is at Kunzoor on the Gomul, to which place all the hordes direct their march from their different Eilauks in Khorassaun. In the beginning of this march, they pass through barren wilds, where they see nobody but their own companions; but as they approach Kunzoor, the roads are choked with other hordes flocking from various and distant stations, to the rendezvous. Great confusion now arises; two hordes which are at war, are often crowded together in one narrow valley, and new quarrels are also occasioned by the impatience of different parties, to get first through the passes in the hills. At last they join the confused mass of tents, men, and cattle, which are heaped together at Kunzoor.

The whole assemblage amounts to more than thirty thousand people, with all their numberless flocks and herds of camels, and indeed with all their possessions. The bustle and disorder of such a throng may well be conceived.

During the day, they issue forth in swarms to search for forage and fire-wood; and at nightfall, these unfrequented valleys resound with the confused voices of the multitude, the bleating and lowing of their flocks and herds, the hoarse roar of the camel, and the shouts and songs of the Naussers.

When the whole division is assembled, Chelwashtees are appointed, and they renew their progress towards Damaun.

The Vizeerees, in the mean time, are preparing for their reception with all the caution and secrecy of savage war: their clans are assembled in the depths of the mountains, and a single scout, perhaps, watches on the brow of a rock, and listens in the silence of that desolate region, for the hum of the approaching crowd, till, at length, the Naussers are heard, and the valleys are filled with the stream of men and flocks that pours down the bed and banks of the Gomul. The word is then passed round to the Vizeerees, who hasten to the defiles by paths known only to themselves, and attack the disorderly crowd, or lie in ambush to cut off the stragglers, according to the remissness or vigilance they observe among their enemies. During this time of danger, which lasts a week or ten days, the Naussers are in an unusual state of preparation; the power of the Chelwashtees sup

presses

presses all feuds, and arranges the order of march, and the means of defence; the whole division moves in a body; parties of chosen men protect the front, the flanks, and the rear, while the other Naussers drive on the sheep and camels, and hold themselves ready to repel any attack that may be made by their enemies. They had need, indeed, to be prepared, for the predatory disposition of the Vizeerees is sharpened by long enmity; and they give no quarter to any Nausser that falls into their hands. At length they reach the pass of Zirkunny, issue out into the plains, and are spread over the whole of Damaun from the frontier of Upper Sind to the hills of the Murwuts. Each horde has a particular tract where it is accustomed to encamp, and round which it ranges as the supply of forage requires. They encamp in circles, within which they shut up their eattle at night. Their life is now idle and unvaried, except when enlivened by hunting, which they keenly pursue, and which is almost their only active employment. The women do all the labour, pitch the tents, gather the wood, bring in water, and cook the dinner: the men only saunter out with the sheep and camels, and for this labour a very few men suffice. The rich hire out their cattle during their long halts, but the owner makes over the duty of accompanying them to some poor man, who gets a third of the hire for his labour.

The women are never concealed; but the same chastity and modesty which distinguish all rude tribes is common among them.

When the snow has melted on Solomon's throne, the chief of the Nausser camps send to the Khaun of the whole, to fix a time for a council: on the appointed day they all repair to his camp, determine their route, appoint Chelwashtees, and soon after break up their camps, and commence their return to Khorassaun.

The Naussers, as has been seen, depend entirely on their flocks and herds: the fleeces of their sheep supply the materials for their tents, their carpets, and the sacks which hold their flour: their posteens, and some other articles are made of sheep-skins: the milk of the ewe affords the cheese, butter, and cooroot, which is their usual diet, and its flesh is their only luxury.

The produce of their sheep, and the hire of their camels, also furnish the means of obtaining the few articles they require from without; and the carriage of their tents and other property, which is so material to wandering people, is entirely performed by the camels. Their sheep and camels are extremely numerous, every part of their economy is adapted to the moving life which is necessary to feed such a number of animals: their tents are small and light: their whole property is a suit or two of clothes, a few sacks of flour, with half a dozen earthen pots, and one or two of brass.

and

Their dress is between those of the east, and the west; but their loose white turban seems to make it most resemble the former.

In their persons they are small, black, and ugly: they are barbarous in their manners, and rude

and

pearance.

They are, however, a remarkably honest and harmless people. They are reckoned to amount to 12,000 families. Their government resembles that of the independent tribes, a circumstance which at first excites some surprise in a people entirely pastoral; but which is perhaps to be accounted for by the peculiarity of their situation. The effect of pastoral habits in introducing despotic power, has long been observed by writers on the history of human society, and their opinions have been strengthened by the example of almost all the tribes of ancient Scythia and modern Tartary; but this observation, and the reasonings of the authors who support it, appear to be derived from the practice of countries entirely pastoral, inhabited by several distinct and independent nations, where the simultaneous increase of the flocks of different tribes compels each to extend its limits, and leads to wars, which oblige each tribe to encamp and march in a body, and to secure the co-operation of all its parts by implicit submission to a common head. These reasons do not exist in a tribe placed in a kingdom chiefly inhabited by husbandmen, and feeding its flocks on waste lands at a distance from those adapted to agriculture; and for this reason perhaps it is that we find the Naussers enjoying the same liberty as most of the other Afghauns. The established government, and the habits of the nation secure their peace, so that when stationary they scatter over an extensive tract, according

dual, and live almost entirely free from the restraint of government, while the temporary appointment of a Chelwashtee is sufficient to provide for the order and safety of their marches. The actual situation of the chief of the Naussers appears to me to afford proofs of the truth of this supposition. When the people are collected into camps, they are governed by their own Mooshirs, without any reference to the Khaun, and when they are scattered over the country, they subsist without any government at all; but when a march is contemplated, they immediately look to the Khaun, and where they have to pass an enemy's country, he is appointed head of the Chelwashtees, assumes an absolute authority, and becomes an object of respect and anxiety to all the tribe. A proof of the importance of the Khaun during a march, is shewn by the conduct of the Naussers at one time when Jurrus Khaun, their present chief, refused to accompany them in one of their migrations. He was anxious to remain in Damaun with 200 or 300 of his relations, to assist Surwur Khaun against the Vizeerees; but his resolution occasioned great distress in the tribe, who declared it was impossible to march without their Khaun. So earnest were their representations, that Jurrus was at last compelled to abandon his former design, and to accompany them on their march to Khorassaun.

The Khaun and all the Mooshirs are elected from the head families, and would be deposed if found unfit for their offices. The

Mullik (or Mooshir) settles all disputes, and can expel an offender the camp without a Jeirga: he is also absolute with regard to the movements and stations of the camp; but any four or five people may go and advise him on that head, though, if he is resolved, they must abide by his decision.

The Naussers pay a tax to the King which is at present allotted to Abdooreheem Khaun, and this circumstance appears to counte

nance a pretension which they often advance to a connection by blood with the Hotukees. The Hotukees say that the Naussers have been their Humsauyahs, but not their kindred some even represent them as sprung from the Beloches; and though they speak Pushtoo, and strenuously maintain their descent from the Afghauns, their features and appearance certainly indicate a race distinct from that nation.

NATURAL

SOUTH-WEST MONSOON IN INDIA.

(From Elphinstone's Account of Caubul.)

THE

HE most remarkable rainy season, is that called in India the south-west monsoon. It extends from Africa to the Malay peninsula, and deluges all the intermediate countries within certain lines of latitude, for four months in the year. In the south of India this monsoon commences about the beginning of June, but it gets later as we advance towards the north. Its approach is announced by vast masses of clouds that rise from the Indian ocean, and advance towards the northeast, gathering and thickening as they approach the land. After some threatening days, the sky assumes a troubled appearance in the evenings, and the monsoon in general sets in during the night. It is attended with such a thunder-storm as can scarcely be imagined by those who have only seen that phenomenon in a temperate climate. It generally begins with violent blasts of wind, which are succeeded by floods of rain. For some hours lightning is seen almost without

intermission; sometimes it only illuminates the sky, and shows the clouds, near the horizon; at others it discovers the distant hills, and again leaves all in dark, ness, when in an instant it re-appears in vivid and successive flashes, and exhibits the nearest objects in all the brightness of day.

During all this time the distant thunder never ceases to roll, and is only silenced by some nearer peal, which bursts on the ear with such a sudden and tremendous crash as can scarcely fail to strike the most insensible heart with awe. At length the thunder ceases, and nothing is heard but the continued pouring of the rain, and the rushing of the rising streams. The next day presents a gloomy spectacle : the rain still descends in torrents, and scarcely allows a view of the blackened fields: the rivers are swoln and discoloured, and sweep down along with them the hedges, the huts, and the remains of the cultivation which was carried on, during the dry season, in their beds.

This lasts for some days, after which the sky clears, and discovers the face of nature changed as if by enchantment.

Before the