The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-10
.picion. mot t4A&hey all are. howeyer,l and

very apt to do without sufficient reason, and
not to do when he ougbt-he has immediate
and passionate recourse TO his knife. This af.
fords a very sufficient reason why the traveller
in Tho cOhhtry shotHd be cautious in avsilir q
himself of the almost unrestained opportunity
which be has of CONVEX sing with married wo-
men. They are not confined or yelled, lust
because the serious penalty which they must
pay for any imprudence or unfaithfulness is
judged more effective, as it certainly is sim
pier and easier, method of restraining erratic
inclinations, and upholdipg coniugal virtue.
And L am fer from being certain that this Be-
looch system is at all more cruel, considering
the character of the people, than that which
prevails in the state of civilization. That it is
more efectual, is also doubtful point. At an
encampment of Sumirs, who are comparative
y speaking, rather timid race, got lesson
on this subject. One young woman, of them,
was really beautiful, although she had grown
up In the jingle, without even q tent to protect
her from the fierce sun and from the cold dews
OF night. Her complexion was unusually fair
Ter black locks were wound round her head
somewhat in Grecian style; and her scanty
garments, Ia sh'ft and shirt,) scarcely conceal.
ed finely rounded and almost faultless limbs.
AS she was suffering slightly from fever, gave
her some medicine, and also some strip, she
directing NE to pour it into the hollow of her
hand, while, by applying her mouth to her
wrist, she was able to drink, without allowing
any to escape.
Unfortunately when / was feeling the pulse
OF the Sumric beauty, her halt Belooch, ex-
tremely ugly, black, and savage husband made
his appearance, bearing q broken-limbed goat
upon his shoulders, and looking all suspicion
and wrath. He evidently had no faith what
ever IN my moral character, and looked upon
my MEDICAL business as mere diabolical pre-.
tence, which 1t was his duty and interest to ex-
pose. lntruding himself upon our tete a.tete,
he spoke in rude and provoking way, which
L could interpret easily without catching the
separate meaning of almost single word. Es-
peciaily ne tried, and with success, to excite a
laugh against me, by derisiveiy inquiring if
could turn portion of his body white. 1t is
dangerous in Beloochistan to let the laugh be
turned against one by an angry man, though it
10 expedlent not to be hasty in noticing good
humored ridicule. In this case it was lucky
that L understood his ridicule for while the
servant with me was explaining, there was time
to consider how it should be met. The ex.
pedlent l adopted was to pull out knife, catch
him by the arm, and make slight incision, in.
tlmatlng that there was nothing easier than to
turn him white, only, in the first place, he
would have to submit to being hayed. This
rude but not very brilliant jest took amazingly,
and preserved my moral supremacy. His com.
panlons seemed highly tickled and delighted at
the idea of their friend losing his skin, and
threw themselves on the ground, rolling about,
laughing, and repeating, Hakullo wants to
De made white Hakuls must be hayed "
Marsyas himself seemed paralyzed at the auda-
city OF the proposal, and turned away growing
liz CO a.. l. r
toe which 1t is doubtful about attacking. This
did not please his friends at all, and thew were
80 earnest on the subje that began to fear
the more so, as he seemed an unpopular charac-
ter among them-that they might tie him up,
and insist on the operation being performed.
After this he established himself behind q bush
close by, and consoled himself with examining
and handling his matchbox in a way which
showed how his thoughts were running; for he
aimed at me with 1t more than once, when he
thought | was not observing. The cord not
being lighted, there was no danger in this but
when he rose, lighted a large pipe and took it
over to his lair, | thought it expedient to
speak to his affectionste friends on the subject,
wherein they said he was bad man. and took
his gun away from him. There was no great
chances of the laws of hospitality being broken /;
but the possibility of the ruffian wreaking his
vengeance on the unofending wife afforded an
unpleasant subject of contemplation. Well was
it that Hakullo had demoniac-looking mother.
in law, who seemed quite able to protect her.
self and her daughter too.
WIFE KILLING
Even in Sind, where the crime ia punished
with death, it is difficult to persuade the Be.
looches that they have 70 right to slay their
wives. One whom | saw executed for having
done so, persisted to the lasU-even after he
had taste of the gslows, for on the first re-
moval OF the drop, the rope broke, and he fell to
the ground-in exclaiming against the mon
sirosity and barbarity of his sentence, although
he had committed the murder without provoca-
ton, and when under the influence of bhang.
Ut course, lii their own country they have per-
feet liberty to slay, for rarely or never do the
relatives of the wife make her death matter
Of blood-feud. The tongues of the women, as
also Of male slaves, are cut out occasionally.
At Bella, Belooch lady, evidently once of
superior rank, and who had been trated in this
way, haunted me like an uneasy ghost, waylay-
ing me, and stealing necessarily into my tent,
where she would clasp my feet, make pain
ful noise IN her throat, and piteously gesticu-
late some incomprehensible request. There
was wild light as Of madness in her eyes
and the people of the place denied all knowl.
edge OF her, except that she came from further
north. She would accept nothing that offer
ed, except piece of writing, which she took
apparently as a charm, and carefully preserved
In her hair. Her tongue had been recently
amputated near the root. God knows what she
desired to say. but likely enough her story was
one oil great wrong, of some cruel injustice and
humanity brutality. Subjected to such infu
ences, II is no wonder that one portion of the
women OF Beloochistan are timid and extreme
ly submissive; while others and elders-those
who have strength TO go through the ordeal of
hte-are capable of anything except tenderness
and mercy. But severely as they are treated,
it is not to be denied that they are for the most
part exceedingly faithful, and prove affectionate
mothers and wives. Though polygamy has not
been made sin, nor one to one" by any
law been " cursedly confined" yet the use and
habit of the country is for each man to have
only one wife at time. They will sometimes
even fight by the side of their husbands, when
the Issue of any conflict is suspended and they
have been known, single handed to bind, and
beat tr }, troublesome and unlawful admirers of
the opposite sex.
Observation-Disclosures English is some
thing very different not only from common
colicquial English, but even from that of ordi.
nary written composition. Instead of about
10000 words, there is probably no single author
in the language from whose works, however
voluminous, so many as 10000 words could be
collected. OF the 1000 words, there are GER
tainly many more than one.half that are only
employed, if they are ever mployed at all, on
the raress occasions. We should any of US be
surprised to find, if we counted them, with how
small q number of words we manage to express
all that we have TO say, either with our lips or
even with the pen. Our common literary
English probably hardly extends to 10000