The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-04-03
prepared by the National Geographic

IN UkING the disturbed conditions
Of the past year along the
- Afghan border of India, Baluch-
istan, a short distance to the
south-another potential trouble zone
| for Great Britain-has been relatively
| quiet. Only on one or two occasions
were their minor disturbances in this
western frontier province.
The customs of Baluchistan are
vastly different from those of the
West, and many strange compromise
has to be made by the British politi-
cal agents in dispensing justice among
the natives.
The British do not own Quota,
though they conquered a small region
north Of it. They hold it under a per-
petual lease from the khan of Kalat
Formerly the ferocious tribes of these
barren mountains and beyond used to
depend largely for their existence up
on raids into India, and for a time
they lived sumptuously on the spoils
Of Delhi. Horde after horde of these
savage warriors established temporary
sovereignties over the rich cities of
the central plains, only to be over
whelmed in turn when they became
soft under the influence of luxury.
1t is to prevent this sort of thing
that the British occupy Baluchistan
and the North West Frontier province
to the northeast. They do not depend
altogether on armed forces, but at
tach great Importance to their pOliti-
cal agents. These men, who reach
responsibility only after thorough
schooling in this extraordinary serv-
ice, further peace by ameliorating the
conditions of living. They promote
agriculture, give security to the small
towns, erect blockhouses for protec-
ton, and compose feuds through ex-
ercise of tact or power, as circum-
stances dictate.
In these agents are combined the
functions of executive, judge and des-
pot. But they do not attempt to i'm
pose western notions of law and JUS
tice on the wild Mohammedans under
their jurisdiction.
Wives Cause Much Trouble.
Much Of the trouble among the ma
tives in Baluchistan concerns wives.
Girls are not of as much consequence
as boys, and their parents give the
warm coats and best food to the sons !;
so that the death rate among daugh-
tiers is much higher, with the result
that there are not enough wives to
go around, especially as some of he
richer men avail themselves of the
Prophets permission and buy more
than one helpmate.
Wives, like camels, are bought at
high prices, and, like camels, are often
stolen. The girls preference is not
consulted, and as her betrothal in
many cases has taken place before
her birth, she not infrequently pre-
fers another to her husband. Woe to
her, however, if her unfaithfulness is
discovered or suspected, for it then
becomes the duty of her husband, her
son, her father, or her brother to kill
neT WllHOuI anu W MIL hSi
lover, too, If he can be found.
Adam Khan was sixteen years old.
One night he was Weakened and went
to the tent door, but found no one.
1t happened a second time, but even
the camels were quiet. So he lay and
listened, and the third time he saw a
man whispering to his mother, Amina.
AS Adam reused his father, Dost Mo-
manned, the lover, Nasho, escaped.
Dost Mohammed loved his wife and
shrank from killing her. Nay, he even
tried to protect her against the venge-
ance of her son. So it happened that
when Adam tried to shoot his mother
it was his father who first fell. After
ward she, too, was slain. Then, while
it was yet dark, Adam hid in a null
lah (gully) near the door of her lover,
with his gun pointed and cooked.
The lover, however, had been too
crafty to return home, and when Adam
Khan shot the first man who came out
of the hut, in the gray twilight, 1t was
the lovers father, Karin, who fell
grooming. As he was desperately
wounded, the old man Of his own &C.
cord raised his head that another
merciful bullet might end his suffer
ing.
When day was advanced and the
English political agent had finished
breakfast, Adam Khan sought him
and demanded justice.
Perhaps you would think justice
would begin by hanging Adam. Far
from it! That would have started a
feud which would have lasted. per-
haps, forever, and many yet unborn
would kill each other because the bal
ance of justice had, in this instance,
kicked the beam. The English politi-
cal agent, wise from long experience.
summoned the village elders and laid
the case before them.
Decision In Complicated Case.