chief of Kalát. This took place about the commencement of the successful regime of the famous Sir Robert Sandeman.

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THE TERM BALOCH".

One wonders how many different theories have been put forward from time to time concerning the question of the original home of the Baloch race. A goodly number one may take it. 'Our hitherto greatest scholar on the subject, the late Mr. M. Longworth Dames, has written a brochure on "The Baloch Race", which admittedly disposes of several points in the argument. But has he really convinced any one of us? Did he convince himself? These are the questions that arise in the mind of the reader of this valuable monograph. We still seem to be in doubt and in the dark with regard even to the origin and meaning of the word "Baloch ".

This term applies to the people only. From it we get the adjective "Balochí", which is also the correct word for the language of the country. The reverse, as pointed out by Dames, is incorrect. Now, whence comes this troublesome dissyllable "Baloch "?

1. Dr. Bellew appears to connect it with Bálaicha, a certain Rájput clan.

2. Mr. Crooke and some others, on the showing of Dames, look to the Sanskrit word malechha, a barbarian, as a possible clue.

3. Dames himself comes to our aid with what appears to be intended as final: Baloch is a Persian word, which in addition to its use as a proper name, means, as explained in the Burhán-i-Qáti and other dictionaries, a cock's comb or crest.

4. The Baloch himself derives the word from bar, a desert, and luch, naked. He does not, as far as one can ascertain, appear to have any doubts as to the correctness of this derivation. In short, when questioned, he becomes anxious to know what all the bother is about.

And so we might go on quoting, quoting without convincing. May we not leave the finding with the Baloch himself? He, at all events, has tradition on his side. But there is this to remember:

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the small word luch not only means "bare", "naked", but also "thorough", "unmitigated". We see this illustrated in the compound luch-bahádur, a thorough-paced villain. And in this sense Platts correctly considers luch to be an abbreviated form of luchcha, a scamp, a vagabond. So that in Barloch, Baloch, we come to have the desert scamp in contradistinction to the "city scamp", "bázár scamp", of whose shortcomings we hear so much in India. Has the Baloch had his tongue in his cheek all these years? Quoting from Dames: "Robbers they were and to some extent still are; to be a successful leader in raids and cattle-theft was a title to esteem, and Ráhzan or highwayman was a title of honour." Why not? Not many years ago there lived a similar gallant race of highlanders blessed with a like genius much nearer home. They are to-day the salt of the earth. We have for ourselves no intention of seeking to deprive the Baloch of his honours, nor any desire to impress on him that he is not Baluch, a desert scoundrel. To-day he is a gallant fellow, and that is all that really matters.

THE PEOPLE.

And this leads us to speak of the people themselves. Who are these Baloches? Whence have they migrated? A number of suggestions have been offered and varous theories put forward, some plausible and some very much the reverse. Here we have space to consider a few only.

1. Colonel E. Mockler maintains that the present-day Baloches

are the remnants of the ancient inhabitants of Mekran, who in turn he believes to have been the Greek Gedrosíí. He derives the word Baloch from Badroch, Badrosh, evil-day. From Badrosh he finds it an easy step to Gadros, Gadrosh, and the rest of it. At least that is how we understand him. Col. Mockler was a long time in Mekran.

2. Sir Richard Burton, Mr. Longworth Dames, and several other well-known writers and travellers give the Baloch an Íránian origin.

3. Pottinger, Khanikof, and some lesser lights are as strongly convinced that the Baloches are Turkomans pure and simple.

4. Sir Thomas Holdich is well supported in claiming an Arab origin for these people.

5. Dr. Bellew, however, looks nearer home. He claims India as being the original abode of these wanderers. He declares they are none other than our own very brave Rájputs. His demands on our credulity are rather sweeping. None the less, his remarks and arguments deserve the closest attention of all interested in this very interesting problem.

There is one thing very certain: the Baloches as we find them to-day are a very much mixed people. They are in no sense of the term homogeneous. Further than that, a large number of them are undoubtedly of Indian origin; and this is Dr. Bellew's real claim we take it. In saying this we are not unmindful of their personal appearance, of their habits and customs, nor are we at all forgetful of their language. It is the very fact of this mixed nationality that has given rise to so many different beliefs. You can easily prove, or go a long way towards proving, a dozen origins for the Baloch, but you will find in the long run that your pet theory will depend upon what particular part of Balochistán you happen to be residing in, and to a still greater extent upon what other Eastern peoples you have studied and lived among.

In India you can see any night of the week millions of Hindús sleeping with their heads due north. They always sleep in this position for choice, and whenever it happens to be practicable. Should you question one of them as to why they do so you will be told something about the quṭb-i-shimálí or North Pole, and more frequently that it is the dastúr or custom. But is that the reason? We all know that the Hindús, the Aryáns, came from the north. May not the ages that have passed have effaced something from their memory?

In some parts of Balochistán the people have been noticed putting themselves to considerable trouble to ensure sleeping with their heads towards the south or south-east. All their houses are built to face south or south-east.

The following extract is from the pen of Arthur Vincent. We hope to be pardoned for quoting it here :

"There met us a great and unforgettable band of Baluchis, all the head men of the famous Marris. They were a splendid sight indeed. Maybe a hundred and fifty of them altogether, they rode towards us in perfect orderliness along the jagged stone of that narrow defile; their wiry little mounts sweeping along in mass with no sign of jolting or confusion, they moved smoothly as one man. Conspicuous were their huge white turbans furled of yard upon yard of 2 in. thick twists of cloth, their full flowing white robes and voluminous white trousers, ther gay gold-embroidered sleeveless waistcoats, their richly patterned leather sword-belts and curved scabbards, their shining steel sword-hilts, and the sun-kissed brass which studded the woodwork of their rifles and muskets, old and new. Most perhaps one was struck with their hair. Every man wore long, thick, heavy ringlets, black, grey, or white according to his age, a great mane of carefully oiled hair, which hung like ropes, often to below his waist, bobbing and waving as he rode. Thus is your true Baloch unmistakable, in all India none others can show such hair."

That charming writer Edmund Candler tells us that: "When one is set in authority over a primitive people it is well to empty one's mind, as far as possible, of existing standards and codes, dismiss idealism and sentiment, and forget everything that has been said about 'Progress'."

The Baloch is a Sunní. In other words he belongs to that large sect of Muslims who acknowledge the first four Khalífas as having been the rightful successors of Muhammad. They differ from the Shi'ahs in that the latter maintain that 'Ali', first cousin of Muhammad, was the first legitimate Khalífa, and that Abu Bakr, 'Umar', and 'Usman' were not rightful claimants to this title. There are, of course, other minor differences between the beliefs of the two sects. The two denominations have no great love for each other.

THIS BOOK.

It was probably the great Sir Richard Burton who first said that one really never knew a language until one became capable of thinking in it. It was, we remember, Robert Louis Stevenson

who affirmed that words resembled the small wooden nursery blocks with which we lovingly played in our early years. At all events, both these wise saws are on record. Let us try to add a third the digger is not taught how to dig by being given so many dry lectures on the use and abuse of certain oblong manual implements. He is in the early stages just shown which end of his spade should be put into the soil. For the rest he is left to himself. To himself and to the use of that priceless commodity called common sense. Man being entirely an imitative animal, he seldom, if ever, fails to become a good digger, provided always he keeps up the effort long enough and continues to observe. It is only the man who holds out that can hope to win through in any line of study, and inferentially in any line of life.

In this small work we have attempted to show how, when, and where to put your spade into the ground, and also how to arrange your nursery blocks so as to get at the required edifice. This latter is the sole object of the many literal renderings we have given you. You must assuredly begin to think in the language if you are to get on quickly. You cannot now learn a language as you learnt your mother tongue at your mother's knee. To say that you can, or should, is sheer lunacy. As it is some of us are children twice in our short lives. Do not seek to bridge the short sane interval by remaining a nuisance all the time. You have now reason on your side, and can outstrip your early efforts a thousand times and more. What you understand you cannot forget it actually becomes part of you. This is no mere fancy, but a fact that can very easily be proved and explained.

The best way to use this book is to read over those paragraphs that have been marked as important. This will probably take you half an hour. This hasty perusal will help to show you wherein Balochí chiefly differs from the language you know best. There will be such a language. A vast amount of help can be got from comparisons. This done, start over again, and study closely and thoroughly. Do not miss anything this time. You will find that obscurities have a knack of disappearing as you proceed. At the end of each chapter you will find a set of questions. If you have studied as you should, and read as you must read, you will be able to answer them all off-hand. They amount to a good deal.