After leaving Dasht, we marched for three stages in a southerly direction, keeping close to the skirts of the mountain of Mehter Suleimān; and at the close of the fourth halted at Bīlah,* a small district lying on the banks of the Sind, and which is dependent on Multān. The inhabitants in general took directly to their boats, and crossed the river; a few plunged into the water, and crossed it by swimming. Opposite to this village there was an island, on which we observed several natives who had not passed over to the mainland; many of our troops drove their horses, all armed as they were, into the river, and passed over. Several of them were carried down by the stream; of my followers one was Kūl Ahmed Arūk, another the chief of my tent-pitchers* and house servants*; of Jehāngīr Mirza’s followers, one was Kaitmās Turkmān. In this island a considerable booty in clothes, furniture, and other property fell into the hands of our men. All the people of that neighbourhood passed the Sind in boats, and went to the other side. A party that had passed immediately opposite to the island, trusting to the breadth of the river, drew their swords, and began to flourish them in an insulting way. Among those who had passed over to the island, one was Kūl Bayezīd the cupbearer,* who alone, and on an unarmed horse, threw himself into the stream and pushed for them. The water on the other side of the island was twice as broad as on this side. After swimming his horse for the distance of a bowshot in the face of the enemy, who stood on the banks, it got footing and took ground, with the water reaching as high as the flap of the saddle. He stopped there as long as milk takes to boil; and having apparently made up his mind, seeing nobody following behind to support him, and having no hopes of receiving any assistance, he rushed with great speed on the enemy who occupied the bank: they discharged two or three arrows at him, but durst not stand their ground, and fled. Alone, on an unarmed horse,* devoid of all support, to swim across such a river as the Sind, to put the enemy to flight and occupy their ground, was a stout and manly feat. After the enemy had taken to flight, our troops passed over, and got a considerable booty in cloth, cattle, and other plunder. Although on several former occasions I had distinguished Kūl Bayezīd by marks of favour, in consequence of the services which he had done, and of the bravery which he had repeatedly displayed, and had promoted him from the office of cook to be one of my tasters, yet after this last courageous achievement, I was still more resolved to show him every possible mark of favour, and accordingly I did distinguish him in the most marked manner, as will be mentioned. In truth, he was worthy of every kind of attention and honour.
I made other two marches down the river Sind, keeping close to its banks. The soldiers had now completely knocked up their horses, from being perpetually on plundering parties, in the course of which too they had gained no booty worth the while. It consisted chiefly of bullocks; in the Dasht they had got some sheep, and in several places clothes, and such like articles. After leaving the Dasht, they got nothing but bullocks. In our marches along the Sind, however, these were found in such plenty, that the meanest retainer in the army often picked up three or four hundred bullocks and cows; but from their very numbers they were obliged to leave the greater part of them behind.*
MarchesFor three marches I proceeded along the Sind, and separated from it right against the tomb of Pīr Kānū,* on reaching which we halted. As some of the soldiers had wounded several of the attendants at the tomb, I ordered one of the culprits to be punished, and he was hewn to pieces as an example. This tomb is very highly respected in Hindustān. It lies on the skirts of a hill which is connected with the mountain of Mehter Suleimān.
Taking my departure from this tomb, I reached the top of a hill-pass,* where we halted. Marching from thence I gained Rūdi, a place dependent on the country of Dūki.* While moving from that station, Fāzil Gokultāsh, the Dārogha of Sīvi,* a servant of Shah Beg,* with twenty of his people, who had come to reconnoitre us, were seized and brought in; but as at that time we were not on bad terms, I dismissed them with their arms and horses.
Arrives atLeaving this station, the second march brought us to Chotiāli, one of the villages of Dūki,* near which we encamped. Though the horses had undergone great fatigue in the continual plundering parties in which they had been engaged, both before reaching the Sind, and along its banks, yet they had plenty of corn, and abundance of grain cut in the ear, so that they did not flag. But when we left the banks of the Sind, and moved up by Pīr Kānū, there were no longer green cuttings, or at least in two or three marches a very inconsiderable quantity of young corn was occasionally met with. I could not even get corn for my own horse. In the course of these marches, the horses of the army began to flag.* In the stage at which we halted after leaving Chotiāli, I was even forced to leave my pavilion-tent* behind for want of carriage. While there, such a rain fell during the night, that the water reached above the knee among the tents, and I was obliged to sit on carpets piled on each other; in which melancholy plight we were forced to wear away the night till morning appeared.
ConspiracyA march or two after, Jehāngīr Mirza came up to me, and whispered in my ear, ‘I have a word to speak with you in private.’ I retired with him, and he said to me, ‘Bāki Cheghāniāni has been with me, and said, We intend to send the King, with seven, eight, or ten persons, over the Sind, and to raise you to the throne.’ I asked, ‘Who are his inferior associates in this plot?’ He replied, ‘Bāki Beg himself mentioned it to me just now, and I know not any one else.’ I said, ‘You must endeavour to learn who the other conspirators are, as it is probable that Syed Hussain Akber, Sultan Ali Chihreh, and other Begs and retainers of Khosrou Shah are concerned in the business.’ In truth, Jehāngīr Mirza, on this occasion, conducted himself perfectly well, and in a brotherly manner; and his proceedings, on this emergency, were the exact counterpart of my own at Kahmerd, when this same worthless man,* by his machinations, attempted to stir up discord and hostility between us.
We marched from this station, and when I reached the next halting-place, I dispatched a body of soldiers, whose horses were still capable of service, under the command of Jehāngīr Mirza, to attack and plunder the Aughāns* in that vicinity. At this stage, the horses of the army began to be completely worn out, and every day* two hundred horses, or three hundred horses, were obliged to be left behind. Many brave partisans, and some of note, were reduced to march on foot. Shah Mahmūd Ughlākchi, who was one of the officers of my household, and a man of eminence, having lost all his horses, was forced to trudge it on foot. This continued to be the state of the horses of the army till we reached Ghazni.
Three marches afterwards, Jehāngīr Mirza, having plundered a party of Afghans, brought in a few sheep.
He arrives In one or two marches more, we reached Āb-istādeh,*
when a wonderfully large sheet of water presented itself
to our view. Nothing could be seen of the plains on the
opposite side. The water seemed to join the sky; the
hills and mountains on the farther side appeared inverted,
like the hills and mountains on the farther side of the
mirāge;*
while the hills and mountains near at hand
appeared suspended between earth and heaven.*
In this
spot are collected the waters arising from the inundations
occasioned by the rains of spring, in the valley of Kattehwāz,
the dale of Zurmet, the river of Ghazni, with the
meadow of Karabāgh, and all the superfluous water of the
spring season, that arises from the swelling of the rivers,
and that remains after the purposes of irrigation are
Its singular
appear-
ance.
answered. When I came within one kos of Āb-istādeh,
a singular phenomenon presented itself. From time to
time, between this water and the heavens, something of
a red appearance was seen, like the ruddy crepuscule,
which again by and by vanished, and so continued shifting
till we had come near it. When we came close up, we discovered
that this appearance was occasioned by immense
flocks of wild geese,*
not of ten thousand or twenty thousand,
but absolutely beyond computation, and innumerable;
and in their flight, as they moved their wings, their red
feathers sometimes appeared and sometimes were hid. But
it was not wild geese alone; innumerable flocks of every
species of bird settled on the banks of this water, and the
eggs of countless multitudes of fowl were deposited on
every corner of its banks. A few*
Afghans who had come
here, and were employed in gathering these eggs, on seeing
us, fled, and threw themselves into the lake; but a party
of my men pursued them for nearly a kos, and brought
them back. As far as these went into the water, it was
nearly of one uniform depth, reaching up to the horse’s
belly; indeed, the water, apparently in consequence of the
levelness of the plain, did not seem to acquire any great
depth. On reaching the banks of the river of the plain of
Kattehwāz, which falls into Āb-istādeh, we halted. It
is in general a dry river, not having any running water
in it. I have passed its channel many times, but never
found any water in it, except on this occasion, when, in
consequence of the rains of spring, it was so flooded, that
I could find no ford to pass; for though it is not very
broad, yet it was extremely deep. All the horses and
camels were crossed over by swimming. Many of the
soldiers tied up their baggage in bundles, which they pulled
over to the other side with cords. After passing this
torrent, we proceeded by the way of Kuhneh-Nāni,*
and,
Arrives at
Ghazni.
passing the water-mound*
of Sardeh,*
we reached Ghazni.
Jehāngīr Mirza there entertained us, provided us with
victuals, did the honours of the place for a day or two, and
presented me with his peshkesh.*