Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 3.djvu/319

Rh great number of ancient Hinduwee words ; and, as it strikes the ear, bears a strong resemblance to the dialect spoken in the Panjaub. The Baluches in general have tall ligures, long visages, and raised features ; the Brahoes, on the contrary, have short, thick bones, with round faces and flat lineaments. The Baluches are a handsome, active race of men, not possessing great physical strength, but inured to changes of climate and season, and capable of enduring every species of fatigue. In their habits they are pastoral and much addicted to predatory warfare, in the course of which they do not hesitate to commit every kind of outrage and cruelty. Notwithstanding their predatory habits, how ever, they are considered to be a hospitable people. After the fashion of other barbarous tribes in that part of the world, they will protect and kindly entertain a stranger while their guest, but feel no scruple in robbing and murdering him as soon as he has left their precincts. They are indolent, and unless excited by amusement or war, or compelled to action by some urgent motive, spend their time in idleness, rude dissipation, and the enjoyment of such coarse luxuries as they can procure in lounging, gambling, smoking tobacco or hemp, and chewing opium. The tenets of their religion, and still more, perhaps, their poverty, preserve them from the abuse of fermented liquors. Their principal articles of food are milk in all its forms, the flesh of domestic animals, not excepting that of the camel, and game, including wild asses, the flesh of which is considered a delicacy. Their appetites are vora cious ; they consume incredible quantities of flesh when it can be obtained, and prefer it in a half-cooked state. They also use grain in the form of bread, and prepared variously otherwise ; but they enjoy most such articles of food or condiment as possess a strong and stimulating flavour, as capsicum, onions, and garlic. Their indolence prompts them to keep as many slaves as they can obtain and support. Polygamy is universal. Some of the lower orders have as many as eight women, either as wives or mistresses, and the number is increased in proportion to the rank and means of the man. Wives are obtained by purchase, pay ment being made in cattle or other articles of pastoral wealth, The ceremony of marriage is performed by the moollah or priest ; and on this occasion, as well as on some others affecting females, practices similar to those of the Levitical law are observed. For instance, in this country, as also among the Afghans, a man is expected to marry the widow of a deceased brother. When a death takes place, the body is watched for three successive nights by assembled friends and neighbours, who spend their time in feasting, so that the ceremony seems intended rather to furnish enjoyment to the living than to render honour to the dead. The common dress of the Brahoes is a coarse white or blue calico shirt, buttoned round the neck, and reaching below the knee ; their trousers are made of the same cloth, or of a kind of striped stuff called soosee, and puckered round the ankles. On their heads they wear a small silk or cotton quilted cap, fitted to the shape of the skull, and a kummurbund or sash, of the same colour, round their waists. The Baluches wear a similar dress, but a turban on the head and wide trousers uuconfined at the ankle. In winter the chiefs and their relatives appear in a tunic of chintz, lined and stuffed with cotton ; and the poorer classes, when out of doors, wrap themselves up in a surtout made of cloth, manufactured from a mixture of goats hair and sheep s wool. The women s dress is very similar to that of the men ; their trousers are preposterously wide, and made of silk, or a mixture of silk and cotton. The fluctuation of power renders it difficult to define precisely the nature of the government of Khelat. During the reign of Xusseer Khan the whole kingdom might be said to have been governed by a complete despotism ; yet that ruler so tempered the supreme authority by the privi leges granted to the feudal chiefs within their own tribes, that, to a casual observer, it bore the appearance of a military confederation. The tribes all exercise the right of selecting their own sirdar, or head ; and the khan has the power of confirming or disapproving of their nomination ; but this power is never exercised, and appears to be merely nominal. The khan of Khelat declares war and makes treaties connected with the whole of Baluchistan, and can order the sirdar of each tribe to attend in person with his quota of troops. Agreeably to a code of regulations framed by one of the earliest princes of the Kumburanee dynasty, the entire administration of justice was vested in the person at the head of the government. The sirdar, however, has the power of adjusting petty quarrels, thefts, and disputed points of every description, among the inhabitants of a kheil or society ; but, in all cases of importance, an appeal lies in the last instance to the khan at Khelat. The amount of revenue enjoyed by the khan of Khelat is inconsiderable, as the ruling races, Baluch and Brahoe, pay no direct taxes, and their poverty and simple habits prevent them from contributing much indirectly. His income is therefore derived from his resources as a pro prietor of lands or towns ; from a proportion of the produce paid in kind by the Afghan, Dehwar, and Jet cultivators ; from dues on direct and transit trade ; and from arbitrary exactions, a never-failing mode with Eastern potentates of recruiting an exhausted treasury. Pottinger estimated the amount at 350,000 rupees ; Masson, who had ample means of acquiring information through colloquial channels, at 300,000. At the present date (1875) it is 300,000 rupees or 30,000 at the utmost. With such a revenue it is obvious that no standing army can be main tained ; and Massou, certainly very competent to the task of acquiring information on this subject, states that Mehrab Khan, &quot; nearly destitute of troops in his own pay, was com pelled, on the slightest cause for alarm, to appeal to the tribes, who attended or otherwise as suited their whims or convenience.&quot; Pottinger computed the number of available fighting men at 60,000. Mehrab Khan could on no occasion assemble more than 12,000; and in his final struggle for property, power, and life, the number of his troops did not amount to 3000. At the present time (1875) about 40,000 would probably be available if all attended the summons, but the utmost number the khan could collect would be about 10,000. All depends upon the state of the treasury, the cause of the war, and the power the khan may be able to exert over his chiefs. The Baluch soldier is heavily encumbered with arms, carrying a matchlock, a sword, a dagger, and a shield. Pottinger considered them good marksmen, and states that in action they trust principally to their skill in this respect, avoiding close combat ; but their readiness in general to close with the British troops shows that he is in this instance mistaken. There were no Brahoes opposed to our forces at the battle of Meanee, nor were there any Baluches from Baluchistan. The levies of the Ameer of Sindh were principally composed of Sindee and Baluch tribes, who had long been settled in Sindh. The greater part serve on foot ; but a number, not incon siderable, have horses. Camels are only used by tribes on the western borders of Baluchistan in their predatory excursions.  BALUE,, a French cardinal, who raised himself from a very mean station to dignity and honours. He was born of very humble parentage at Angle in Poitou, in 1421, and was first patronised by the bishop of Poitiers. He eventually became almoner to Louis XI., and managed to secure a considerable share in the government; but 