THE MIND OF AN ORIENTAL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 82, 5 April 1924, Page 17

THE MIND OF AN ORIENTAL

:VSerVant of Sahibs.'1 By^EassulGal- ; waia. Cambridge:7-.W. Heffer . and ■> Sons,. Ltd. . . . ."■' \-A'....

v'c Galwan in- Kashmiri means "robber," ,bufc Ghulanr-Bassiil .'Galwan, Aksakal of ■Lea—whatever his ancestors;:-may. have been—was above aft "an honest man, even according' to Western' standards, which are very: different ( froni those* of the Orient. ' He','was ■■literally a servant 'of sahibs, of travellers in Tibet and adjacent mountainous lands.- In his preface he-"writes; "I have been always travelling with English, and American gentlemen. They were all very* kind with their poor servant. .. ■. -Their goodness and faithfulness I. do very much remember. In the . much travelling I was very tired, but, for my children, food wanted again and again, and ..niber work I had no learning for, beside ' travel.."' Gliulam writes in English and ,Ins Editor (unnamed), hasieliniinatpd very JiUlfl of..what was written, but has preserved • the quaint style of this narrntor of travel with foreigners in Central Aiia. He was born in Ladak, but liad Pathan blood in his veins. By occupation he-was a caravan,bashi, in charge of transport, also handler of all moneys and engager of helpers and servants for expeditions ..that, alternated between scorching or frigid deserts, and the great snowy peaks of "the Roof of tli« World." .. • .. UenerakSir Francis Yourighusband, the • explorer of the Himalayas and< Central Asia generally, describes Rassul's book as "wonderfully human." .It is all that and more: It has a, literary charm of its own and is a valuable contribution to the general store of geographical information of ■Central Asia. ' .The editor ■ remarks:—"Rassul's style is "perfectly intelligible if read ' aloud. We have punctuated it with' that in mind, and do earnestly implore the reader to use that ine.tn.pd. .This is not a book for the eye."' With1 deference, the opinion,is here expressed, after experience, .that Rassul's book is quite de-lightful--read in silence.) It is even eloquent, in its descriptions of the vast thinis Eeen in the travels undertaken by Rassul.as-a Servant.!' It is essen, tially human in its descriptions of men.

The workings of the native mind are laid bare, and there is very 'much to see in them. ' From these' workings valuable lessons in,dealing -with Eastern peoples! are. to b e learned. ' The Oriental places |. high value upon tlie word and the justice ■ oftheeahib.' The value of'the story wo.uld ;liave been greatly enhanced by a sketch map of ]. the..: principal localities'.referred to in the travels'of Rassul as; "a servant of sahibs;" It would have, been most helpful to the reader to have, had one su,ch". map. in the. book,'wheti. following the very fine account given.by,jßassul of the failure of Professor Littledale's attempts to get into Lhassa. '.'':. '.';-■