Gaetan, this strange being informed us, was his name--speedily transformed by Gerome into the more euphonious and romantic name of Gaetano! I took leave of the Prince and my old friend the Wazir with some misgivings, for the new camel-drivers were Beila men, and frankly owned that their knowledge of the country lying between Gwarjak and Noundra (where we were to leave the caravan-track) was derived chiefly from hearsay.
There are two caravan-roads through Beila.

One, formerly much used, is that over which we had travelled from the coast, and which, on leaving Beila, leads due north to Quetta _via_ Wadd and Sohrab.

An ordinary caravan by this route occupies at least forty days in transit.
Traffic is now, therefore, usually carried on by means of the safer trade-routes through British Sindh, whereby the saving of time is considerable, and chances of robbery much lessened.

The second road (which has branches leading to the coast towns of Gwadar, Pasui, and Ormara) proceeds due west to Kej, capital of the Mekran province, near the Persian border.

The latter track we were to follow as far as Noundra, ninety miles distant.