to collect items of knowledge which further research proved to be
correct. He (Colonel Yule) rejoiced that had lived to see Kafiristan
partially revealed by an Englishman and not by a Russian.

Dr. Leitner said it was well that travellers, however naturally
accurate in their observations, should submit their results to the
criticism of learned societies, for, after all it was in such centres
that information from various quarters could be best collected, sifted,
and compared. The task of a pioneer is proverbially ungrateful, but he
is sufficiently rewarded if he collects facts for the examination of
scholars, and if some of these facts stand that test. On the other
hand, it was essential that, as a rule, no one should be sent out on a
geographical, anthropological, or ethnographical mission who was not
something of a linguist or who was not accompanied by a linguist, and
who had not given proof of sympathy with alien races. Hayward fell a
victim as much to his temper as to the greed and treachery of Mir Wali,
whom he had insulted. An Arabic proverb says that "the traveller even
when he sees is blind," and if, in addition to this artificial
blindness, he is practically both deaf and dumb owing to his ignorance
of the language of the people among whom he moves, it is almost certain
that he will make many mistakes, if not insure failure. Now few results
are apt to be more delusive than a mere collection of words, or even of
short sentences. The instances of "a dead policeman" as a Non-aryan
equivalent for the abstract term "death" which the inquirer wanted; of
the rejoinder of "what do you want?" for the repeated outstretching of
the "middle finger," a special term for which was sought, and numerous
other mistakes, are often perfectly avoidable, and it was therefore
desirable that the traveller, armed with an inexhaustible patience,
should not content himself with a collection of words, but also add the
sentences in which they occur, and, if possible, also collect fables,