This is a biography of an enigmatic (some might say dubious) character of indistinct origins who became one of the most remarkable British explorers of his era, wandering over Punjab, Baluchistan and Afghanistan between 1827 and 1840, usually alone and on foot. In doing so, he provides an illustrated documentary of ancient religious and cultural artifacts and buildings of the region, many of which have subsequently been lost to the depredations of war and the Taliban.