there are a great many ruins, consisting of dwellings, and a very large range of buildings like a fortress, enormously lofty, which can be distinctly seen from a long distance. I did not go myself to examine these ruins, because it would have been necessary to have remained at the village for two or three days for the purpose; and to do so, in a country like Suwát, would have raised suspicion, therefore the KHÁN SAHIB would not consent. I was told, however, that the children of the village, as mischievous in Suwát as in other countries,* had left nothing in the shape of carvings or images within it. There is also an immense cave in the side of one of the mountains, which cannot be entered from below; and from above, even by the aid of ropes, it cannot be reached, or at least, those who have attempted it have not succeeded. I was told by some of the Waddí-grám people, that several persons did once set out to make the attempt, and lowered down a rope, so as to reach the mouth of the cave; but it was not long enough, and they returned. No other attempt appears to have been made. The tale goes, that the cave belonged to the Káfirs of old, who had a secret path or entrance; and having deposited treasures within it, concealed the path and shut it up altogether. Whoever finds that path, will get the treasure.

I saw a few ancient copper coins here, but they were not worth purchasing; and moreover, the Suwátís, particularly the Hindús, say that from every copper coin of the ordinary size, two múshas of pure gold can be extracted, worth three rupees or six shillings, which was the price they asked for them. Throughout the whole of Suwát, at present, whenever any old coins are discovered, they are immediately sold to the Hindús or Paranchah traders, who transmit them to their agents at Peshawar; and on this account, old coins are not easily obtainable, unless a person remain some time. The people of the village also told me, that there had been idols found in the neighbourhood; but they had, as a religious duty, broken them to atoms, and not a remnant of them now remains. Between the village of Mán-yár and Waddí-gram, there is a rudely carved idol by the side of the road, cut out of the white stone of the cliff itself, and in the figure of an old man in a sitting posture. Every one that passes by throws a stone at it; so there is an immense heap of them near. I examined the whole of the Pushto books of the villages between [* Cf. supra, p. 128. EDS.]

this and Tárrnah, which were chiefly on theology; but at Waddígrám I found three others the poem of Yúsuf and Zulíkhá, by Æabd-ul-Kádir Khán; and the poems of Shaháí Dalí, and Adam and Durkhánáí, by Sadr Khán, his brother, all of which you have copies of already.

On the 23rd August, we left Waddí-gram for Míngowarah, which having passed together with the villages of Kambar and Káttlí, we turnod down the valley of Saiydúgán, which runs in a south-westerly direction, and reached the village of that name, the residence of the Akhúnd of Suwát.

This poor and pious man has been most grossly belied for some years past, by interested parties at Peshawar, who cram the authorities with lies; and find it easier to lay all disorders which take place on this part of our frontier, at the door of this harmless man, than to the true cause. He has for many years been made out to be the fomenter of all the troubles on the frontier, and to be constantly plotting mischief against us; but those, who have given ear to such falsehoods, have not inquired how much is owing to the grinding tyranny of Hindústání subordinates, and other causes which shall be nameless. I would ask them one question, however,-“ How is it that during the year 1849, we had no walls round the cantonment of Peshawar and no chowkeydárs; yet less robberies and crime occurred than at any time since, except, perhaps, during the mutiny ?" If I recollect aright, the assassination of the late Colonel Mackeson was laid at the Akhúnd's door; but the very appearance of the venerable old man is enough to give the lie to such a statement. He has been said, at Peshawar, to possess the most despotic power over a most fanatical tribe; and even the old miscreant who lately set himself up at Delhí, had it proclaimed, that the poor old Akhúnd was coming to assist him with from 12,000, to 18,000 Gházís at his back. I need scarcely add, that the whole is a mass of falsehood got up by interested parties. I will now endeavour to give a sketch of the Akhúnd as he appeared to us.

On reaching the village of Saiydúgán we proceeded to pay our respects to him. He is a venerable looking old man, of middle height, with a white beard, and is about sixty years of ago; cheerful in disposition, affable to all who approach him, and with a countenance open and serene. He is learned in the whole of the usual sciences studied

by Muhammadans, to the necessary degree that his position in religious matters demands; and has no concern in, or control, whatsoever, over the government of the valley, which is entirely held by the different petty chieftains. What they state at Peshawar and in the Panjáb, about his collecting armies, going to war, and inciting the Suwátís and others to create disturbances, and enmity against the English, are the most barefaced untruths, got up, solely, by interested parties at Peshawar, and other places.

If, by chance, any injured or aggrieved persons come and make complaints to him, that this body or that body has injured them, he expostulates with the party complained against, either by going himself, or sending another to expostulate in his name, according to the rank of such party. If the expostulation takes effect, it is well; but if not, the Akhúnd can do no more in the matter.

It is the custom of those of our subjects on the frontier, who may have committed themselves in any way with the authorities, to fly to Suwát, and they come to the Akhúnd, at whose place they remain for two or three days; for it is the most rigidly followed, and most sacredly observed custom amongst all Afghán tribes, which cannot be broken through, to show hospitality to a guest, however unwelcome he may be. But with respect to the Akhúnd's guests of this description, after a few days have passed, he tells them, with all mildness and kindness, that they will not be able to get on in that country; and advises them to go to Kábul or some such place. In short, he leads them to understand, in the most delicate manner possible, that they had better leave his dwelling, at least.

What has been said with regard to thieves, robbers, and murderers from the British territory fleeing to the Akhúnd, and being entertained by him, is as false as the other matters which have been advanced against him, and which those, who have, probably, cast their greedy eyes upon the Suwát valley, with the view of getting it annexed, not considering that we could not keep it, but at great expense and bloodshed, take care to spread. In all countries bordering upon each other, the criminals on either side seek to escape from justice by flying across the respective frontiers, as they did from England to Scotland, and vice versa, in former times; and as they do to France and America, in the present day. It is not to be imagined, on this account, that the authorities of those countries

connive at such acts, much less the bishops and priests of those countries. Such too is the case in Suwát. The Akhúnd is high priest or rather a devotee, whom the people regard as a saint, and who is looked upon, by the people of those extensive regions around, as the head of their religion; but he is without the slightest real power, either temporal or spiritual; his influence being solely through the respect in which he is held.

It is in the villages on the outskirts of Suwát, and other places on the border, that bad characters, who have fled from justice, seek shelter, with whom the Akhúnd, as already stated, has no more to do than the man in the moon; but parties, for their own purposes, make use of the Akhúnd's name.

The Suwátí Afgháns are so tyrannical, so prejudiced, and so fanatical, that even the admonitions, and the expostulations of the Akhúnd are unpalatable to them. Whatever they do not like, or whatever may be against the custom of their Afghán nature from time immemorial, they will neither listen, nor attend to. A circumstance which lately happened is a proof of this. A trader of Peshawar, after great expense of time and money, had caused to be felled, in the hilly district above Suwát, about two thousand pine trees, which, in their rough state, were thrown into the river, for the purpose of being floated down to Peshawar. When the trader and his people, with their rafts, entered the Suwát boundary, the Suwátís seized them, and would not allow the rafts to proceed. The trader supposing the Akhúnd to have influence, went and complained to him. The Suwátís of Lower Suwát, through fear of their chiefs, with whom the Akhúnd had expostulated about the behaviour of their people, gave up all the trees they had not made use of themselves, and they were not many; but the people of Upper Suwát, that is to say, from Chárbágh to Chúr-rraey, on both sides of the river, would not obey, and did not; and the trees may still be seen, lying about in hundreds, on the river's banks.

With the exception of a few servants, the Akhúnd, whose name is Eabd-ul-ghaffúr, has no followers whatever. He is of the Naikbí Khel (the Naikpee Khail of Elphinstone,) and left Suwát when a mere child. He resided in the Khattak country, at Saráe, at the zíárat or shrine of Shaykh Rám-Kar, where he remained as a student of theology until past his thirtieth year; and was so abstinent that

it is said he could scarcely walk a hundred yards from weakness. This I have heard from Muhammad Afzal Khán, Khattak, who has often seen him there. When the Seikhs got the upper hand at Peshawar, he left the Khattak country and returned to Suwát, and took up his residence at Saiydúgán.

I noticed that the Akhúnd's head shook a little, which unless cured, will probably turn to the disease named lakwah in Arabic, which is a spasmodic distortion of the face.

I had been led to believe from people generally, that the Akhúnd was possessed of some wealth-but it was very little, comparatively, that we saw; and that little was constantly expended,―that he was constantly employed, from morning to night, "with his fanatic subjects plotting in vain,"* and occupied with the world's affairs. Instead of which I beheld a man, who has given up the world, a recluse, perfectly independent of every body; and occupied in the worship of God. Sometimes he comes out of his house for two or three hours daily; sometimes only every other day. At this time people come to pay their respects, the greater number of whom are sick persons. For these he prescribes some remedy, and prays over them, after which he again returns to his closet within his dwelling. If two parties chance to have a dispute, and they both agree that it shall be settled according to the share or orthodox law of Muhammad, he explains to them the particular precept bearing on the case, from the Arabic law-books. Save this, he has no connection in the matter.

The food of the Akhúnd is a single cake or bannock of bread, made from the shamúkah (panicum frumentaceum,) the most bitter and unpleasant grain it is possible to conceive, which he eats in the morning before dawn. He fasts during the day; and in the evening he eats sparingly of boiled, vegetables sprinkled with salt. The only luxury he indulges in is tea, made in the English fashion, with milk added, as you yourself take it. About two or three hundred poor persons receive food at his guest-chamber daily; and the animals of those who come from a distance receive a measure of corn and some grass. He pays for all he obtains to feed these parties, in ready

*Rev. J. Cave Browne: "The Punjab and Delhi, in 1857." This author, at page 292 also states, "The Swat valley is inhabited by a warlike and fanatic race of Mahommedans ruled by a Moulvie of Moulvies, a patriarch or pope of the Mahommedans of this part of Asia, called the Akhoond of Swat."