Malí, or his descendants. I here heard, however, that the book I was in search of, and for which I had chiefly undertaken this journey-"The History of the Conquest of Suwát," by Shaykh Malí-was in the possession of Mí-án Ghulám Muhammad of Tsanákott, and that whenever there is any dispute between families, respecting the right to lands, they get the book, which contains an account of the distribution of the whole of Suwát by the Shaykh and Malik Ahmad, at the conquest; and as the book shows they agree to without further dispute. I was quite elated at this piece of good news, and wished to set out forthwith for Lower Suwát; but those who accompanied me did not agree, as they had no acquaintances there; and, moreover, that part of the country was in a disturbed state. I urged upon them that we had but eight or nine miles remaining, which we could get over in a few hours; but, all I could do, I could not induce them to go. Having no help for it, I dismissed the Suwátís who had accompanied us so far, and set out with Nek Muhammad, the confidential clansman whom the KHÁN SAHIB left with me, and proceeded towards Butt Khel, and thence passed on to the village of Shair. Here I took counsel of my trusty companion, and proposed that we should proceed alone, to Tsaná-kott. He said he would go wherever I wished, but he had one thing to mention, and that was, as follows. "In the first place, we have no excuse to make for this journey, if obstructed or annoyed. We could not. state that we are going to pay our respects to the Akhúnd, or that we are students going to read with some teacher in his vicinity. Here such excuses are not likely to be listened to, and trading would be the only plea available; whilst, at the same time, we have no goods to trade with. The best way to put off this new journey for another opportunity, when the KHÁN SAHIB has promised to accompany you for a period of two months, and then we can see all the country." This advice of my companion was sound, and I acted accordingly; so we set out on our return to Peshawar by the Mala-kand Pass.

This Pass is much less difficult than that of Morah, by which we entered Suwát. About half way up the northern side of the Pass there is a spring of cool and pure water, round which the spikenard plants flourish most luxuriantly; indeed, throughout Suwát, wherever there were springs or rivulets, I observed they were surrounded by

these beautiful plants. The mountains round this part of Suwát are, also, more densely wooded, than about the Morey Pass, with forests of pine and zaitún or wild olive. On the summit of the Pass there is a large open plain, and here there are several kandahs or trenches in which a number of bodies have been buried. I have been informed, that there are fissures in many parts of these kandahs, where hundreds of sculls may be seen, as also arrows, swords, knives, &c. It would appear that some great battle had been fought here when the Yusufzís first invaded the country, and that the slain were buried on the field of battle; and what is more natural than to suppose that the people took post in the Malakand Pass, to resist the invaders ?* On the southern side there are no rivulets; and no water is procurable, save from two wells which have been dug between the village of Dar-gaey and the foot of the Pass. Near one of these wells there is another road, apparently very ancient, over Malakand, the whole of which to within a short distance of the summit, is built up with slabs of stone and lime; but like that of Khandállah, between Bombay and Poonah, it has many turnings and zig-zags, and thus appears to have been scientifically designed; but although it is the shortest way, with all its turnings, the Afgháns prefer using the other road.

They say, that there is another road into Suwát, still easier, by the Sháh-kott Pass, which is comparatively straight and level; and appears to have been a regular made road, probably the work of the former inhabitants of these regions, who, from the ruins that still remain, appear to have attained a considerable degree of civilization. Guns could easily be taken into Suwát by this route; but the Afgháns, apparently, to provide against such a contingency, have broken up the road in several places; and at present it is never used.

There is no place named Kandárak, at the foot of the Karakarr Pass into Suwát, to be found at present; but the ruins of a village, or something of the kind, may be traced. Perhaps this is the place referred to in the Akbar Námah, the scene of the defeat of Akbar's army by the Yusufzí Afgháns. I was informed, that about three years since,

*The history of the Yúsufzís and the account of the conquest of Suwát I have found in a work in the Library of the India House; written however in a most strange manner, in Pushto and Persian. The author was an Afghán; and he goes on to relate in Persian, and then all at once breaks into Pushto and

vice versa.

three Afgháns found a phial, or something of the kind, near this place, the mouth of which was closed with lead, and contained several seals regularly cut. They appear to have been glass or crystal. An iron oven was also found at the same time. The Suwátís say, that the army of the Mughals were defeated in the Sháh-kott Pass; and will not allow that Akbar's army ever entered Suwát itself. I was equally unsuccessful regarding the other places mentioned in the history referred to, viz.; Iltimsh, Saranyakh, and Kandárí. I imagine they must have been more to the north-west, towards Káfiristán.

On reaching the foot of the Pass we went on to Dar-gaey three miles distant; and thence proceeded to Sháh-kott, about two miles further. We had now entered the British territory; so I went on direct to Peshawar: and here ended my travels in Suwát.

I must now attempt to describe the features of the valley.

On descending from the Mohrey Pass, and issuing from the narrow valley in which Nalbánddah lies, towards Tárrnah, the Suwát valley appears to lie almost east and west. It then makes a bend in a north-easterly direction as far as the Pass of S hámelí; and from thence to Pí'á the direction is almost due north; and beyond Pí'á again up to the source of the Suwát river, at the Jal-gah, it diverges slightly more in an easterly direction. It will therefore be seen that the Suwát valley is divided, as it were, into three natural divisions; and where the three turns, above mentioned, commence, the valley gradually narrows by the mountains on each side converging together, and then opens out again by their receding. The river intersects the valley throughout, with occasional considerable bendings; but the several maps you have are incorrect, indeed, almost wholly so as regards the country beyond the Mohrey Pass. The map in Elphinstone Sáhib's book, is better. The mistake is, that the valley in all these maps, is made to run, almost in a straight line north-east, and south-west; and from them it would appear, that a person standing at tht highest part of the valley could see down straight through it, which is far from being the case.* The river receives a few considerable streams, as has been previously stated, together with many small rivulets, from the mountains on either

*The accompanying rough map is based on Lieut. (now Major) J. T. Walker's, as far as the Mohrey Pass, which he has so far surveyed.

side. From Chúr-rraey to Binwarrí, which was the nearest point towards its source which I visited, the stream is about a hundred yards broad, very swift, and violent. From about five miles lower down than Binwarrí it becomes somewhat wider, but is just as rapid and violent as before, till it reaches Darwesh Khel, about threequarters of a mile lower down than which, where the valley also opens out considerably, it becomes much broader, and divides into several branches, and so continues until it reaches Allah-ddandd in Lower Suwát, where the branches again unite. From thence the river becomes narrower, until it joins the Malízí river (the river of Panjkorah of the maps), near the village of Khwadar-zí, in the country of the Utman Khel.

No gold is found in the river or its smaller tributaries, unless it be at their sources; and there are few or no trees on the river's banks, in the whole of the lower parts of the Suwát valley, not a hundred altogether I should say, save in the smaller valleys running at right angles to it. Here and there, one or two may be seen, in fields near the banks, under which the peasants rest themselves, and take their food in the hottest part of the day. It is in the mountains, on the sides of the valley, that trees are numerous.

The mountains on either side as seen from the broadest part of the valley constituting Lower Suwát are of different degrees of elevation. The first, or lower ranges, are of no great height, and of gentle ascent; and the second are rather more abrupt; and on these there are, comparatively, few trees, but much grass. The third or higher ranges appear like a wall; and that to the north is densely covered with pine forests, which are seen overtopping all.

Firewood is scarce in the lower parts of the valley, and the dry dung of animals is used instead; but in those smaller valleys at right angles to, and opening out into that of Suwát, there are woods and thickets enough. There are no shrubs or wild trees, such as we call jungle in India, in any part of Lower Suwát, save in these smaller valleys, and in the higher ranges which I did not reach; and therefore I cannot speak confidently on that subject.

The Suwát valley, not including the Kohistán north of Pí'á, is, according to Shaykh Malí's arrangement, divided into two parts, known as bar or Upper, and lar or Lower Suwát, which two divisions are thus defined. From Mányár to the village of Tútakán towards

the mouth of the river, it is termed Lower Suwát; and from Mányár northwards to Pí'á is Upper Suwát. Lower Suwát is hot, and produces little in the shape of fruit, but grows plenty of rice; has numerous villages; and is densely populated. Upper Suwát again is cold, and the climate temperate; but it has few rice-fields; produces much fruit; but has fewer villages, and is less densely populated than the other part of the valley. I heard of no part termed middle Suwát, which you say is mentioned in Elphinstone's book, and those of others; the only divisions beyond the two I have named are not recognized, unless we take the boundaries of tribes and khels as such; but the people of a country know best about such matters; and I have stated accordingly. No Suwátí would know what middle Suwát means.

In Lower Suwát rice is extensively cultivated, whilst in Upper Suwát, wheat, barley, and bájrí are the chief grains. As regards temperature and excellence of climate, picturesque beauty, fruits, and game, Upper Suwát, from Munglawar to Chúr-rraey, which I saw myself, is by far the best. The Kohistán beyond is much the same The whole of the upper portion of the valley is intersected, at right angles, by the most picturesque little vales, of about half a mile or less in extent, the very residence in which would be sufficient to make a man happy. Each has its own clear stream running through, towards the main river; and their banks, on either side, are shaded with fine trees, many of which bear the finest fruit, and beneath which, every here and there, there are fragments of rock where one may sit down. The hills on both sides, up to the very summits, are clothed with forests of pine, whose tops yield a most fragrant smell. Dust is never seen.

The Suwátís, of Lower Suwát sow all the available land near the river with rice; and that nearer to the hills with joárí (holcus sorgum), cotton, tobacco, másh (phaseolus max), úrrd (phaseolus mungo), and pález, consisting of melons and the like. The higher ground, still nearer the hills, they have appropriated to their villages and burying-grounds; and numbers of villages, for this reason, have been built close to the hills. However, where the river, in its windings, encroaches more on one side than the other, that is to say, when the river approaches the hills on the right, or lánwdah side of the valley, the left, or wuchah side is more open and expansive; and