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Fig. 24, Obverse.

Reverse.

Supplementary Indo-Scythic Coins.

Bust. Greek legend BACIAEVC OOH MV KAAPICHC
Standing figure, naked, with three tails ; staff in right-hand-left
hand holds a ball-in the left, four-pronged symbol. Legend
Pehlevi.

This is a representation of the gold medal found in the sepulchral monument of the king at Kabul-on the legend we have besides OOH-the letters probably MV or MT: if these be also numerals, they may express the years of his reign or of his dynasty.

Kabul, 28th Nov. 1833.

II.—Journal of a Route from Déra Ghazi Khan, through the Veziri Country, to Kabul. By Dr. Martin Honigberger, in a Letter to Captain C. M. Wade, Pol. Agent at Lúdiána. Plate XIV.

[Read at the Meeting of the 20th March.]

The annual kafila of the Lohánís was very late in assembling at Déra bend this year. We did not leave that place until the 18th of May, and reached Kabul on the 28th of June. The heat of the weather during our journey was excessive. It was greater than that of Lahor. In tents the thermometer rose to 38 Reaumur. Several persons perished from the effects of the heat, as well as a horse belonging to me.

It has proved an arduous and fatiguing journey. The road through the hills was extremely difficult, and strewed over with large stones. It was so narrow in some places as not to admit the passage of a loaded camel. They were constantly falling down precipices with their kajawas, and a good deal of property was sacrificed on the road from these accidents. No exertions were made with success at the time to recover it. On reaching the halting place, people were seen complaining in every direction of the loss of something; but those who formed the last part of kafila generally collected the property lying on the road, and delivered it to the owners on their arrival.

From the time we entered the hills, until we reached Demendí, we were in constant alarm of the Vezirís. They did not however shew themselves in such force this year as they usually do, yet they did not forego their habitual depredations, and notwithstanding the vigilance of the armed men of our party, who were to be seen flourishing their arms and beating nakáras along the line, the Vezirís succeeded in carrying off several camels. Those that they could not take away, they killed on the spot, and made the best of their way to their fastnesses in the hills. At night they would descend and visit our camp, when if they found that our guards were not on the alert, they would steal any property that they could lay their hands on. There was no vestige of population where we were infested by these plunderers, and consequently the mer

chants who frequent this route provide themselves with a stock of provisions sufficient to last them through the Vezirí country before their entrance into the hills.

As soon as we had passed the limits of the Veziré tribe, we came in contact with the Suleiman kheil, who resemble the Vezirís in their predatory habits, and like them have the virtue not to take the life of their victims. When a man falls into their hands, they strip him of every thing they find about him, and let him go. On the same principle of forbearance, if any of these freebooters fall into the hands of Lohánís, they spare his life, but inflict every other kind of injury on him, such as stoning and beating with clubs, pulling off his beard, and setting it on fire. In fact, they use almost every species of torture short of death. On the arrival of a kafila among the Suleiman tribe, they come and barter ghee, curd, ropes, and such like articles, with the merchants, for clothes, which enables them to see and ascertain the situation of the property belonging to a kafila, and as the night falls, and the travellers retire to rest, these pests come to the camp and carry off such things as they have previously marked for their prey.

There is a singular custom among these people: their women form their hair into ringlets, which they throw over their head, so as to cover their eyes, and half of the face; and when these damsels wish to use their eyes, they raise their heads backwards, so as to move these ringlets from the line of sight. The Lohání women invariably have a Venetian gold coin suspended on their forehead, and the generality of these people wear black-coloured clothes. Their tents are of the same colour. They speak the Afghaní language, which is very harsh and uncouth, compared with the Persian; but the mercantile part of the tribe, who resort to Kabul, Hindustan, and Bokhara, have a knowledge of Hindustani, Persian, and Turki. Their wives are of great use to them. They share their toils, load their camels, pitch their tents, and perform every other domestic duty. On their journeys they travel in kajawas two and two on each camel. During the hot season, these people leave their homes and move towards Gheznín, to pass their time in the neighbouring mountains, which possess a cool and temperate climate from their superior elevation. They generally pass two months on this migratory excursion, and remain the rest of the year at Déra bend. There may be altogether about one thousand families of these Lohanís, four hundred and fifty of which reside at Selkhir, a place which they inherit from their forefathers, and the others live at Kárá bágh. They maintain a standing force of two hundred horse, besides a portion of foot soldiers. About one hundred of them separated from us at the fortress of Kherúti, and went towards Kandahar. They have altogether ten

thousand camels of burden belonging to them, and trade in all the productions of Hindústán. Large quantities of indigo are exported annually by them from Multán, Bháwelpur, Déra Ghazí-Khán, to Khorásan and Bokhára. Four lakhs of rupees is the estimated amount of duties which they pay every year to different branches of the Cabul Government, according to the following details, viz. two lakhs at Cabul, one lakh at Gheznín, and one lakh at Bamián.

In the course of my journey I intended to have made a collection of scarce botanical specimens, but partly owing to the extreme heat which had parched the vegetation, and partly to the ravages of locusts, I could not collect many, but have obtained a few, which I preserve. I wished very much to visit the Gúl mountain, for the purpose of collecting plants. It is said to be remarkable for the richness and variety of its vegetation; but I was advised not to make the attempt, as the Hazáras, to whom the district of Kárá-bágh belongs, are in a state of rebellion. The Hazáras are a very extraordinary people, and have very uncommon features; they have little eyes, small noses, and thick ugly lips, with scarcely any beards: those who have any, merely possess a few scanty hairs.

When I was leaving Déra Ghází-Khán and Damán, the people had reaped their spring crops. On arriving midway at Gheznín, I was surprised to find that the grain had only just begun to spring up. In Damán, the thermometer stood at 38 Reaumur, and on ascending the range which forms the proper limit of Khorásan in this direction, it fell to 27, which is nearly as cold as Simla. The difference in the climate of the two places is distinguished by a great change in their vegetable productions. The sugar-cane, which grows at Damán, is not produced here. On approaching Khorasan, we began to feed our camels on a herb which is called "turk," produced in abundance in this quarter.

There has been an extraordinary fall of snow this year in Cabul. The oldest inhabitants of the city do not remember ever having witnessed such a severe winter. On the 5th of June, the thermometer at Cabul ranged from 15° to 25° Reaumur, (66° to 89° Fahr.)

It was my intention on my arrival at this place to accompany a káfila, bound to Bokhára, which was ready to start the next day, but Nawab JABBAR KHAN would not let me depart without spending some days with him. He informed me that BEDERUDDIN, the great merchant who conducts the trade between Cábul and Bokhára, would set out for Turkistán in a short time, and I could proceed with him. I have accordingly deferred my departure.

There is an European here by name MASSON. He was several years in the Punjab. It appears that he has also been to Tabriz, and has lately come to Cabul by the way of Belochistán; he resided some time at Bami

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