Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries Part 60

Aquila, Enicurus, Alcedo bengalensis common, as well as jack snipe.

Red-billed crow, chakor, yellow wagtail, Fringilla, Muscicapa in flocks, feeding in the fields, and from trees on insects.

The blackbird of the Himalayas, wild pigeons. Narcissus in abundance in sandy fields, Cryptandrioid, Clematis, Rubus, Euonymus, Pteris!

We had an interview with the _kafirs_ or infidels about a mile below Katoor, they seemed at first much alarmed, our retinue not being small or unarmed, and their reliance on Mussulman faith not very strong. They took up their post at the foot of a hill where a deputation of the Khan of Chugur Serai, (who has married a Chief's daughter) met them; they received the deputation with a _feu de joie_ from one or two firelocks, and then accompanied him to us, preceded by two drums, one of ordinary, the other of an hour-gla.s.s shape, and two pipes of gramineous culm, with three or four holes, and apparently oblique mouth-pieces, but of ordinary sound. The Chiefs, the head of whom is Hussin Ali's father- in-law, having been introduced, advanced, and commenced turning and stamping round a circle.

The usual formalities then took place; the followers, although a fine bodied people, and very active, were excessively dirty, and not very fair; most were dressed in skins, having the hair inside, armed with bows, either straight or like cow's horns, and daggers.

The Chiefs were much fairer than their followers, and in the expression of face and eyes European; but in all cases the forehead was very slanting, and head generally badly developed.

Their dress consisted of cotton frocks, with slashed sleeves, embroidered thickly with worsted network: they wear short _pyjamas_, and skin shoes, with thick skin soles; one had short boots with hair inside: most were ornamented with the blue and yellow _longhys_ of Pushut, etc. The hair is cut short except that of the Chiefs, who had fillets left round their heads, adorned with cowries, in radiated shapes, with a red, worsted, pendant ta.s.sel. The headman had a pendant wire chain with ornaments, and from the centre of the ta.s.sel, the _Monaul_ pheasant feathers, and his back hair was plaited into many little tails.

Almost all had necklaces of beads, the better sort silver earrings (plain rings), and some pendant silver ornaments; many had bracelets, ornamented with bra.s.s; _k.u.murbunds_ of plain white cloths: the poor ones have their heads naked, or with bits of cloth wrapped round.

They had no swords, but Hindoostany ones, and of these very few.

Even their archery, Macgregor says is bad; one or two had spears, the Chief's spear was provided with a very long head, and ornamented with cowrie sh.e.l.ls at the top of the _haft_; two women came afterwards, their necks loaded with cowries and bits of bones, but otherwise well clothed with the usual gowns, the outer one without sleeves and very wide arm holes. They were decorated with very coa.r.s.e, large, circular earrings.

They approached the rest singing in chorus, not unmelodiously, but with very little variation in notes. Then a whistle, general and loud from the whole party, representing their rejoicing over a slaughtered Mussulman.

On the whole these people present nothing peculiar as compared with other hill people: like them they are vindictive, savage, poor, dirty, remarkable for great cupidity, fond of red cloth, beads, etc. They are a mixed race, some are like Indians, some like Europeans, but in all the forehead is low, Tartar eyes, often light brown or grey, hair often light. Put them among the Nagas, etc. of the a.s.sam frontier, and none would notice them.

The Chief's son wore a black, narrow band round his head, ornamented behind with a few cowries and bone ornaments.

They are independent, appear to delight in talking of their victories over the Mussulmans, but the oddest peculiarity as compared with Asiatics, is their shaking hands, which was certainly done with us in the European custom.

The limits of the firs, are as strict as those of Baloot, etc., of the latter it may be stated as between 3,500 to 5,600 feet, of the firs between 5,500 and 8,000; what makes me say this is, that at Katoor the mountains are covered with heavy snow, and are naked above, but with heavy pine forest below, and then with forests of Baloot.

_5th_.--Ascended the hills to about 200 feet above the limits of inferior snow, which may be estimated at about 4,500 feet.

These hills from 3,500 feet and upwards, are well wooded, presenting no peculiarity in the distribution of the woods, which are thin, or thickish only in sheltered parts, down ravines, etc. but presenting a great peculiarity in the small variety of forms, for there are not more than three kinds of trees, and not more than a dozen shrubs: the trees are Baloot, which commence at the base, and ascend to the pines, say a height of 4,000 feet: Zaitoon, which commences at the base, and scarcely extends beyond 5,000 feet, Xanthoxylon, which has a wider range than Zaitoon, is comparatively rare.

The inclination of these hills is steep, but the ascent is not more extraordinarily difficult, they are covered with ma.s.ses and blocks of rock, which are plentifully clothed with lichens and mosses, but of small variety of species. The more open parts are covered with Andropogoneous gra.s.ses; the lemon-gra.s.s occurs below.

The shrubs and trees are as follows with their Pushtoo names--

Zanthoxylon, _Schneae khinfuch_, Quercus Baloot, _Ichairraye_.

Olea, _Khoo-unn Zaitoon_.

Amygdalus, _Budam_, _Junglee Tulk_.

Na.n.u.s, _Naguhn_.

Celtis, _Tanghuh_.

Cyrtisoid of Bolan, _Wooraijoa_.

Periploca, _Burrara_, _Banduk_.

Cotoneaster of Tazeen, _Khurrowa_.

Euonymus, _Churroghzye_.

Dodonaea , _Wroolarskye_.

Artemisia, _Tuhakar_.

Rubus, _Khusuhurra_.

The higher ridges are crowned with beautiful pines; the most common on this side is called _Nukhtur_, and has not eatable seeds, its timber is in general use--and it is in much vogue for torches.

The _Julghozeh_ also is met with, but rarely. Abundance of firewood.

Ixioides very common, and now in flower, Amygdalus, _Budam_, also, this is common, and a curious Irideous plant, allied to Crocus; one Arum likewise occurs. Pigeons very wary, mostly of the green sort with whitish wing-coverts; a pretty small-sized Jay occurs, with a jerking bobtailed flight, a strong-billed Parus, of the climbing sub-genus, Chakors common.

_March 6th_.--Rain almost all day.

_7th_.--Unsettled weather continues. To-day the _kafirs_ came in with plants of a decided Himalayan nature, a beautiful Iris, the flowers of which are of a deep indigo-blue, a Viburnum, Euonymus, Valeriana, Juniperus, Spiraeacea, Adiantum, Asplenium, Pteris, etc.

How strangely intelligent all hill people are, and how they are urged by an insatiable love of money. I never expected any thing to be brought in, judging of the _kafirs_ as I have learnt to do of Affghans and Indians, and here they have in one day, without even a lesson, brought in excellent specimens, including mosses, etc. I went out to-day to the end of Meer Alum's territory, this boundary being about one and a quarter miles beyond s.h.i.+ngan. The valley up to this is beautifully cultivated, and begins to look green. Saw and shot another Myophonus, a Saxicola and an Alcedo, the common one of India; this species has strengthening splints, as it were on both mandibles: and the feet, etc. have no scales, being very different from those of the generality of birds.

Myophonus I take to be the large beautiful metallic-blue blackbird, with obscure and elegant white markings. I have observed common to all hills I have seen, and is always found in damp wet places, this bird is very wary, and in carriage much like the English blackbird, on alighting from its short flight, flirting its tail about, etc. This bird leads me to remark how widely the river chats are distributed. The beautiful white- crowned black and red species, and the grey, with a red tail, are found about all hill streams in the north-eastern parts of India; the latter is a curious bird, radiating its tail out constantly. Enicurus is also widely distributed.

I also got to-day a beautiful male Lophophorus, the plumage of which surpa.s.ses description; it is a heavy bird, with brown irides, and a brownish-chesnut tail; it came from Daiwag.

I met with five _kafirs_, when out to-day, only one would come to me; he was a very tall man, with a savage face, light keen eyes, returning from a forage on the Safis: he was an _Arunsha_ man, and a _Tor kafir_, who are represented as very different from the _Espheen_ or white ones, who are found in the mountains adjacent to Balk, etc. Arunsha is three days journey from this, and has a lame, or one-_legged_ chief, _Dheemoo_; my friend's name was _Bazaar_, he was armed with a matchlock taller than himself, and the usual dagger. How they compete with the Mussulmans I cannot imagine, as they can only fight in close quarters, and for which they have daggers about six inches long in the blade.

The _Kafir_ names of the plants brought in are as follows:--

* _Praitsoo_, Hedera.

_Akrumah_, Iris.

* _Kreemapotak_, Melanthium.

_Daisoo_, Urtica urens?

* _Joh_, Laricoides.

_Wheeree_, Ephedroides.

* _Amarr_, Rhamnea.

_Whishtur_, Juniperus.

* _Traih_, Quercus.

* _Unzoomal_, Spireaea.

_Gutsuttur_, Viola.

Of these, those marked with an asterisk have no affinity at all with the Khora.s.san Flora: nothing can show the change in the Flora of Katoor better than this, that two _kafirs_ bring in one day, without having their attention directed to ferns, as many species as I have obtained in all that part of Khora.s.san I have visited, amounting to 1,000 miles in different lat.i.tudes and at very various elevations. The following are the kafir names for the corresponding words:--

_Darr_, Mountain. _Wussut_, Goat.

_Trimm_, Snow. _Wemmi_, Doomba sheep.

_Trosse_, Ice. _Sovurr_, Hog.

_Wis.h.i.+n_, Rain. _Kookoor_, a Fowl.

_Earr_, Clouds. _Melli_, Bread.

_Popula.s.s_, Lightning. _Ow_, Water.

_Doodoowunn_, Thunder. _Undah_, Meat.

_Tsaih_, Sun. _Ornachoa_, Skin.

_Ma.s.s_, Moon. _Haddi_, Bone.

_Tarah_, Star. _Jeet_, Body.

_Geutte_, Jungul. _Shai_, Head.

_Julla_, Tree. _Ash_, Face.

_Poutte_, Leaf. _Uchain_, Eyes.

_Pushe_, Flower. _Jibb_, Tongue.

_Bhee_, Seed. _Ma.s.s_, Nose.