i6 JOURNEY TO THE SHOOTING GROUND 



of the tank, a narrow place not ten feet wide. The sanitary 

 arrangements of the cantonment were much neglected ; con- 

 sequently my camping place was not an agreeable one. 



This fort, I may observe, was taken by the Sikhs from the 

 Dards in the usual treacherous Asiatic style. Puijah 

 Guliib Singh being unable to make any impression on it, 

 the Dard Eajah was at last beguiled by solemn promises to 

 give himself up. As soon as he passed through his fort 

 gate he was made a prisoner, and the fort entered. The 

 Eajah was given a jagir (a grant of villages), and was still 

 living in Astor. I received a second visit from Eozi Khan 

 in the evening. He is a stout middle-sized man, past 

 middle age, and of dark complexion, with the manners and 

 deportment of a native gentleman. He is well-educated 

 and intelligent, and has travelled about this frontier a 

 good deal, and has a very exceptional knowledge of the 

 peoples and countries beyond the Maharajah's territories. 

 For any political work in that direction he would be most 

 useful, and, I think, could be trusted. It would be 

 interesting to know what has been the career of this 

 capable man since the changes which have taken place in 

 Kashmir within the last few years. His salary as AYazir, 

 or Deputy Commissioner, of this district when I met him 

 was sixty rupees a month, and four villages in jagir. 

 He has two wives : one of them, the favourite, bore the 

 reputation of a very wise and able woman, who helped the 

 Wazir a great deal with her counsels in the affairs of the 

 country. Her influence was recognised by the Maharajah, 

 who paid her a salary of forty rupees a month. This novel 

 system of administration should find favour with the 

 Government of India in its present straits. It would be a 

 premium on marriage, ensure dual control, and be a 

 soothing concession to the raging lionesses in the old 

 country who are fighting for women's rights. 



