2O Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



light, which could barely penetrate the gloom of 

 the surrounding walls. The light was just suf- 

 ficient to reveal a projecting balcony screened by 

 trellis-work, behind which, no doubt, the ladies 

 of the castle had a good view of the goings-on. 

 The sky formed a canopy above us, into the star- 

 spangled square of which the smoke from the fires 

 curled steadily upwards in the still air. 



The performers on these occasions are invariably 

 of the male sex, the best being the dancing-boys 

 that form part of the household of every Chitrali 

 of position. Unlike Pathans, in whose eyes 

 dancing is, to say the least, undignified, Chitralis 

 all dance, and like Western nations think no 

 shame of it. The " principal boy " this evening was 

 the servant of the Mektarjau, who was our host 

 and the proprietor of the castle. He was a slight 

 handsome boy, with his hair dressed in curls after 

 the Persian fashion. The Mehtarjau, who was 

 sitting next to me, and was himself considered in 

 Chitral a poet and musician of no mean order, 

 was evidently very proud of him, and when his 

 turn was finished was at pains to explain that 

 he was nervous at so many spectators, and had 

 not been dancing up to his true form. I was 

 happily able to remember a verse from Hafiz 

 appropriate to the occasion, and he sat back with 

 a satisfied smile. 



