AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 225 



threatening seriously our long, narrow line of com- 

 munications. 



But since 1863 our political relations with the 

 tribe have gradually altered its original organisation, 

 and divided the interests of its several sections. Of 

 these there are four principal ones : the Tarakzai, 

 inhabiting the hills in the neighbourhood of Fort 

 Michni, and the strip of country lying between the 

 Khyber Pass and the Cabul river, inchiding the small 

 but rich valley of Shilman ; the Alimzai, possessing 

 the country north of the Tarakzai, including the 

 large fertile valley of Gandao, the lesser one of Pan- 

 diali, and a farther one, with the southern slopes of 

 a mountain-range known as Ilazai (entered on for- 

 mer maps as Cabul Sappar), dividing the Mohmund 

 country from Bajour, inhabited by a section of the 

 great Eusufzai tribe ; the Baizai, lying west of the 

 Tarakzai, and occupying all the country north of the 

 Cabul river as far as Gooshta and Chardeh ; and the 

 Khwaizai, lying west of the Alimzai, with one strip 

 of hills running on to the Cabul river itself. The 

 two first, from their position on our border, have 

 for several years come more and more under the 

 influence of the British officials in Peshawar. The 

 Baizai acknowledge unquestioned the supremacy of 

 the Khan of Lalpoorah. The Khwaizai sometimes 

 do the same more often consider themselves quite 

 independent, both of the Ameer and the British. 



The Khan of Lalpoorah farms the revenue of 



