AMONG THE AFFGHANS. 227 



Ameer, in place of K"owroz Khan, the hereditary 

 chief, who fell into disgrace at the same time as 

 Yakoob Khan, to whose mother he was related. 



In the early days following the annexation of the 

 Punjab, the Mohmunds made their presence dis- 

 agreeably felt on the border, and were so very 

 troublesome that it was considered necessary, for the 

 protection of the Doaba the low country lying 

 between the Swat and Cabul rivers after their 

 entrance into the plains to erect no less than three 

 forts and two intermediate police-posts. 



The forts are : Michni, at the debouchement into 

 the Peshawar valley of the Cabul river; Abazai, 

 holding a similar position on the Swat river ; and 

 Shubkudr, between them. Each of these forts con- 

 sists of high earthen walls and bastions, with sur- 

 rounding ditch, and each is garrisoned by a few 

 companies of native infantry and a troop of cavalry, 

 and boasts a couple of cannon, but no artillerymen. 

 A British officer now commands at each post. The 

 garrisons are drawn from the regular troops in Pesh- 

 awar, and are under the orders of the brigadier com- 

 manding that station. In this respect these forts 

 and Forts Mackeson and Jamrud differ from all 

 others along the frontier, which are garrisoned by 

 detachments from the Punjab Frontier Force, which 

 is under the orders of the lieutenant-governor pf the 

 Punjab, and not those of the commander-in-chief in 

 India. 



