THE SCIENCES OF LANGUAGE AND OF ETHNOGRAPHY. 117 
have hitherto prevented my addressing myself to the congenial 
task of elaborating the material in conjunction with others. In 
1886 I was, however, put for a few months on special duty in 
connexion with the Hunza language, at the very time that 
Colonel Lockhart was traversing a portion of Dardistan.. But 
I think you will be more interested if, beyond personal obser- 
vations, I tell you something about that little country of 
Hunza itself, which in many respects differs from those sur- 
rounding it, not only in regard to its peculiar language, which 
I have mentioned, but in other respects also. Unfortunately, 
it is also unlike the surrounding districts in being cha- 
racterised by customs, the absence of some of which would 
be desirable. The Hunzas are nominal Muhammedans, and 
they used their mosques for drinking and dancing assemblies. 
Women were as free as air. ‘There was little restriction in 
the relation of the sexes, and the management of the State, 
in theory, is attributed to fairies. No war is undertaken unless 
the fairy (whom, by the way, one is not allowed to see), gives 
the command by beating the sacred drum. ‘The witches, who 
get into an ecstatic state, are the journalists, historians, and 
prophetesses of the tribe. They tell you what goes on in the 
surrounding valleys. ‘They represent, as it were, the local 
Times ; they tell you the past glories, such as they are, of raids 
and murders by their tribe; and when the Tham or ruler, who 
is supposed to be heaven-born (there being some mystery 
about the origin of his dynasty), does wrong, the only one who © 
will dare to tell him the truth is the Dayal, or the witch who 
prophesies the future, and takes the opportunity of telling 
the Rajah that, unless he behaves in-a manner worthy of his 
origin, he will come to grief! ‘This is not a common form of 
popular representation to be met with, say, in India. Grimm’s 
fairy-tales sometimes seem to be translated into practice in 
Hunza-land, which offers material for discussion alike to those 
who search for the Huns and to those who search for the very 
different Honas. 
Then with regard to religion, as I said before, though 
nominally Muhammedan, they are really deniers of all the 
important precepts of true Muhammedanism, which is 
opposed to drunkenness, introduces a real brotherhood, and 
enjoins great cleanliness as absolutely necessary before the 
spiritual purification by prayer can take place. The people 
are mostly Muldis, but inferior in piety(?) to those of 
Zébak, Shignaén, Wakhan, and other places. Now, what 
is that sect? It is represented by His Highness Prince 
Aga Khan, of Bombay, a person who is not half aware of his 
importance in those regions, where, till very recently, men 
