114 Major W. E. Gowan— On the "Pamir" [Aug., 



among'sfc this race one of the ancestors of the present heir ascended the 

 throne of Badakshan. The people of Shewa are Turks of the Yakka- 

 Mogal tribe, and are very devoted to the ruling dyjiasty. Yaftal 

 is cut off from Faizabad by a low chain of mountains. Argu and Shewa 

 are both wide plateaus. The former is separated from the somewhat 

 more depressed plain of Faizabad by a very low pass called Kotal Rashkan, 

 15 miles long and 8 wide. The Argu plateau is covered with cultivated 

 land which belongs to the Court and Government. The Shewa plateau 

 stretches east of Faizabad for a distance of some 20 Icos. Its climate is 

 a little colder than that of other parts of Badakshan, and here are found 

 more abundant pasture lands. Sar-i-kul lake, which has a circum- 

 ference of nearly 20 miles, lies on the Shewa plateau. 



The valleys of the rivers Koktcha and Kuran as far as Dasht-i- 

 Bakharak comprise the famous province of Yamgan or Khamakhan, 

 Herein are found most of the Badakshan mines of lapis-lazuli, copper, 

 ammoniac, sulphur, and ochre (zagh). Dasht-i-Bakharak is also called 

 Dasht-i-Farakh and is the most fertile plain of Badakshan. 



Ruby mines exist at Ishkashmi on the Shighnan boundary ; iron 

 mines at Arghanjva in the Faizabad district about one day's journey 

 north-west of Dasht-i-Bakharak ; and salt mines at Ak-Bulak near the 

 Lattaband pass in the Farakhar circle, and at Darun in the Karlig or 

 Kullak province. 



Much grain is raised on the Rustak plain, and its climate is very 

 healthy. The intelligence of its inhabitants is held to be of a very high 

 order and their physique very fine. The best Arab linguists and courtly 

 people come from this country. 



Meshed, the largest town in the Kishm circle, lies on the right bank 

 of the river of the same name. It contains about 150 houses and an old 

 m.ud fort. Meshed lies on the caravan road between Kunduz and Faiza- 

 bad in the most fertile part of the valley which bears that name. 



The circles of Gumbaz and Asiab are situated in the lower por- 

 tion of the Meshed valley. Both are subject to a Mir who is connected 

 with the ruling dynasty of Badakshan. In the Gumbaz circle are the 

 tombs of those first Muhammadan martyrs who gave the name to the town 

 of Meshed where they fell. 



The circles of Muijan, Zaibak, Ishkashmi, Wakhan, Shighnan, and 

 Keshan are more mountainous than are those above described, and 

 their climate is more severe. Their inhabitants too differ from those 

 of the preceding circles in faith, language, character, customs, and dress. 



The inhabitants of Badakshan proper are Tajiks, Turks and Arabs, 

 of whom the former are most numerous. They are Sunnis and speak in 

 Persian and Turki. Those of the more mountainous countries are 



