230 An account of Tipper and Lower Smvdt. [I\'o. 3, 



he wished the gate open that he might resume his journey. The 

 party there advised him to wait until it got a little lighter, hut he 

 would not consent ; so they opened it for him. He had scarcely 

 advanced a score of yards when he came upon a party of the enemy 

 from Zor-mandda'i, who were lying in ambush for the Pala'i-wals. 

 One of them, not knowing who it was, fired his matchlock at him, 

 hut missed. The guest began to call out, " Do not fire ! do not 

 kill me ! I am a guest !" The words had scarcely time to pass his 

 mouth and had not, probably, been heard by the enemy, when five 

 or six matchlocks were discharged at him, two halls from which hit 

 him, and he fell dead on the spot. On making inquiry, the unfortunate 

 man proved to he of the Utman-khel. The messenger also added on 

 his own part, that knowing who the Khan Sahib was, if he should 

 receive any injury from the hands of himself (Khurasan Khan), or 

 his followers, the powerful tribe to which he belonged would burn 

 his villages about his head, and root out all his people. Muhammad 

 iEali returned with a favorable reply ; and on the morning of the 

 18th August, we proceeded towards Zor-mandda'i, which is only 

 about the distance of a cannon shot from Pala'i ; but we were 

 greatly afraid lest the stupidity of the Zor-mandda'i people might 

 lead them to try the range of their matchlocks upon us, who would 

 be in danger of our lives, whilst affording amusement to them ; as 

 they relate of the Khaibaris, who, having seized .a very stout 

 traveller, thought it an admirable opportunity to try their knives 

 upon him, and did so too ; and, of course, killed the poor man. 

 However, we passed Zor-mandda'i in safety, and reached Shir-khana'i, 

 where the Khan Sahib obtained an interview with Khurasan Khan, 

 the chief, who also strongly advised us not to proceed, as we could 

 not have chosen a worse time for our visit to Suwat ; but as before, 

 the Khan Sahib, with true Afghan obstinacy, would not listen to 

 any advice or arguments tending to delay, or ptit off his journey ; so^ 

 without staying at Shir-khana'i, we set out for Suwat by the Pass 

 over the Morah mountain, which is hence called the Morey Jcolat. 



About a mile or less from the last named village, we beheld to the 

 right, as we proceeded, the l'oad leading to the village of Upper Ba- 

 ri-darah. We passed the road or path leading to the other village 

 of Lower Bari-darah, which was also near ; but a spur of the moun- 

 tains intervening, hid it from our sight. These villages lie in the 



