286 An account of Upper and Lower Suwdt. [No. 3, 



steps towards the north, hut inclining to the east, which might be 

 termed N. N. E. We passed the villages of Jalala, Haibat Gram,* 

 and Ddandakaey, and reached the mountain of Landdakaey, close at 

 the foot of which the Suwat river runs. On this account, in the 

 summer months, when the river is swollen from the melting of the 

 snows towards its source, in the direction of Grilgit, the pathway, 

 lying along the banks, at the foot of the mountain, is impracticable 

 from the force of the stream, which foams and boils along with 

 great violence. A road, has, consequently, been made over the crest 

 of Landdakaey itself ; but it is extremely narrow, and so frightfully 

 steep, that one of our own party, an Afghan, and accustomed to the 

 mountains from his childhood, passed with the greatest difficulty ; 

 for when he ventured to look down he became quite giddy. In the 

 cold season, when the volume of water decreases, the path at the 

 foot of Landdakaey is used. This last named mountain has no con- 

 nection with that of Morah ; but it is a spur of the range, of which 

 Morah is a part, that has come down close upon the river, or rather 

 the river washes its base, as appears from the map, which you sent 

 with me to be filled up. In this part of the river, there are two 

 branches, one much more considerable than the other. The lesser 

 one becomes quite dry in the cold season, and in the hot season has 

 about three feet depth of water. This is very narrow, with steep 

 banks and rugged bed, along which the water rushes impetuously. 

 The other branch contains a much greater volume, and lies furthest 

 from the Landdakaey mountain. On ascending the mountain, up to 

 the end or extremity of the spur, where, in the map, I have brought 

 the mountain and river together, the road leading along the side of 

 the precipice is very difficult, being naturally scarped, like a wall, 

 for about fifty paces ; and the road, if it can be so called, is built up 

 into rough steps with slabs of stone, so very smooth, that a person 

 is liable to slip. After this dangerous path has been passed over, 

 you have to ascend about fifteen paces, then some twenty more in a 

 horizontal direction ; and, finally, fifteen paces, or thereabout, down 

 again. I mentioned before, that one of our party had great diffi- 

 culty in getting along : this was no other than the Khan Sahib 

 himself. When we came to this dangerous passage, he stopped and 

 waxed pale ; and turning towards me said : " I die for you." I was 

 * Gram in Sanskrit signifies a village. 



