1862.] An account of Upper and Lower ISuwdt. 249 



like a wall almost, but not often. Where steep, the height of the 

 banks is about eighteen or twenty feet from the water ; but the 

 ground, on which the villages generally are situated, is about half a 

 mile or so from the banks, and is generally from one hundred to one 

 hundred and fifty feet about the level of the water, but sloping gra- 

 dually downwards. 



On the morning of the 27th August, we again set out up the 

 valley ; and passing the villages of Sherrn-i-bala and Sherrn-i-pa'fn, 

 and Khunah, we reached Petaey and Binwarri. At Petaey we 

 found it so excessively cold, that one could not drink the water with 

 any degree of comfort. I ventured to enter the river for a few 

 paces, but soon had to come out; and was glad to stand in the sun, 

 on the rocks, to get warmth into my feet again. The people were 

 sitting in the sun for warmth ; and all slept inside at night, it being 

 too cold to sleep outside, although this was the month of August, 

 the hottest in the Peshawar valley. I saw snow on the mountains 

 about ten or twelve miles off. 



At this village 1 also, for the first time, met some of the people of 

 the mountain districts to the north of Suvvlt, together with some of 

 the Gilgitt people also, who had come here to purchase salt. They 

 were all clothed in thick woollen garments, coats, trowsers, caps and 

 all, but wore sandals on their feet. They were, in appearance, some- 

 thing like the people of Badakhshan ; and although, to look at, not 

 very powerfully built, yet they carry loads equal to that of an ox of 

 this country (Peshawar and the Panjab). I could not understand 

 any of the words of their language,* save that they called salt Ikn 

 which is Sanskrit ^nnir. The salt is brought here by the Khattaks 

 from their own country, for sale-, and the people of the Kohistan, to 

 the north, near which Petaey is situated, come down as far as this 

 place to purchase it. 



In the vicinity of this village the peculiar gravel called charata'i, 

 before referred to, is found in great quantities. The people called it 

 gittaH, whieh is Pushto for gravel in general. Here too, the valley is 

 not more than half an English mile across, even if so wide; and the 

 banks of the river are very high. The fields are few, and the extent 

 of cultivation insignificant. 



* The writer is well versed in Urdu and Pushto, and Persian is his native 

 tongue, 



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