1862.] An account of Tipper and Lower Suwat. 255 



The following customs are observed as regards hospitality. When- 

 ever a guest, that is to say a traveller in general, or a stranger, 

 reaches the Jiujrah, or apartment set apart for the reception of 

 guests, in the same manner as throughout Afghanistan, it is neces- 

 sary that one of the attendants who has charge, should warn the 

 person in the village, whose turn it is to supply the guest with victuals ; 

 for all have to do so in turn. If the guests should require more 

 than this person has it in his power to furnish, the nest party, whose 

 turn may follow, is also warned to supply the guests. Should a 

 great man arrive, such as a Khan or Chief, or a Saiyid, or the like, 

 with twenty or thirty persons in his train, the kettle drum at the 

 fiiijrali is beaten to give notice that lots of meat and clarified butter 

 are required for their use. On this every person who has any meat 

 of rather too high a flavour to be very palatable to himself, gives 

 due notice that he has some ; and this is either taken to the hujrah 

 to be cooked, or the person who supplies it, cooks it, and sends it to 

 the Imjrali for the use of the guests. They do not eat fresh meat in 

 the Kohistan, but leave it to hang until it becomes very high,* or 

 almost rotten, and then cook it. Fresh meat, they say, is the food, 

 not of men, but of ravenous beasts. 



After this long digression we may now return to Pi'a, the northern- 

 most village in Upper Suwat. 



As there was no raft at this place, (for such a thing as a boat is 

 not known) we had to return our steps down the river, a short dis- 

 tance, to Banawrri where we found one, and crossed over to the 

 village of Landdaey, which is about two hundred paces from the 

 'right bank, the breadth of the stream at this ferry being about one 

 hundred yards. The banks were very steep here, and the river was 

 very deep. I observed that where the river was deep, the banks 

 were steep and scarped ; but where the water spread out, the banks 

 were like the sea-shore, more sloping, and gravelly. 



Having now reached the opposite bank, we began our journey 

 homewards through that part of Suwat lying on the right bank of 

 the river, and known by the name of lanwdah or the moist. On the 

 3Uth August we left Landdaey, where I obtained a copper coin 

 which seemed something new, and proceeded to the village of Dar- 

 wesh Khel-i-Bala or the higher, about eight miles distant, passing 

 * Like game amongst the fashionables of England. 



2 L 



