470 Memoir on a Map of Peshdwar [Aug. 



only to the authority of their chiefs, with whom they live on terms of 

 equality. " I have everywhere witnessed their courage and intrepi- 

 dity, in their encounters with the Sikhs, on whose bayonets they rush 

 sword in hand. Against the Hindus a fierce and implacable bigotry 

 is kept up among them by their Mullas, whom they regard with super- 

 stitious reverence. They retain many traits of hospitality : are blunt, 

 coarse in manner, and devoid of the polish of the Persians. Their dress 

 is a long shirt, blue turban and scarf, which serves the secondary pur- 

 pose of a cloth to pray upon. Their women are allowed comparatively 

 much liberty, but do not abuse it : they perform as usual the whole 

 labour of the household, while the men are in the fields. Their 

 houses are constructed of mud roofed with timber, and again covered 

 with earth to keep off the rain. The tribes of the plains, having a fine 

 fertile land, are in good circumstances ; but those of the Putwar, Thenni, 

 and Khibbi districts are sadly oppressed by the Sikhs. The mountain 

 tribes along the west bank of the Hydaspes are in a half savage state. 

 Most of them live only by plunder and robbery, and think as little of 

 cutting a man's throat as a sheep's. Travelling alone amongst them 

 is most hazardous. 



" The language of Taxila proper is the Hindustani corrupted, which 

 pervades the Panjab : in the north, Cashmerian ; and on the Indus the 

 Pashtii dialect, peculiar to the Afghan tribes. The Persian is little 

 used, except among the informed classes. 



" The principal towns in the southern division are Rawel Pindi, 

 Jelam, Pind-dddan Khan, NilU, Fatehganj, Khibbi, and Makhade : — in the 

 central division, Attok, Khampur, Iskanderpur and Noachi?' : — in the 

 northern, Muzafferdbdd, Birrh, Pakkheli, and Kaka Bamba." 



M. Court describes minutely the whole of these and other re- 

 markable places, repeating under the head of Manikydla the account 

 of his interesting operations upon the topes there, which was published 

 in the Journal for 1834. We have lithographed his sketch of the 

 principal tope opened by M. Ventura and his ground-plan of the place 

 (Plate XXVI.) to shew the situation of the numerous ruins with which 

 it is studded, and which he considers to be the sepulchres of ancient 

 kings. The following explanation refers to the figures on the plate : — 



1. Chief Cupola explored by General Ventura, (J. A. S. 1834.) 



2. Cupola whence were obtained the coins and relics described byM. Court 

 in the same Journal for 1834, p. 556. 



3. 4, 5, 6, 7. Ruinous topes of which the foundations have been dug up. 



8. Cupola in which M. Court found an urn enclosing a glass prism. 



9. Cupola wherein was discovered a box containing a bit of ivory. 



10. Small mound whence were dug up fragments of bronze images. 



11. Cupola which contained an urn of baked clay. 



