3864.] An Account of Upper Kdsh-Mr. 129 



karis are excellent marksmen ; and powder and lead being exceedingly 

 expensive, when they do discharge their pieces, it is generally with 

 effect ; and no shots are thrown away. 



About 10,000 Sfah-posh Kafirs * of the Kamiiz tribe, who inhabit 

 the upper, or northern part of the valley of the Kash-kar or Chitral 

 river, lying nearest to the valley of the Kok-chah river of Badakh- 

 shan, and north of the country held by the Kattar and Kampar tribes 

 of Sf ah-posh, are subject to the Shah, to whom they pay a small 

 tribute. Their religion is not interfered with ; and they are, upon the 

 whole, very obedient subjects, and are unlike the generality of moun- 

 tain tribes, inasmuch as they do not rob. The Askin Kafirs, a great 

 portion of whom have embraced Muhammadanism, as well as the 

 Ashpins, are also subjects of the ruler of Lower Kash-kar, as already 

 mentioned in my account of that people. 



Upper Kash-kae. 



This is the territory of Gauhar Aman Shah, surnamed Chal, son 

 and successor of Malik Aman, the former ruler. The people are 

 Shfah Muhammadans— that is to say, if a person should ask them 

 what religion they profess, they will answer that they are Musalmans 

 and Shiahs ; but if he enquire of them what is meant by the word 

 Shiah, they will probably say they do not know. In the other state 

 of Chitral, or Lower Kash-kar, the people, as far as prayers, fasts, and 

 other exterior observances go, are Muhammadans ; but there are few 

 signs of it in Upper Kash-kar. 



The chief town is Mas-tuch, or Mas-toj, lying about three stages 

 or manzils of 25 coss, or 37 to 38 miles each, N. N. W. from 

 Gilgitt; but it is a place of no great size, containing only four 

 hundred houses, and about 2,000 inhabitants. It lies in the same 

 valley as Lower Kash-kar ; and also stands on the right or western 

 bank of the Chitral or Kash-kar river, but nearer its source. The 

 town is protected by a small fortress ; and the main routes followed 

 by the caravans of merchants from Pes'hawar, Badakhshan, and 

 Yarkand, meet here. Gauhar Aman, the ruler, resides a good 

 deal at Yasin, which is a still smaller place than Mas-tuch, but 

 it is more conveniently situated, being nearer towards Dar-band, the 

 fortified pass leading into the country, towards the west. There are 

 numerous ancient ruins in this neighbourhood. Brush, the capital of 



# See u Notes on Kdftristdn" in the Journal for 1859. 



