1876.] H. C. Marsh— Description of a trip to the Gilgit Valley. 123 



ravines, till, fairly tired out, the traveller (riding not being easy on such a 

 rough road) at length arrives at the high slope on which Minnor, the first 

 large village in the valley, is situated. 



I reached this place at 2 p. m., having been on the move from dawn ? 

 the distance is about 12 miles. 



The Justero, or Headman, brought me a ' dollie' of fruit, which was 

 most acceptable to a weary man. The village contains about 30 houses and is 

 prosperous ; the inhabitants are Shins as in Astor, and mostly understand the 

 Hindustani spoken in the Panjab, owing to their intercourse with the Dogra 

 troops, which have occupied the country continuously since 1860. I re- 

 mained at Minnor two days. It was most enjoyable under the shade of the 

 walnut trees in the village green, but in the middle of the day in the sun, the 

 heat wa» great. The peculiarity of this village was, that it kept no poultry, 

 because, as the old Justero told me, in former days, they had had a great 

 faction fight among themselves, owing to the fowls of one of the villagers 

 having got into the garden of another, and eaten some of the fruit in it : 

 after the fight was over and their hot blood had cooled down, the old men 

 made all swear that they would never keep any more fowls in the village. 

 But though I could not obtain fowls, I had plenty of food brought me as 

 presents in return for my medicines. 



I always travel with a supply of common drugs, and invite patients to 

 come to me for treatment, which obtains for me free intercourse with all 

 classes of the people, men, women, and children. There are no medical men 

 in those parts, and the poverty of the masses prevents them from obtaining 

 medicines for themselves, besides their ignorance is great on all such matters. 

 They require very strong drugs to affect them, croton oil being a favourite. 

 The quacks of the country generally use poisons, such as arsenic, in small 

 doses, as purgatives. 



Next day we started early, so as to arrive in Gilgit before the great 

 heat. We soon got clear of the range of the village fields and the shade of 

 trees, back into the heat and glare ; ther. 103° at noon in shade. A fine view 

 of the Gilgit valley was before us, the river below, the bare rocky hills on 

 each side with the snowy peaks of Hara-mush, 24,000 ft. ; Dubani, 20,000 ft. ; 

 and Eakiposhi, 25,000 ft. high, in the distance to the north-east. 



The valley is three miles broad at its greatest width, but opposite Min- 

 nor only a mile. The villages are situated where sufficient water can be 

 obtained for irrigation purposes. The supplying streams have thrown up a 

 sloping plateau with the debris brought down from the hills. On these high 

 slopes the villages are built, surrounded by trees, and easily seen at a distance, 

 owing to the whole country being a light red colour without vegetation. 



The path is good and fit for ponies. We passed through the small village 

 of Sakewan, watered by a stream which, like that of Minnor, nearly dries up in 



