126 H. C. Marsh— Description of a trip to the Gilgit Valley. [No. 2 



his murder of Hayward, been staying at a small place called Gurgial, close to 

 Kil'ah Punj, a few days journey to the north of Chitral across a range of 

 the Hindu-Kush, called Yarkun. 



Phailwan, as soon as his embassy proved successful, returned to Yassin 

 and about fifteen days ago (4th July, 1875), Mir Wall, having been turned out 

 of Gurgial, was coming over the Yarkun into Mustach, when he was way. 

 laid in a narrow spot, quite close to that place, by two sons of Hayat Nur" 

 Phailwan's Vizier, with 50 or 60 men. Mir Wall had 40 Chitral and Yas- 

 sin men in his pay, who had shared his fortunes, also his foster-brother 

 Nabi Beg, who had assisted to murder Hayward, and was his factotum • 

 as soon as the Mir saw the ambuscade into which he had fallen, he drew 

 Hayward's revolver and shot at one of his enemies, the ball striking his head 

 and glancing off the turban. Mir Wall was then killed by two bullets, to- 

 gether with three of his men, the rest were captured— of the Yassin party 

 Hayat Nur's youngest son was killed together with several men. Nabi 

 Beg is amongst the prisoners. 



^ This is the account accepted generally by the people themselves of this 

 affair. The next day, my two friends left for Astor. 



I found great difficulty in getting my shoes and chuplis, or sandals, 

 mended ; they do not cure leather by tanning, in all the countries of Yagistan,' 

 but simply rub it together till it becomes like wash leather. Of course all 

 leather articles waste away like paper in wet weather, and the people depend 

 on harness or sword belts from Kashmir or Badakhshan, from whence they 

 also obtain their matchlocks. 



^ The people are very ignorant, and less warlike than their neighbours, 

 which accounts for their having been conquered. When the Dogras first 

 came into Gilgit in 1847, they found all the now cultivated land, a jungle of 

 wild fruit trees, with a few huts, in which the inhabitants lived in wet or 

 cold weather. This jungle they first cleared, and only in the last eight years 

 have the people been taught to cultivate the land as they ought. 



I went to see the Port, built of earth many years ago by GurtamKhan, 

 a former ruler of Gilgit. It has changed hands many times, and has often 

 been demolished and rebuilt. Goraman rebuilt it of stone and mud, lime be- 

 ing unknown to these people. Within the last fifteen years, the Dogras 

 have entirely rebuilt it on a new site close to the old Fort, which lies a heap 

 of stones. It is now built of beams of wood, stones and clay in layers, the 

 wooden frames helping to bind all firmly together. There are double walls ; 

 the inner court is used as a store-room for provisioning the garrison. Its 

 armament consists of 1 small six-pounder brass gun, 6 " sher-bachas", or 1 lb 

 wall piece swivels, and six large « jazails", or two ounce matchlocks. 



The garrison is made up of about 500 men, mostly militia. They drill 

 daily after a fashion, and, for the country, are a sufficiently powerful force 



