1876. j H. C. Marsh— Description of a trip to the Gilgit Valley. 129 



legends, one is— Azro Shamsher, a demigod who appeared on mount Koh, 

 opposite Minnor, heard how much the people were oppressed by Shirbudut, 

 and came to the palace to try and rid them of the tyrant. The palace had 

 no gates, but the Eaja had a flying horse which used to leap the walls, 

 and alight always on one spot. Sherbudut had a daughter, whom he used to 

 bring out on his horse for a walk at times. Azro while devising some scheme, 

 was one day walking round the Castle walls, when the Eaja and his 

 daughter < Urzu' suddenly appeared on the horse and alit at their usual 

 place. He hid himself and saw the Eaja go into the mountains to shoot, 

 Urzu being left behind to amuse herself under some shady trees. He went 

 up and made himself known to her, and to make a long story short, they 

 fell in love, and after many difficulties Azro killed the Eaja, married the 

 beautiful Urzu, and became Eaja of Gilgit. They had a daughter by 

 name Jaushini, who married one of the ancestors of Ahmad Khan, chief 

 of Skardu, by name Mirza. Jaushini ruled in Gilgit in her own right, and 

 was as much beloved by the people as Shirbudut had been hated. One day, 

 the Queen and her consort were sitting under the shade of their fruit 

 trees watching their maids treading the wine-vat, when a crow alighted 

 near them and began cawing. She being annoyed asked him to shoot it, but 

 Mirza from some superstition refused to do so, and the Queen, taking up 

 his gun to fire, shot it dead with a bullet. He was greatly surprised 

 at her good shot, and taking into consideration other wonderful feats 

 he had noticed in reference to his wife, concluded she must be like her 

 father Azro, more than mortal. He separated himself from her, fearing 

 her violent temper and returned to Skardu. The Queen remained in 

 Gilgit, and after reigning eighty years, one day disappeared. The son of 

 her daughter who had married Habi Khan, a Nagyr chief, succeeded 

 her, and from that son was descended Gurtham Khan, Eaja of Gilgit, who 

 is still remembered by " the oldest inhabitant." The old Polo ground 

 near the Masjid now lately taken into use again by the Gilgitis, is said to 

 have been laid out and used by Shirbudut. 



The village of Nafur, situated in the slope of the hills which bound 

 the valley to the west, and considerably above the Fort, has a curious Bud- 

 dhist figure carved on a rock at the side of a nala, which is said to be very 

 ancient. From this village a good view is obtained of the Gilgit Valley, the 

 temperature also is lower, and having some fine old Chinars, is a pleasant 

 place to pass the day. 



I used to be surrounded by patients, whose number increased daily. 

 They came from all parts, Yassin, Hunza, Nagyr, Dareyl, Tangyr, and Panyal, 

 all surrounding states, even the sepoys and officers from the Fort and traders 

 from Koli and Palas on the Indus came to me for medicine. Every disease 

 flesh is heir to, here finds its representative. 



