932 Notes on the Eusofzye tribes of Afghanistan. [No. 105. 



cutters insult them every day with impunity. One of these forts commands 

 that in which Paeen Khan himself resides. I pointed this out to him ; 

 " Would you like to see me take it," said he, " I will do so in half an hour." 



In fact the Sikhs are only there by his sufferance; he derives a revenue 

 from them ; they paying, that their supplies may not be intercepted ; as his 

 band passes under their forts on a plundering expedition, the Sikh soldiers 

 salute him from the walls, and wish him good luck. 



The Sikhs some years ago bought off his forays by a jageer ; but his 

 cruelty and exactions were such, that the whole country rose, and Runjeit 

 Sing was obliged to send word to him that he would give him the amount 

 of his jageer, but must resume the land itself. Paieendah only answered by 

 levelling with the ground the nearest Sikh village, and retiring again to his 

 fastness. Since Runjeit Singh's death, Paieendah Khan has been more 

 active than ever, and his excursions would certainly extend to the Jhelum, 

 but that his neighbour the Syud of Sitana is his enemy, and the Eusofzyes 

 and Chogurzyes, who inhabit the hills above him, threaten his family, 

 whenever he is known to have left them for more than a few days. 



Were there any revolution in tTie Punjab, to distract the attention of 

 the Sikhs, I should not be surprized at hearing that he had ventured on 

 Cashmeer. He is well acquainted with the road, which is not difficult, and 

 the petty Mussulman chiefs between Tanawul and the valley, would be 

 rather inclined to favour him, than to offer him any opposition. 



Having thus given a sketch of the principal political features of the 

 country T traversed, the narrative, to which I now proceed, will be more 

 readily understood." 



Note. — It will be seen from the conclusion of the above paper, that it 

 was but the intended commencement of a series. My poor friend Conoily 

 sent it me with the heading " Part I. Introductory," his object being to fol- 

 low it up with a Narrative of his Journey in the Eusofzyes country, in 

 January 1840. I was awaiting the completion of the papers to publish 

 them in serial order, when I heard of his death. The information however 

 contained in this paper alone, is of itself not unimportant; and I therefore 

 give it publication as it stands. 



It is much to be regretted that we have lost the aid in Afghanistan of so 

 intelligent an observer as the author of this short notice : the similar fate 

 which befel Mr. Lord has deprived us of the result of that gentleman's 

 intimate acquaintance with the character and habits of the Oosbeks, an 

 unfinished narrative of his residence with Meer Morad Beg of Koondooz, 

 written for this Journal, having been found among his papers. Will no 

 one consent to supply what they have left incomplete ? 



