1840.] Notes to Capt. ConoUy's Eusofzye tribes, 937 



JVb^e 6. — The Booneeries (or Booneer wal, as they are more generally called) were the 

 principal sufferers at that battle. Blinded by religious fury, and an undue estimate of 

 their own strength, their only desire was to cut off the retreat of the Sikhs. They are 

 said to have fought rather like devils than men. Moullas, boys, and unveiled women, 

 mingled promiscuously in the fight. For days before, the whole Sum had been a 

 moving mass of men, hastening from the upper country to join in the great struggle 

 which was to vindicate the honour of Islam. Each man carried ten days' provision. 

 No correct estimate has ever been formed of the number of the " Ghazis," which 

 name, in anticipation of victory, they had assumed ; the greater part only shared in 

 the flight. Had they delayed one day more, they would have been joined by the Swat 

 army, which never reached the field. But it was impossible to hold them back. The 

 Booneeries, distinguished by their black turbans with a bright yellow border from the 

 rest of the Eusofzyes, who are generally clothed in white, first rushed forward, and by 

 thus precipitating the contest, lost the day their courage deserved to gain. But their 

 reckless valour was of no avail. Their scanty stock of ammunition soon expended, 

 they fought with arrows, spears, swords, stones; one man scrambled up behind the ele- 

 phant of Phoolra Sing, the real leader of the Sikhs, and cut down that chief with his 

 " silaweh," or long knife. Repeatedly driven back by the steady fire of the Sikhs, 

 they were as often rallied to the charge by the shrieks and curses of the women, and the 

 "Allah ho Akbars" of the maddened Moullas. At last, but not till they were decima- 

 ted, and every house in Booneer had to mourn its martyr, they broke and fled, cutting 

 through the Sikhs whom they had wished to intercept, and from that time, broken- 

 hearted, they have scarcely ventured to leave their valley. After the battle, dead 

 Booneeries were found lying on dead Sikhs, their teeth still clutching the throats of 

 their adversaries. Though seventeen years have elapsed since the fatal day, so 

 deeply do they still feel their loss, that when unusual merriment has by chance pre- 

 vailed in a " hoojra," a white-beard has been known to check them with — " Is this a 

 time for laughing, when the bones of your brothers are whitening Noushera V — 

 Noiishera is the common topic of conversation among the Eusofzyes, and the favourite 

 theme of their songs. I was particularly struck with one which commenced, 



" Ah Mahomed Azeem, where is the blood of our childx*en you sold at Noushera?" 

 Chorus, between every line, 



"Wae! Wae! Wae!" [bj 

 Note 7. — The Cabul river, between Peshawer, and the Aba sin, or Indus. 

 JSlote 8. — Since this was written, Evayut Oollah has returned from the Punjab, and is 



struggling to regain his authority. Having money, which his rival has not, he has 



succeeded in bringing over half his tribe to his side, and a furious civil war is raging. 



This trip to Lahore has been most disastrous to him. It cost him not only his country, 



but his eye-sight ; a clumsy doctor at the Durbar having under pretence of couching, 



blinded him. 

 Note 9. — The history of the father of this chief will be found in Elphinstone. 

 Note 10. — In the name " Mabun," we have evidently a corruption of " MeaMaha 



Bun," or the great forest; a title sufficiently appropriate, on account of the pines 



which cover the mountain. 

 Note 11. — Of the map which accompanies this memoir, all that can be said, is, that 



it is better than any one hitherto published of the same country ; but our every motion 



was so watched and misconstrued that we could only take a bearing by stealth, and 



some important bearings were lost in the Khyber Pass. 



Lb] I have taken some liberty with the chorus, which is really "wee ojee," and which, however 

 melancholy it may sound when chaunted in a low solemn tone by the Afghans, could only ap- 

 pear ridiculous in English characters. It is the most usual chorus of the songs of the eastern Af- 

 ghans. Mahomed Azeem it is well known (see ConoUy and Burnes) shamefully deserted his friends 

 at the battle of Noushera, 



