60 Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. [No. 97. 



inconvenient even to the holders of irrigated lands, as the 

 Bard dries up unless showers fall from time to time, and 

 a level lower than ordinary in the rivers, subjects the farmer 

 to extraordinary labours. In the memory of people living there 

 have been two severe dearths occasioned by the failure of 

 the spring rains, and the calamity was increased by the resort 

 of people from Chuch, whose dependence is on the spring 

 or rubbee crop, cultivated lulm. The quantity of rice and wheat 

 does not fall greatly short of that of maize. Chuna is raised 

 hi only one village, and horses here receive barley. Several 

 grams well known in our provinces, among which the raggee, 

 are not here to be seen. Jooaree is cultivated only to be cut 

 green for the use of animals. Provisions are dearer than in 

 Cabul, but fodder and fuel are cheaper. Lodging is very cheap 

 in the town. On the whole, an army coidd be more easily 

 maintained here than in Cabul. In the city they drink from 

 wells, but in the valley in general they drink more from streams. 

 Some of the Mihmunds and Khutuks have tanks, and near the 

 foot of hills the natives use springs. Although the valley produces 

 little timber, abundance is floated down from various quarters by 

 water, and the wood work in the city is of pine. The city 

 may contain 70,000 inhabitants, and is considerable. Of late 

 it has declined, which has been owing rather to tyrannical 

 proceedings, than to the decline of the government. The few 

 wastes in this province are chiefly in the south-eastern part. 

 Generally speaking, it is equal in cultivation to the good parts 

 in India. The villages are about the same size as in the 

 valley of Cabul. For carriage various animals are used, and 

 the chief live stock is cows and buffaloes. In some places 

 they burn cow-dung, in others, shrubs and the branches of 

 trees, among which the olive is one. 



Swad. 



198 The lower part of Swad is included in the valley of 

 Peshawur. It is a rice-bearing, well-watered, and well-peopled 

 country. Upper Swad is mountainous, but yet tolerably well 

 peopled, and there too the chief product is rice. Fuel, timber, 

 especially that of the pine, and fodder, are abundant. The 





