1843.'] relating to the great Inundation of the Indus. 191 



hour before me, but instead of giving the alarm, they remained quiet 

 till I was completely entangled ; the first notice I had, as mentioned, 

 of the hostile intention of the hill tribes, was a savage yell, and dis- 

 charge of matchlocks. If the statement is true, the accuracy of which 

 I have no reason to doubt, that the tribes mentioned were the prin- 

 cipal leaders in the attack, then it was impossible for any body of men 

 to enter the Pass without being noticed by Futteh Khan's garrison. To 

 corroborate it, Futteh Khan stated, that all my property was sold in 

 their villages. It is more than probable that the cause why the credit 

 is given to the Bazote Autimkhail, &c. tribes is owing to their chiefs 

 being patronized by Captain Mackeson ; the Douranees on the other hand, 

 being excluded from his durbar. But of this, viz. disunion among the 

 tribes inhabiting the Cohat valley, the population of which is estimated 

 at 5,000, there is no doubt, nor are the Douranees on very friendly terms 

 with their neighbour Rossul Khan, whose resources (4^ lacs,) surpass 

 those of Sooltan Mohamed Khan to the west of the Indus. 



14. On the 10th, a cossid arrived from Lahore, with parwanehs from 

 the Maharaja and Minister for Alif Shah, giving him orders to take 

 on the suwars. The man contradicted the statement made to me the day 

 before by the Dooranees, that the Lahore durbar had refused permission 

 to the British troops to pass through the Punjaub, (having passed a 

 large force at Ramnuggar,) which had the effect of altering much of their 

 tone ; some of whom were most disrespectful, particularly an individual 

 named Hubbitoula Khan. A few days afterwards Duria Khan left me, 

 having told him that I did not at present require his services ; but if af- 

 terwards I found that they were necessary, I would send for him. After 

 remaining for some time in Cohat, I offered Futteh Khan Rs. 1,000, for a 

 guard to the Indus via Honshialgur, to which he agreed after some 

 demur, and two hours before day-break on the morning of the 28th, I 

 left in company with him and several other chiefs, with a strong body 

 of horse and foot, and crossing the mountainous country belonging to 

 the Afreedies got into the country of Russul Khan, one of whose 

 people joined us. Several of the chiefs returned, as they stated their 

 presence was now unnecessary. Nothing worth noticing happened. 

 In the evening we halted at Pershai, a town belonging to Russul 

 Khan, three coss from the river. His brother, Sirdar Khan, waited on 

 me, and shewed me every attention. Early next morning I marched to the 



2 c 



