1843.] of the Panjab and Afghanistan. 607 



me to her house, where she presented me with a chillum, some raisins, 



and jalghozas, paying me attentions that did not seem to excite the 



jealousy of her husband ; and at nightfall, brought a cot for me to 



sleep on. The unblushing overtures made by this woman in the course 



of the evening, and many other incidents on my journey, led me to 



form a very poor opinion of the simplicity of the 

 State of Morals. „ 



country people of Afghanistan. They seem far to 



surpass the towns-people in the looseness of their morals. 



Ustarzye borders on the Khyber and Basoul. The inhabitants have 

 all separate forts, amounting to twenty. There were for- 

 merly three thousand houses. At present there are even 

 more, some at the fort, and some at the top of the table land. The cultiva- 

 tion depends partly on the rain, and partly on spring water. There is 

 no fixed Malik. He who entertains most is the best man, and possesses 

 greatest influence. The fighting men amount to upwards of 3,000. 

 They are very independent, and great robbers. They are of the tribe of 

 Orakzye. They are friends of the Afreedees, and enemies of the Abdul 

 Azeezkhels and Maneekhels. They are, as might be expected, Sunnee 

 Musselmans. To the east are the hills and the road to Peshawur, to 

 the north are the hills, and to the south are the Abdul Azeezkhels. 



Before my arrival at Ustarzye, my fame as a fakeer had preceded 

 me. Immediately after my arrival a man waited on me, and re- 

 presented that he had a very beautiful daughter, who regularly every 

 Sunday and Wednesday went mad, and sometimes struck herself, and 



Another devil somet i mes ner relations ; that she was engaged to be 



cast out. married, and her intended had become averse to the 



match ever since the commencement of these fits ; intreating me to cure 

 her. I became at a loss what to do, and what puzzled me more, was, 

 that the day of my arrival was a Saturday and the next day the girl, as 

 was her wont, had the mad fits ; and I was taken to the house and found 

 her stretched at full length, heaping abuse on all her relations. I 

 soon discovered that she was shamming, and commenced operations 

 accordingly. I drew a line on the ground around her, and wrapped some 

 brimstone in a rag and gave it to my servant, while I covered my 

 own head and commenced incantations ; telling the servant to light 

 the.rag, and apply it to her nostrils ; while I ordered the father to hold 

 her firmly until I told him to release her, warning him, that if he did 



