914 Journal of a Trip to the Burenda Pass in 1836. [Nov. 



the other villages we had passed. Many of them possessed a good 

 deal of the Chinese cast of countenance, and had the beard and mous- 

 tache growing in thin straggling tufts. Their eyes too were small and 

 faces flattish. On their heads also they wore a different kind of cap, 

 it being somewhat conical with a kind of tassel or button at the top. 

 Others looked very like Jews and reminded me of the Bohras of 

 Neemuch. 



Many splendid elms and horse-chestnut trees, as also mulberries 

 were growing here. During the autumnal months, the grass and 

 other plants are cut and made into hay for the cattle during the 

 winter ; instead of being stacked, however it is loosely twisted into 

 ropes of some length and then thrown across the branches of the trees 

 near the villages, from whence a rope is taken as required. In other 

 places it is made into small bundles and stuck or filed upon a long 

 sharp pointed stake driven into the ground. 



The horse-chestnut trees grow to a very large size, throwing out 

 immense branches which yield a shade wide enough to encamp un- 

 der ; in October these trees were all bearing fruit nearly ripe, so that 

 they must flower in spring or early summer. How beautiful must such 

 enormous trees appear when covered with flowers ! 



We heard from these people that a party which preceded us to the 

 Burenda pass, had lost three men in a snow storm. 



After leaving Cabal we proceded along the side of a barren hill, 

 for some miles, and then gradually descended to a mill stream, where 

 we breakfasted. These mills or panchakkis are very numerous on 

 the hill streams near a village, five or six being often turned by the 

 same water, within a few yards of each other. 



After breakfast we continued our journey up a very long, steep and 

 rocky height, having a beautiful valley below on the right hand, with 

 the Pabbar river rolling and tumbling along through it, many water- 

 falls from the precipitous rocks on our right, contributed much to the 

 picturesque beauty of the scene. We found the sun so powerful during 

 this day's march, that we walked without our coats, and at length 

 encamped beneath an immense walnut tree at a village called Pekha 

 or Piki. 



Here we were presented with a small basket of Kandwar grapes and 

 a quantity of very fine honey in the comb. 



Bees are domesticated in almost every village throughout Bassdhir, 

 but are not kept in hives in the open air as in Europe ; the walls of 

 the houses are made with several small square boxes in them which 

 externally are even with the wall, and give egress and ingress to the 



