1849.] Kohistan of the Jullundhur. 385 



called Buttail, distant about 15 miles from Koorooee, and situated at the 

 base of the last mentioned range. The sides of the latter have been 

 terraced into fields to a very considerable height wherever the slopes per- 

 mitted, whilst the remainder is covered with forests of pine (P. long.) 

 Amongst the cultivation are numerous thriving villages and hamlets. 

 The greater part of the Seel-khund* belongs I believe to the rajah of 

 Mundi-Buttail, is not the. regular halting place, but a village higher up 

 the range called Hutli. 



36. After a long and tedious ascent by a good road through villages 

 and pine woods we arrived at the summit of the ghat. Looking over 

 our previous day's journey the most conspicuous objects were the shat- 

 tered peaks of the Chumba range far below which rises the serrated 

 ridge of Kumleh-gurh. Then follow the low and treeless hills of Mu- 

 hulmooree, which in their turn are succeeded by the Joala range, and 

 this last in the far west by the Chou-mukhi and Kotlehr ridges. The 

 range on which we were standing separates the Seel-khund from the 

 Bui Dhoon, a profound valley bounded to the eastward by the lofty 

 Nautchney-ke-dhar. In the depths of the valley appears the town of 

 Sookeyt, surrounded by dark woods, near which glides the Sookeytee 

 river, flowing to the northward and glittering in the rays of the sun like 

 a silver cord. On isolated peaks of the Nautchney-ke-dhar, as well as 

 on the Sikunder range, are many towers or forts, which but a short time 

 ago afforded shelter from the merciless swords of the Sikhs to hun- 

 dreds of wretched beings. To these strongholds the peasantry used 

 to flee for protection from the rapacity of their heartless rulers. By a 

 steep and good road we descended into the valley and halted at the 

 first village. In the Seel-khund we passed an extensive encampment of 

 gypsies, the first I had noticed in this country. Also just after leaving 

 Buttail I remarked a heap of stones placed in the centre of the road. 

 These are formed I believe by Tartar tribes who invariably pass them 

 on their right hand, as well as throw a fresh stone on the pile.f The 

 above however, must not be confounded with the conical piles raised on 

 conspicuous points or peaks in honor of their gods by almost every 

 tribe of mountaineers in the world, whilst they are in a state of barbar- 



* I believe it to be the same as the one which Mr. Moorcroft calls the Bathel 

 valley. 



f Vide Loyd's aud Gerard's "Travels in the Himalaya." 



3 d 2 



