1849.] Kohistan of the Jullundhur. 40b 



Raj-ghirri, with Assa-pooree and others. The Beas flows in a wide 

 channel about 100 feet below the plain, and escaping through the gap in 

 the Chungur-ke-dhar enters the Joala valley near Nadoun. The town 

 is large and populous, containing about 5000 inhabitants. In the centre 

 is a large quadrangular space covered with turf, and called, I believe, a 

 " chaugan." There Sansar Chund and his courtiers were in the habit 

 of playing the game known as "hockey on horseback." The whole 

 town is completely overgrown by trees, scarcely a single house being 

 visible from a short distance. It covers but half of the plain. What 

 a splendid parade ground the remainder would form ! What a delight- 

 ful situation for a Military station ! the neglected portion of the plain 

 would form a parade ground sufficiently large for three or four regi- 

 ments, and the level summits of the surrounding heights would afford 

 any localities for barracks and houses. The plain is elevated 2470 feet 

 above the sea, and the climate is agreeable, snow occasionally falling 

 during the winter, whilst hot winds, or sand storms rarely sweep over 

 the place. The palace of Tira is in a dilapidated state, and is situated 

 on the hills overlooking the town, and about 300 feet above it. On the 

 same side to the eastward, but two miles distant, stands a fort which 

 appeared to be going to decay, but I did not visit it. On the opposite 

 side of the river to the north-east is the garden of Alempore, where our 

 countryman Moorcroft was received by the Raja of Tira, and ex- Raja 

 of Cotoch. Those pleasure grounds are now to be converted into a tea 

 garden. The Government made over to the present representative of 

 Sansar Chund the useless place without the garden of Alempore, thus 

 depriving the gift of all appearance of disinterested generosity. I 

 must here notice the custom of writing the names of adjacent towns, 

 villages, or places of note whenever they are mentioned, thus the palace 

 and town are always spoken of as Shujanpoor Tira ; again the Bui 

 Dhoon is called Sookeyt Mundi ; also Kangra, Bhawun ; and Pallam, 

 Puttiar, &c. are commonly used. 



54. We left Shujanpoor on the 4th February, having been delay- 

 ed there by the weather, which had been very changeable. Sharp frosts 

 were succeeded by snow, or sleet by torrents of rain, and violent gusts 

 of wind, accompanied by thunder and lightning. How thrilling it is 

 to behold the mountains when dark clouds are rolling along their steep 

 flanks and the vivid lightning is playing on their peaks, and whilst the 



