326 An account of the early Ghiljdees. [No. 160. 



The Surkh-koh is called in Pushtoo Sirah-ghar. 



The Babakar-zais are found at Swad-zai, Jungeer, Sar-i-As (asp,) 

 Shah Mardan and Nawah. 



The Shamal-zais are found at Shibar, Halatagh, Jetz and Mundan. 



Other information of a geographical and minute statistical nature 

 regarding the Toran Ghiljyes is in my possession, as are the original 

 Daftars which could not be generally interesting. The following one 

 fact may be. 



The scarped hill and barrack walls against which the Ghiljyes ran 

 their heads, on the 21st May 1842, losing 400 killed, were their own 

 handy work chiefly, (the garrison having merely finished them,) of the 

 preceding autumn. 



It being impossible to procure labourers from Candahar, I had oc- 

 casion to call on the tribes to furnish labourers in the exact proportion 

 they had formerly furnished soldiers to the Duranee kings, and they 

 were mustered every morning by their respective chiefs, rod in hand. 

 Being highly paid, (one rupee to every three,) they continued to work 

 long after the winter set in, sleeping in the plain below the hill in open 

 graves / two feet deep for warmth. Her gracious Majesty's head on the 

 new Company's Rupees made a few demur taking them at first ; but 

 finding out their value they soon got over this prejudice against " the 

 image ;" and after spitting on the rupees and treading on them, took the 

 " Buttars" as they called them home as lawful gain, without a self-ac- 

 cusation, it is to be hoped, of their having encouraged idolatry. 



That money was little valued by the Afghans of the wilds (Sahra) 

 before the British forces entered Afghanistan, the following will prove. 



On my way from Cabool to Candahar in the winter of 1837-38, I 

 several times failed in getting milk and butter, while my attendants 

 who had travelled before in the country were plentifully supplied. I 

 found the reason to be that I offered money, while they gave needles, 

 and odds and ends of coarse Cabool chintz. 



On one occasion after marching all day, I lost my way and got 

 benighted, and separated from my baggage. On arriving at one of these 

 Ghiljaee-khels or wild encampments, they allowed me to enter their 

 tents, but nothing would induce them to kill a sheep for money, (they 

 even refused to take a gold ducat,) insisting on having cloth ; and the 

 sheep was finally purchased by one of my attendants giving an old Ca- 



