206 Account of the Lower Derdjat. [No. 3. 



to them, but their reasonable request, from what cause does not ap- 

 pear, was not complied with. 



It was whilst in this vicinity, that Lieutenant Young penetrated 

 into the hills as far as the mountain of Geudari, and made a rough 

 survey, the sketch of which I have embodied in the map accom- 

 panying* this paper, and for which, as well as other information 

 on the present subject, I am much indebted to him. 



Before bringing this paper to a close I must not forget to offer a 

 few remarks regarding the former trade of the Derajat, which has 

 now greatly or almost wholly declined. Duriug the energetic rule 

 Sawan Mall and Diwan Mulraj his son, to whose government of 

 Multan the present district of Dera Ghazi .Khan was attached, 

 the Afghan merchants used to pass through the latter district by 

 way of Harrand, Sukhi Surwar, and Sanghar to Multan, because 

 the customs duties were much lower than in the sister Dera ; for 

 their proper route, or that generally adopted, lay through Dera 

 Ismaasil Khan and Leia to Multan, from whence a few passed down 

 to Sindh. They arrived in October and November, and returned 

 again in April, taking back indigo, chintzes, white cotton cloths, 

 shoes, and weapons, particularly shields from Dera Ghazi Khan, 

 which appear to have been held in considerable repute. The chief 

 imports were guv (a coarse kind of sugar), some intoxicating drugs ; 

 and small quantities of larah, a cloth made from camels' hair, and 

 the fine wool or pashm of Afghanistan, and small quantities of fruit, 

 chiefly dry. Other Caravans or Kafilahs which came from Kan- 

 dahar by Quettah or Shawl, and the Pishin valley by way of Har- 

 rand, used to bring down very fine oxen for the Seikh artillery and 

 for general sale, together with goats, a few sheep, horses, carpets, 

 and dates of a superior quality. These again used to take home with 

 them, quantities of silks, white and colored cotton cloths, shoes, steel 

 goods, and other articles, but they have, since the annexation of 

 the Panjab, been stopped by the robber tribes of Eoh, who used to 

 receive handsome presents from the Nazims of Multan as the price 

 of forbearance. The trausit duties now are iusignificant. 



* This map has not been received. — Ed. 



