820 Notes on Kafiristan. [No. 4. 



deal of excellent wine is made, for which indeed the Kafirs and 

 their country are somewhat notorious in this part of Asia. 



The soil of the valleys is, generally, a rich dark-red mould, con- 

 taining a large portion of clay, mixed with sand and stones towards 

 the skirt of the hills ; whilst that of the narrow and terrace-like 

 strips of land at the sides of the mountains is mixed with sand in 

 a greater proportion. 



Rain falls in copious showers, but never for any lengthened period. 

 It occurs chiefly during the spring months, and towards the end of 

 August and September ; although occasional showers fall, as in other 

 temperate climates, throughout the year. In the winter violent 

 snow storms are of frequent occurrence, which block up the passes 

 between the hills, and cut off all communication between the differ- 

 ent valleys, often for weeks together. 



The climate, on the whole, is exceedingly healthy ; and but little 

 sickness is known. The principal diseases the people are subject 

 to, appear to be, as in all alpine countries, opthalmia and fevers. 

 That scourge of the human race, the small-pox, has never yet made 

 its appearance among them, which may be attributed, in great mea- 

 sure, to their slight intercourse with foreigners. 



The roads or footpaths are narrow and difficult in the extreme, 

 and every here and there intersected by frightful ravines, yawning 

 chasms, and foaming torrents. These, the Kafirs cross by means of 

 rope bridges — now leading along the brink of tremendous precipices 

 and frowning cliffs — now winding through deep and narrow hollows, 

 dark almost at mid-day. Travellers also incur not a little danger 

 from fragments of rock and stones, that — either loosened by the rain 

 or wind, or disturbed by wild animals and the numerous flocks of 

 goats that crop the herbage on the higher hills and beetling crags, 

 at the base of which they tread their way — every now and then 

 come rolling down with a fearful crash reverberated on all sides. 



If the road should be a frequented one, these primitive bridges 

 are made by connecting together four or five stout and strong ropes, 

 made of goats'-hair, by slighter ones at about six or eight inches 

 distance from each other, laid transversely just like the shrouds of a 

 ship's masts with the ratlines across. These are fastened to the 

 trunks of trees on either side, and stretched as tight as possible. 



