1859.] Notes on Kajlristdn. 335 



to be relished by the Yusufzi Afghans. Otters are captured in great 

 numbers, in the Chitral or Kashkar, and upper branches of the 

 Panjkorah rivers, for the sake of their skins, which are made into 

 cloaks. 



The birds consist of several species of the eagle and falcon, and 

 hawks of many descriptions and great beauty, used by the Yusufzi 

 Afghans of these parts, who are passionately fond of falconry. 

 Afghans formerly might have been constantly seen in the Kissah 

 Kh'ani Bazar, at Peshawer, near the Kabul Gate, and also in the 

 villages round, with hawks on their fists. These birds often fetch 

 a high price, varying from ten to a hundred and a hundred and fifty 

 rupees each, and sometimes more. The other birds are, wild-geese, 

 duck, teal, and other water-fowl, kulang, cranes, herons, partridges, 

 quail, chikor (the bartavelle or Greek partridge) which is larger 

 than the common bird, and found in immense numbers on the sides 

 of the rocky hills ; the Impeyan pheasant, said to be of two or three 

 kinds ; jungle fowl ; pigeons, doves, magpies, larks of several species, 

 the goldfinch, bullfinch, sparrow, and other common birds. 



Snakes and other venemous reptiles are few ; but there is a species 

 of snake, called the kaochah or kawchah, in Pushto, of a dirty earth 

 colour with red spots, whose bite is mortal. It is very thick in 

 proportion to its length, being about the size of a man's arm and 

 under a yard in length, and altogether very repulsive in appearance. 

 It infests rocky and stony places.* 



In tilling the land both in Kafiristan and the districts to the south 

 and west, men and women alike assist. In the valleys, or wherever 

 the land is sufficiently level, oxen are used for ploughing, at the 

 rate of one to each plough ; but on account of the generally irregular 

 face of the country, the Sfah-posh tribes, as well as their Nimchah 

 and Muhammadan neighbours to the south and west, are obliged to 

 sow their grain wherever they may be fortunate enough to obtain 

 available spots of land. These mostly consist of narrow terraces or 

 plateaux on the sides of steep hills, sometimes natural, but often 



* "The gunnus or aphia (o<pis?) is said to be very poisonous ; it is about a 

 yard in length, and very thick, and its appearance altogether, I was informed, 

 was very repulsive. It is found in rocky places on the eastern side of the valley 

 (of Kashmir)." Vigne : Kashmir Vol. II. pp. 21. 



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