334 Account of a visit to the Shrine of Sakhi Sarwar. [No. 4. 



miles. The road lies through the dry bed of the river which I have 

 already referred to. It is filled with lime-stone boulders, and in 

 many places is very narrow, particularly about three miles and a 

 half from Sakhi Sarwar, where an immense portion of one of the 

 hills to the right of the path fell down two or three years since, 

 and completely blocked up the road. The second range of hills 

 seem to be composed chiefly of limestone, running slantingly in a 

 south-east direction towards the river ; whilst the first or lowest 

 range appeared to be entirely of sandstone. I also noticed in many 

 places boulders of limestone mixed with sandstone, which appeared 

 to be either in a decaying or hardening state. The whole of these hills 

 are perfectly bare ; and with the exception of a few patches of green 

 at the foot of the hills through which our path lay, growing from the 

 debris which had collected from above, not a blade of grass was 

 to be seen. There were however a few dwarfish trees and shrubs 

 peculiar to the country scattered about here and there. I went on 

 as far I could conveniently go on horseback, until we reached a 

 Kotul or Pass which from its steepness would have been dangerous 

 to have attempted except on the horses of the country. I was now 

 in ROH — the bugbear of the authorities, and the Alsatia of the 

 Derajat — amongst mountains lofty and grand, some of which rise 

 to a height of 1000 feet or more ; but the scene wore a dreary, 

 desolate, and gloomy appearance ; for even the wild animals and birds 

 appeared to have deserted it. The third or higher range, called 

 the Koh-i-Siah or Black Mountains, was at a long distance from 

 us, and appeared of immense height. 



It is from the bed of this river or torrent, whose windings we 

 have been following, that the whole of the water with which the 

 town of Sakhi Sarwar is supplied — at this period no small quantity 

 — is obtained. The wells, as they are termed, consist of a number of 

 holes or pits dug in the sand, and are about forty in number. The 

 water, which is of a blackish colour and brackish taste, is found 

 at depths varying from ten to fifteen feet from the surface. The 

 strata consists of sand and gravel mixed with pebbles varying in 

 quantity as the depth is increased. During the period of the Meld, 

 the attendants at the Shrine make a deal of money by the sale of 

 water, which is purchased from them both by Hindus and Muham- 



