150 GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEYS AND EXPLORATIONS. 



scription book. On one occasion while observing on the summit of 

 the Laram Kotal, Mr. McNair was within an ace of being detected 

 by the sudden appearance of four men armed with matchlocks, but 

 in the twinkling of an eye the ruler or sight- vane was run up his 

 long open sleeve, and the pretended doctor was absorbed in hunting 

 for roots. 



Crossing the Swat valley and passing through Dir the party 

 advanced over the Lahori pass and up the Kunar valley to Chitral, 

 where they waited with presents on the Badshah, Aman ul Mulk. 

 Mr. McNair was allowed to go up and reconnoitre the Dora pass 

 over the Hindu Kush ; he says it is a little over 14,000 feet, the 

 ascent is very gradual ana quite feasible for laden animals, but 

 owing to the people of Muujan and the Kafirs of the Bogosta valley, 

 traders prefer the route via the more difficult Nuksan pass. Neither 

 pass is open for more than three months in the year. Mr, McNair 

 also made an excursion westward of Chitral, by way of E-umbur and 

 Bamburath over the water-shed into the valley of the Arnawai river, 

 where he was well received by the Ludhe* villagers. A report was 

 however spread about by a rival Kakar Khel, Rabat Shah, that two 

 Europeans had come disguised into the country, and the ruler of 

 Chitral having sent for Mr. McNair, the latter was compelled to 

 return and abandon all further attempts at exploration. He returned 

 to Kashmir by way of Mastuj and Yasin. the route followed by 

 Major Biddulph. A full account of this journey was given by 

 Mr. McNair (who has since died) before the Royal Geographical 

 Society,f and the following year the Society awarded him the 

 Murchison grant for the same.J 



The depredations and unruliness of the tribes about the Black 

 Mountain on the Hazara border necessitated the despatch of a 

 punitive expedition in November and December 1888, which was 

 accompanied by Captain R. A. "Wahab. R.E., and two sub-surveyors, 

 Imam Sharif, K.B., and Ata Mahomed Khan. The last-named 

 surveyor, however, died at Kotkai, and the work consequently fell 



* This is evidently the Lut-dih territory mentioned by Major Raverty, at page 149 

 (Section III.) of his " Notes on Afghanistan," etc. The pass leading iiuo the valley 

 of the Oxus is called Apaluk by Major Raverty, and is said by the major to he fairly 

 easy, but 1 have never seen any other reference to it. 



f On the l(Uh December 1883, see Proceedings R. (f. S. for 1884. 



I Kafiristan has since been visited from the Chitral side by Dr. Robertson and 

 Mr. Kitchen, Assistant Surveyor, in 1889-90. 



