102 H. G. Raverty —Tibbat three hundred and sixty-five years ago. [No. 2, 
[supported], the number originally fixed was only 5,000 in all: 3,000 
with the Khan, and 2,000 under my orders. Accordingly, the Khan now 
took 1,000 men along with him, and marched towards Balti; while 
the remaining 4,000, with several Amirs of the Khan, proceeded with 
me towards Kash-mlr. 
“ The Khan reached Balti at the end of Libra; and of the chiefs 
of that part, Bahrain, the Ju [or Ju-i], presented himself, and submitted 
to him, but the rest of the Ju-ian [plural of Ju or Ju-i] of Balti, as is 
usual among such infidels, showed hostility and contumacy. With 
Bahrain, Ju, leading the way, the force with the Khan attacked Shi gar, 
which is the seat of Government and chief place in all Balti, and which 
was taken on the first attack. The men were put to the sword, while 
the women and children, and plunder, were appropriated by the Khan’s 
soldiers. After that they did not refrain from attacking other approach¬ 
able places in that mountain tract, but, where there were strong forts 
and difficult darahs , those they were unable to approach, and they were 
left alone in consequence. 
“ On account of the depth of the snow that winter, no news could 
be sent from Kash-mir to the Khan, and therefore the contumacious 
infidels gave out such reports as suited them and their infernal purposes, 
[Then, as now, all who defend their homes and their liberty, in these 
parts, and refuse “ to come in,” are all “ rebels and freebooters,” and 
their designs “infernal”], so that the troops in Balti had become 
anxious and depressed ; until, at the close of winter, the swift messen¬ 
gers whom I sent from Kash-mlr to the Khan, to announce the con¬ 
quest of that territory, turned their sorrow into joy. In the beginning 
of spring, the Khan, with his force, retired from Balti; and the expedi¬ 
tion into Nubrah, which I had made preparations for undertaking in 
person, had been entrusted by the Khan to the great Amir, the Kokal- 
dash, whose name lias been mentioned before in the affairs of Kashghar. 
Through defective counsel, however, and want of unanimity and fore¬ 
sight among his forces, they had devastated all that tract in such a 
manner, that the whole of the people thereof had been roused to 
resistance. All that could do so had fled to the strong places, and only 
their families and feeble people, who could not be removed, were left 
behind. Abandoning them, they did not cease from plundering on 
the routes, and from sedition, and other improper acts. As it was not 
southern route through Tibbat, and near the northern frontier of the empire of 
Maha Cm. * * * # Tull’s force was nearly perishing of famine, so that his 
men were actually reduced to the necessity of eating human flesh and dry grass, 
and his further progress was stopped until aid was sent him. See Thbaqat-i - 
Ndfiri, note, page 928. 
