23G An account of Upper and Lower Suwat. [No. 3, 
steps towards the north, but inclining to the east, which might be 
termed N. N. E. We passed the villages of Jalala, Haibat Gram,* 
and Ddandakaey, and reached the mountain of Landdakaey, close at 
the foot of which the Suwat river runs. On this account, in the 
summer months, when the river is swollen from the melting of the 
snows towards its source, in the direction of Gilgit, the pathway, 
lying along the banks, at the foot of the mountain, is impracticable 
from the force of the stream, which foams and boils along with 
o-reat violence. A road, has, consequently, been made over the crest 
of Landdakaey itself; but it is extremely narrow, and so frightfully 
steep, that one of our own party, an Afghan, and accustomed to the 
mountains from his childhood, passed with the greatest difficulty ; 
for when he ventured to look down he became quite giddy. In the 
cold season, when the volume of water decreases, the path at the 
foot of Landdakaey is used. This last named mountain has no con¬ 
nection with that of Morah; but it is a spur of the range, of which 
Morah is a part, that has come down close upon the river, or rather 
the river washes its base, as appears from the map, which you sent 
with me to be filled up. In this part of the river, there are two 
branches, one much more considerable than the other. The lesser 
one becomes quite dry in the cold season, and in the hot season has 
about three feet depth of water. This is very narrow, with steep 
banks and rugged bed, along which the water rushes impetuously. 
The other branch contains a much greater volume, and lies furthest 
from the Landdakaey mountain. On ascending the mountain, up to 
the end or extremity of the spur, where, in the map, I have brought 
the mountain and river together, the road leading along the side of 
the precipice is very difficult, being naturally scarped, like a wall, 
for about fifty paces ; and the road, if it can be so called, is built up 
into rough steps with slabs of stone, so very smooth, that a person 
is liable to slip. After this dangerous path has been passed over, 
you have to ascend about fifteen paces, then some twenty more in a 
horizontal direction ; and, finally, fifteen paces, or thereabout, down 
again. I mentioned before, that one of our party had great diffi¬ 
culty in getting along : this was no other than the Khan Sahib 
himself. When we came to this dangerous passage, he stopped and 
waxed pale; and turning towards me said : “ I die for you.” I was 
* Gram in Sanskrit signifies a village. 
