1862.] An account of Upper and Lower Suwcit. 241 
this and Tarrwah, which were chiefly on theology; but at Waddi- 
gram I found three others—the poem of Yusuf and Zulikha, by 
Adabd-ul-Kadir Khan ; and the poems of Shahai Dali, and Adam 
and Durkhanat, by Sadr Khan, his brother, all of which you have 
copies of already. 
On the 23rd August, we left Waddi-gram for Mfngowarah, which, 
having passed together with the villages of Kambar and Kattli, we 
turnod down the valley of Saiydugan, which runs in a south-westerly 
direction, and reached the village of that name, the residence of the 
Akhund of Suwat. 
0 
This poor and pious man has been most grossly belied for some 
years past, by interested parties at Peshawar, who eram the autho¬ 
rities with lies ; and find it easier to lay all disorders which take 
place on this part of our frontier, at the door of this harmless man, 
than to the true cause. He has for many years been made out to 
be the fomenter of all the troubles on the frontier, and to be con¬ 
stantly plotting mischief against us ; but those, who have given ear 
to such falsehoods, have not inquired how much is owing to the 
grinding tyranny of Hindustani subordinates, and other causes which 
shall be nameless. I would ask them one question, however,—“ How 
is it that during the year 1849, we had no walls round the canton¬ 
ment of Peshawar and no cliowkeydars; yet less robberies and crime 
occurred than at any time since, except, perhaps, during the mutiny ?” 
If I recollect aright, the assassination of the late Colonel Mackeson 
was laid at the Akhund’s door ; but the very appearance of the 
venerable old man is enough to give the lie to such a statement. 
He has been said, at Peshawar, to possess the most despotic power 
over a most fanatical tribe; and even the old miscreant who lately 
set himself up at Delhi, had it proclaimed, that the poor old Akhund 
was coming to assist him with from 12,000, to 18,000 Ghazis at his 
back. I need scarcely add, that the whole is a mass of falsehood 
got up by interested parties. I will now endeavour to give a sketch 
of the Akhund as he appeared to us. 
On reaching the village of Saiydugan we proceeded to pay our re¬ 
spects to him. He is a venerable looking old man, of middle height, with 
a white beard, and is about sixty years of ago; cheerful in disposi¬ 
tion, affable to all who approach him, and with a countenance open 
and serene. He is learned in the whole of the usual sciences studied 
2 i 2 
