1862.] 
An account of Upper and Lower Suwdt. 
249 
like a wall almost, but not often. Where steep, the height of the 
banks is about eighteen or twenty feet from the water; but the 
ground, on which the villages generally are situated, is about half a 
mile or so from the banks, and is generally from one hundred to one 
hundred and fifty feet about the level of the water, but sloping gra¬ 
dually downwards. 
On the morning of the 27th August, we again set out up the 
valley; and passing the villages of Sherrn-i-bala and Shcrrn-i-pa’m, 
and Khunah, we reached Petaey and Binwarri. At Petaey we 
found it so excessively cold, that one could not drink the water with 
any degree of comfort. I ventured to enter the river for a few 
paces, but soon had to come out; and was glad to stand in the sun, 
on the rocks, to get warmth into my feet again. The people were 
sitting in the sun for warmth ; and all slept inside at night, it being 
too cold to sleep outside, although this was the month of August, 
the hottest in the Peshawar valley. I saw snow on the mountains 
about ten or twelve miles off. 
At this village I also, for the first time, met some of the people of 
the mountain districts to the north of Suwat, together with some of 
the Gilgitt people also, who had come here to purchase salt. They 
were all clothed in thick woollen garments, coats, trowsers, caps and 
all, but wore sandals on their feet. They were, in appearance, some¬ 
thing like the people of Badakhslian ; and although, to look at, not 
very powerfully built, yet they carry loads equal to that of an ox of 
this country (Peshawar and the Panjab). I could not understand 
any of the words of their language,* save that they called salt lun 
which is Sanskrit The salt is brought here by the Khattaks 
from their own country, for sale ; and the people of the Kohistan, to 
the north, near which Petaey is situated, come down as far as this 
place to purchase it. 
In the vicinity of this village the peculiar gravel called cliarata'i, 
before referred to, is found in great quantities. The people called it 
(fitted, which is Pushto for gravel in general. Here too, the valley is 
not more than half an English mile across, even if so wide; and the 
banks of the river are very high. The fields are few, and the extent 
of cultivation insignificant. 
* The writer is well versed in Urdu and Pushto, and Persian is his native 
tongue. 
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