272 An account of Tipper and Lower Suwat. [No. 8, 
the same materials as the walls. They rarely last more than a few 
years ; but this is of little consequence when they have to vacate 
them about once every three or four. The mosques, and houses of 
the Hindus, are built of stone in a substantial manner; but those of 
the Afghans are all alike. The residence of Mir iEalam Khan of 
Tarmah, and that of the Chiefs of Allah-ddandd, were similar to the 
house I occupied near you, whilst at Peshawar in 1849, but that had 
white-wash, and theirs had not. 
Some peculiar customs are observed in Suwat, which appear to be 
very ancient. 
In all suits and disputes, contrary to the Shares or orthodox law 
of Muhammad, which is observed by all tribes of Afghans, as well 
as other Musalmans, in Suwat the plaintiff, instead of the defendant, 
is put on his oath, as in English courts of justice. 
When a person may have had anything stolen from him, he calls 
upon the person or persons whom he may suspect, to give him a 
saced # that is to say, as they understand the word, to produce a 
respectable person who knows him (the suspected party) and get 
him to swear that he (the defendant) has not stolen the property 
in question. If the suspected party can produce a saced who swears 
to the above effect, he is considered innocent; but if a saced , so pro¬ 
duced, will not take the required oath in favour of the suspected 
thief, he is considered guilty, and has to make good the property 
stolen. These two customs have been handed down from the time 
of Shaykh Mali. 
Another curious custom, and a very good one for such a primitive 
state of society, is, that when two Khans or Maliks chance to fall 
out, or have any dispute, the people expel both parties from the 
place. The two disputants are then termed sharruni or, the Driven 
Out, or Expelled, from the Pushto verb sharral , to drive away, &c. ; 
and in this state they are compelled to seek shelter in other villages, 
and are obliged to live on the charity of those who will take them 
in ; for they lose all civil rights on such occasions, and have no 
claim to wife, or children, dwelling, cattle, horses, or anything what¬ 
soever. Some continue in this helpless state until they can come to 
an accommodation or reconciliation, which, often, does not take place 
for years. In Upper Suwat they are even more severe than this ; 
* Arabic for, felicity. [Compare the compurgation of the Anglosaxons.— Eds.] 
