1862.] 
273 
An account of Upper and Lower Suw&t. 
for there they expel the families also, and confiscate the property of 
the disputants altogether. One would imagine such stringent rules 
would tend to keep the peace, if any thing would ; yet these people 
seem to be always at feud, notwithstanding. 
Whenever two Maliks or headmen of a village quarrel, the 
strongest, or the victorious one, if they come to blows, drives the 
other out of the village. After some time, the fugitive manages, by 
bribes and other means, to gain over to his side some of the friends 
and supporters of the successful party, and all the discontented flock 
to him. After a time he finds an opportunity, when his own party 
is strong and the other is weak, to enter the village and drive his 
rival out. This is enacted over and over again, now one is a fugitive, 
now another; and this it is that causes such contentions in these 
parts. The disturbance I previously referred to as having'taken 
place in Lower Suwat, after I left the valley, extended as far up as 
Chhar-bagh. The whole of the Larrni-zis girded up their loins to 
destroy Tarn?ah; and from Chhar-bagh to Lower Suwat, all were 
ready for this purpose, and two battles were fought, one to the north 
of Tarrwah, and another further south. The Tarrwali people, how¬ 
ever, were victorious, having obtained assistance from their clansmen 
of Buner. 
When fighting amongst each other, the Afghans of these parts 
never interfere with, or injure th q fakirs or helots of each other ; nor 
do they injure their women, or children, or their guests, or strangers 
within their gates ; and such might serve as an example to nations 
laying claim to a high state of civilization. 
The people of Suwat are said sometimes to observe the same 
custom, as practised by the Afridi tribe of Afghans, viz., that of 
selling, or rather bartering their wives, sometimes for money, and 
sometimes for cattle or other property they may require or desire. 
But having witnessed the complete system of petticoat Government 
under which the Afghans of Suwat, like the English, are content to 
dwell, I cannot place much faith in their having the courage to do 
so. The women in this valley enjoy more liberty, and rule the men 
to a far greater degree than is known amongst other Afghans, who 
are so very particular in this respect. I will mention one instance 
as an example. The KMns or Chiefs of Tarmah, who are the 
highest in rank and power in the valley, permit the females of their 
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