18G2.] An account of Upper and Lower Suw&t, 275 
appearance east of the Khaibar in the fifteenth century of the Chris¬ 
tian Era, and not before the time of Alexander of Macedon, as the 
oracle of the “ News of the Churches,” and his compeers are 
foolish enough to attempt to make people believe, contrary to his¬ 
torical proof. 
The females of Suwat are not veiled. When they meet a man 
advancing along a road, they look down modestly and pass on ; hut 
the younger women turn their hacks generally, and come to a stand 
still, until the man has passed by. They are, however, very plain, 
but still look like Afghans ; hut the men hear little resemblance to 
that fine and handsome race in form and feature ; for they are dark 
in complexion, and emaciated in appearance. During our journey 
this was frequently remarked; for they appeared more like the 
Giijars of the Samah or Plain, below the mountains. If Durkhana’x 
was at all like the present race of Suwati maidens, we must suppose 
Adam Khan to have been crazy to have fallen in love with her. I 
was told, however, by travellers, who had resided in the valley for 
some time, that, now and then, some very beautiful countenances 
may be seen ; but I place little faith on what they say ; for, when I have 
inquired what they consider beautiful, I never found their ideas come 
up to my standard of good looks. 
In the morning, the Suwatis breakfast on a dish called aogrrah in 
Pushto, which is made by boiling rice to a dry state, and then 
mixing buttermilk with it until it assumes the consistence of por¬ 
ridge. It is eaten with a spoon. In the middle of the day, they 
make their dinner off unleavened bread, and greens sprinkled with a 
little salt; but use no clarified butter. In the evening they again 
take aogrrah for supper. Clarified or other butter and meat they do 
not eat, unless a guest or a stranger should drop in, and then not a 
mouthful scarcely ; for they only kill a fowl for six persons ! If such, 
he the criterion in the house of a Chief, as we found, nothing but 
aogrrah , dry bread, and greens, without butter, can be expected at 
the board of the humbler villagers. This may account for their 
weakly looking appearance. 
The lower ranges of hills, on both sides of the valley, are destitute 
of trees, but are covered with grass ; and viewing them from the 
central parts, one would fancy they were covered with velvet, they 
appear so beautiful, The next, or highest ranges on either side are 
