tribe among its members, deserves to be noticed, as the same is bably observed by all the tribes of Damaun.

pro

. The tribe is divided into four parts, one of which is Bukhteeauree, and three Meeaunkhail. The customs, after deducting the Khaun's share, are divided into four parts, and each division of the tribe gets a share, which is afterwards distributed among the subdivisions; but as the number of persons in each of these is not the same, the division is unequal. The revenue is assessed in the same manner, and eight Chelwashtees are taken from each division.

The Bauboors are a civilized tribe, much addicted to merchandize, and on the whole, the richest and most flourishing of the tribes of Damaun *. Their Khaun has considerable power, and they are reckoned among the quietest and most honest of the Afghaun tribes. Their late chief was raised by Timour Shauh to the high office of Ameen ool Moolk, and enjoyed a large share of the confidence of that monarch. It is rare to see a man of any tribe but the Dooraunees elevated to such a station.

The Bauboors of the plain are about four thousand families.

A large division of the Bauboors lives in Sehra, beyond the mountains of Solimaun. It is contiguous to the country of the Sheeraunees, with whom those Bauboors are much connected, and whom they resemble in their manners and customs.

The Stooreeaunees were, till lately, all pastoral. Their country, indeed, afforded little temptation to agriculture. They conquered it not long ago from the Beloches of Damaun, and used to make it their winter station, and move their camps and flocks in summer to the lands of the Moossakhail Caukers. These migrations were rendered inconvenient or impracticable, by a quarrel which the Stooreeaunees had about twenty-five years ago, with a clan of Caukers, through whose lands they were obliged to pass. Half the tribe on this sold

* There are some persons among them who have fortunes of £30,000, an immense treasure for that country, yet their property is quite secure.

its flocks, and betook itself to tillage. The other half endeavoured to keep up its ancient custom, but was soon compelled to imitate the rest, and after some disputes between the new settlers and the old, the whole tribe became agricultural, except two clans, which still adhere to a pastoral life, and move their little camps in spring to Spusta, on the south western skirts of Solomon's throne.

Many of the Stooreeaunees, however, are still merchants and carriers, a life approaching to that of a wandering shepherd. Their carriage is mostly on bullocks and asses. Their numbers are about four thousand families. Their government agrees exactly with the model of an Afghaun aristocracy. The Cauzy, however, is so important an office, that complaints are made to him directly, in the absence of the Khaun. The Cauzy is appointed by the Khaun, and the Moollah of each village by the Mooshir. The son of the last incumbent is preferred, if he is fit for the employ

ment.

The condition of the Ryots is nearly the same in all these tribes. They are generally Juts and Beloches, with some Hindoos. They have no land, and they are under the person on whose estate they live, in the same manner as the Fakeers of the Eusofzyes. In Damaun, however, they cannot pass from one man to another, without their master's consent, which is generally obtained by a present, either from the Ryot, or from the person who wishes to receive him. They can, however, quit the tribe to which they belong, whenever they please. Surwur alone endeavours to prevent his Ryots from leaving him.

The whole of Damaun is subject to the King, but his authority is loosely exercised, and he seems quite indifferent to every thing but his revenue. The tribes are bound to furnish him with a body of horse, for which he generally takes a commutation in money. He also levies the Jezzeea, or tax on Hindoos, throughout Damaun. The tribes of Damaun seem attached to the King, as long as he does not interfere with them, but they look with horror on the prospect of being brought under his government, and changing their present independence for submission to a master.

An attempt was once made by Mahommed Khaun, to reduce the Meeaunkhail, and he took many of their villages, and forced their Khaun to fly. The fugitive Khaun went to his inveterate enemies the Gundehpoors; and, although the tribes have many wars among themselves, and are all jealous of Surwur, the whole, including the Murwuts and Esaukhail, rose on this occasion as one man, made Surwur their chief, and did not desist, till they had compelled Mahomed Khaun to abandon his design.

There are still to be found in Damaun, some families of the tribes of Sooree and Lodi, to the first of which belonged the dynasty of Ghore, at one time the most powerful in Asia; the second for a long time gave Kings to Hindostaun.

Besides the tribes I have mentioned, all Damaun and Muckelwaud are filled in winter with camps of Solimaunkhails, Kharotees, Naussers, and other wandering tribes, who come there to avoid, the rigour of their native climates. Those who have camels, move into Muckelwaud, but those with sheep remain in Damaun.

3c2

CHAP. III.

MOUNTAIN TRIBES.

I

AM now to speak of the tribes which inhabit the range of Solimaun; and as I propose to begin from the south, I ought first to describe the Zmurrees (who inhabit that part of the mountains which is to the west of the Stooreeaunees), but as that tribe closely resembles the Sheeraunees, I shall proceed to describe the latter, respecting whom I am better informed. I must, however, notice, that the Zmurrees are allowed to be exempt from the habits of rapine for which the Sheeraunees are so remarkable.

The Sheeraunees inhabit the mountains north of those of the Zmurrees. Their country overlooks that of the Bauboors and Meeaunkhails, and they have the Vizeerees on the north; their western boundary will be mentioned hereafter.

Great part of this country is occupied by the lofty mountain of Tukhti Solimaun, and the hills which surround its base. Many parts of it are nearly inaccessible; one of the roads is in some places cut out of the steep face of the hill, and in others supported by beams inserted in the rock, and with all this labour, is still impracticable for loaded bullocks.

The population is scattered in villages of from twenty to forty houses, through the valleys and the lower parts of the mountains. They cut out the sites of their houses in the slopes of the hills, so that on three sides, the earth forms the lower part of the wall. Each cottage contains but one room, and has only one entrance, which is closed at night with a branch of a thorny tree. Even in winter they have nothing to shut out the cold; but sleep on black carpets, round

the fire, wrapt up in their sheep-skin cloaks. Their forests furnish them with plenty of fire-wood, and their houses are lighted with branches of a particular sort of fir which burns like a torch.

The Sheeraunees are generally of middling stature, thin, but stout, hardy, and active. They have bold features, grey eyes, high cheek bones, and their general appearance is wild and manly. The dress of the common Sheeraunees consists of a coarse black blanket tied round their middle, and another thrown over their shoulders. They wear sandals, the soles of which are made of bullock's hides, rudely prepared by steeping in the ashes of the tamarisk tree; and their dress is completed by a few yards of white cotton cloth loosely twisted round their heads. The dress of the richest is not much finer than this. The chief is thought magnificent, because he dresses in Moultain silk.

Their usual food is bread made of Indian corn, butter, and kroot. This last, however, is a luxury seldom enjoyed but by those who keep sheep. Wheaten bread is only produced on festivals. The flesh principally eaten is mutton. They never kill beef, but when a bullock happens to die, they cut its throat with the usual Mahommedan ceremonies, and eat it without scruple, though the flesh of animals that die of disease, be strictly prohibited by the Koraun.

They eat wild olives fresh from the tree, and dried olives, which they are obliged to boil. They also eat wild pomegranates, (though they are very sour and harsh,) the seed of the Julghoozeh pine, and several sorts of berries which grow wild in their mountains.

The Sheeraunees marry late. They differ from the other Afghauns in this respect, that the father of the bride gives a dowry, instead of receiving a price for his daughter. The women only work at domestic employments, and at reaping the harvest.

Money is very scarce among them, their trade being principally carried on by barter.

They have no domestic servants nor slaves, and no artificers; about a dozen of Hindoos keep shops, and sell grain, cloth, treacle, tobacco, clarified butter, and a few of the coarsest manufactures of the plains,