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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

to deforestation ; for I found the slopes above and below Pakōra remarkably well wooded with
evergreen tree-growth, including many big Ilex, which on account of the winter grazing it yields
for goats, &c., appears to be religiously protected in this valley.

We encamped that day in open meadow land in the valley above Pakōra hamlet, at an eleva-
tion of about 7,600 feet, and there first experienced that attack of fierce mosquitoes which was
to remain a constant plague throughout our visit to Darēl and Tangīr. Continuing next morning
the ascent of the broadening valley, we passed the few scattered homesteads of Chilidur surrounded
by fertile maize fields (Fig. 8). Both above and below them I noted old cultivation terraces for
which the available water-supply was declared to be no longer sufficient. That some of these
terraces must have been abandoned for ages past was clear ; for the luxuriant forest of firs and
pines which we first reached above Chilidur had completely overrun them. Yet we saw no water
on the surface as the track led us up through a magnificent forest of Deodars, cedars, and firs to
the pass known as Unutai-galī on the watershed towards the big Khanbarī valley (10,510 ft.).
The distant view obtained here both to the south-east (Fig. 7) and north-west allowed us to fix
our position with accuracy on the plane-table, from peaks previously triangulated on the Chilās
side and on the Gilgit–Indus watershed.

On the Unutai pass we had reached the western border of Darēl, and the view of the Khanbarī
valley immediately before us at once revealed two of the characteristic features of that territory.
Luxuriant conifer forest, far thicker than any seen since leaving the Kishangangā, clothed the
steep slopes descending towards the Khanbarī river, while at the head of the valley could be seen
extensive open uplands right up to the watershed range towards Gilgit. It is this magnificent
growth of timber in the valleys at an elevation of about 7,000 to 11,000 feet and the plentiful summer
grazing higher up that provide Darēl with two main sources of potential wealth. The descent
into the Datsoi Nullah leading down to the Khanbarī river was extremely steep, and after about
two miles led over huge masses of rock fragments thrown down in wild confusion and completely
filling the gorge. Farther down its bottom turned into an impassably narrow cañon, and the
track above it became most difficult for the men carrying loads.

Fortunately a contingent of Darēlīs now came up to relieve them, and half a mile from where
the deep-cut gorge emerges into the main Khanbari valley, at a place called Domōt, I was met
by Mehtarjao Shāh 'Ālam, Rāja Pakhtūn Wāli's nephew and Wazīr, who had been sent to receive
and escort me. He had brought with him a large and well-armed posse of men selected from the
Rāja's own body-guard and comprising some of his most trusted retainers (Fig. 10). The careful
watch they kept over us from the start—I was personally never able to move or halt without
being closely attended by two or more of these alert men-at-arms—seemed to afford adequate
protection against any attempt by unruly subjects of the Rāja or by fanatical visitors from other
parts of the Indus, Kōhistān, and Swāt, who might have liked to embroil him by an attack upon us.

At first this close guarding caused me serious misgivings as to the freedom that I should
be allowed, in particular for useful topographical work. It was mainly in the interest of the latter
that I had asked to be permitted to enter Darēl through the mountains instead of by the Indus
valley route. It proved a difficult line of progress, but it had great advantages for surveying
operations, and fortunately I soon found that we were left full liberty to use them. At the expense
of much hard climbing a succession of excellent plane-table stations were secured, the best on the
great spurs descending from the Indus–Gilgit watershed and dividing the several valleys comprised
in Darēl and Tangīr. The spell of fine weather that prevailed right through our visit to this terri-
tory enabled us to take advantage of the extensive views towards the snowy ranges above the
great Indus bend and westwards about the head-waters of the Swāt river. Thus we were able