Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 / Page 395 (Color Image)

0395	Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1

and whose foot merging into a snow bed, is not more than 1,000 feet higher than the Oxus
valley.

At the head of the ravine containing this glacier are some snowy peaks, about six miles
to the south,* which I estimated to be between 17,000 and 18,000 feet in height; they appeared
to be on spurs of the Hindoo Koosh Range. It was most annoying being shut up at
the bottom of a deep valley, and unable to get a nearer view of these peaks, but there was no
help for it, the ravines entering the main valley from north and south were generally inacces-
sible, the one on the south being, as I before mentioned, blocked up by an enormous glacier,
which was quite impassable, while those on the north are almost vertical chasms which looked
as if the mountain had been split up by an earthquake. During our stay at Punjah, I
ascended the mountains to the north to a height of about 3,000 feet above the valley only to find
that I was on the lower portion of a much higher range behind, which obscured all view further
north, while the hills to the south of the Oxus were so high that they intercepted the view
of any peaks on the main range of the Hindoo Koosh that might otherwise have been seen
beyond; in fact I could see very little more than from the ground below. On the only other
fine day that we had during our stay at Panjah I went down the valley for about 12 miles,
but saw little more than one or two peaks of the range to north.

Panjah itself is, or rather was, built on five small hillocks, hence perhaps its name,† and
I have no doubt in my own mind that the river takes its name from the place, and not the
place from the river. These five hillocks are situated near each other on the left bank of
the stream, the largest is covered by a fort, the residence of the Mír Fateh Ali Sháh, and most
of his followers, the other is of nearly equal size, covered by houses, and surrounded by a strong
wall; on two others are small fortified buildings, while on the fifth there are nothing but ruins
and graves. These fortified buildings (in one of which resides Alif Beg, ex-ruler of Sarikôl)
from their near proximity to each other, and commanding situation, form a position of con-
siderable strength, and might hold out against an attacking force for some time if artillery
were not brought against them. The Mírs of Wakhán have more than once held out in this
stronghold against the forces of the Ruler of Bádákhshán to which country they are subject.
The whole population of Panjah perhaps does not exceed a hundred and fifty souls.

The district of Wakhan has been described by former travellers. It comprises the
valleys containing the two heads of the Panjah branch of the Oxus, and the valley of the
Panjah itself, from the junction at Zung down to Ishkashím. The northern branch of the
Panjah has its principal source in the Lake Victoria in the Great Pamir, which, as well as
the Little Pámir belongs to Wakhán, the Ak-tash River forming the well recognized boundary
between Kashgharia and Wakhán. Both of the Pámirs were thickly inhabited by Kirghiz
in former years, subject to Wákhan, but they are now unoccupied, the constant feuds

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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books