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CHAPTER VII.

THROUGH BADAKSHAN.

THE KOKCHA RIVER-THE KUNDUZ CHIEF-SLAVE-DEALING-TRAVELLING COMPANIONS-SOME BADAKSHAN HISTORY-THE RUINS OF ANCIENT ZARUTH THE KAFIR EMPIRE OF EARLY TIMES DIFFICULT TRAVELLING -ATTACKED BY WOLVES-UNDESIRABLE ACQUAINTANCES-THE THERBAH'S FINGER-RETRIBUTION—THE CHIEF OF SHIGHNAN-JUSTICE TEMPERED BY MERCY.

HAVING Somewhat recruited ourselves and our horses by a few days' halt in the glen, we set off north-eastward in the direction of Jerm, and, I think, after two or three marches we entered the Kokcha valley and crossed that river eight or nine miles north of Jerm. Thence we struck for a ford on the eastern branch of the same river, north of Yomal, and between that place and Khairabad. We crossed the river and journeyed on some fifteen miles, where, for the first time since leaving the Khawak Pass, we ventured to approach some scattered villages, which we observed at the base of a high mountain-range running north and

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south. These mountains appeared to be of considerable altitude, and many of their peaks were topped with snow.

We were deceived by the height of these mountains, for on approaching the villages we found that, although in a rocky situation and surrounded by ravines, they were at a distance of some miles from the actual base of the hills. With the exception of three or four huts, all these habitations were deserted. A few poor families lived apart from each other, and appeared to be in the lowest state of poverty and wretchedness. All this misery was caused by the oppression of the Kunduz chief, who, not content with plundering his wretched subjects, made an annual raid into the country south of Oxus, and by chappaos (nightattacks) carried off all the inhabitants on whom his troops could lay their hands. These, after the best had been selected by the chief and his courtiers, were publicly sold in the bazaars of Turkestan. The principal providers of this species of merchandise were the khan of Khiva, the king of Bokhara (the great hero of the Muhammadan faith), and the robber beg of Kunduz.

In the regular slave-markets, or in transactions between dealers, it is the custom to pay for slaves

in money; the usual medium being either Bokharan gold tillahs (in value about 5 or 5 Company rupees each), or in gold bars or gold grain. In Yarkand, or on the Chinese frontier, the medium is the silver khurup with the Chinese stamp, the value of which varies from 150 to 200 rupees each. The price of a male slave varies according to circumstances from 5 to 500 rupees. The price of the females also necessarily varies much, from 2 tillahs to 10,000 rupees. Even double the latter sum has been known to be given.

However, a vast deal of business is also done by barter, of which we had proof at the holy shrine of Pir-i-Nimcha, where we exchanged two slaves for a few lambs' skins! Sanctity and slavedealing may be considered somewhat akin in the Turkestan region, and the more holy the person the more extensive are generally his transactions in flesh and blood.1

The few wretched families at present residing in the hamlets where we halted were mostly Tajiks and farmers, with some few labourers and petty

1 Note by Colonel Gardner.—I subsequently knew at Mooltan a most respectable Lohani fruit merchant who was proved by his own ledger to have exchanged a female slave-girl for three ponies and seven long-haired, red-eyed cats, all of which he disposed of, no doubt to advantage, to the English gentlemen at that station.

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traders, most of the Uzbegs being in their tents among the hills pasturing their cattle. The inhabitants treated us with all hospitality, so we resolved to stay here for a certain time, to rest. During our stay three strangers arrived direct from Jerm and Yomal. They informed us that the latter place was a long day's march west or south-west of us. On becoming acquainted with

these men I discovered that one of them was a respectable Syad named Mir Ali Shah, who had a servant with him; both were well armed, and with handsome weapons. The third person was, curiously enough, a Hindu named Jey Ram, of respectable appearance and well armed. These people appeared to have travelled much together. They were both well-educated men, and could read, write, and speak fluently Persian, Turki, Pashtu, and Arabic. The Hindu had further some colloquial knowledge of the languages of Kafiristan, as he had formerly travelled in that country with some other Hindus.

They appeared to be intimate with the courts and chiefs of Turkestan and Afghanistan, and Mir Ali Shah had held some position of trust under Dost Muhammad shortly after the death of Sardar Azim Khan, the father of our late chief Habib-ulla

Khan. The Syad was a great traveller, and had been to Shikarpur, Lahore, and Peshawar, and had also made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and visited all the places of note in Persia. Jey Ram had been to many places in Russia, as far as Moscow.

They appeared to have been travelling for pleasure during the last two years under the ostensible character of hakims (doctors), to which they added astrology and fortune-telling. I invited them to stay with us as our guests as long as it might suit them to do so. They dressed our wounds and those of our horses with such skill and success that my Therbah declared that they had been sent by God for our succour. By their advice we remained in these villages for eighteen or twenty days to recruit our strength, as they stated that the country through which we proposed to travel was so difficult that we should be obliged to leave our horses behind and proceed on foot. They further said that they themselves were now on their way to those countries, and that on reaching the Oxus they intended to sell their horses and do likewise. They intended to remain during the winter in the Darra Darwaz, and in the following spring to visit Yarkand. Our present residence was called Zaruth Nao.