The blackbird of the Himalayas, wild pigeons. Narcissus in abundance in sandy fields, Cryptandrioid, Clematis, Rubus, Euonymus, Pteris!
We had an interview with the kafirs or infidels about a mile below Katoor, they seemed at first much alarmed, our retinue not being small or unarmed, and their reliance on Mussulman faith not very strong. They took up their post at the foot of a hill where a deputation of the Khan of Chugur Serai, (who has married a Chief’s daughter) met them; they received the deputation with a feu de joie from one or two firelocks, and then accompanied him to us, preceded by two drums, one of ordinary, the other of an hour-glass shape, and two pipes of gramineous culm, with three or four holes, and apparently oblique mouth-pieces, but of ordinary sound. The Chiefs, the head of whom is Hussin Ali’s father-in-law, having been introduced, advanced, and commenced turning and stamping round a circle.
The usual formalities then took place; the followers, although a fine bodied people, and very active, were excessively dirty, and not very fair; most were dressed in skins, having the hair inside, armed with bows, either straight or like cow’s horns, and daggers.
The Chiefs were much fairer than their followers, and in the expression of face and eyes European; but in all cases the forehead was very slanting, and head generally badly developed.
Their dress consisted of cotton frocks, with slashed sleeves, embroidered thickly with worsted network: they wear short pyjamas, and skin shoes, with thick skin soles; one had short boots with hair inside: most were ornamented with the blue and yellow longhys of Pushut, etc. The hair is cut short except that of the Chiefs, who had fillets left round their heads, adorned with cowries, in radiated shapes, with a red, worsted, pendant tassel. The headman had a pendant wire chain with ornaments, and from the centre of the tassel, the Monaul pheasant feathers, and his back hair was plaited into many little tails.
Almost all had necklaces of beads, the better sort silver earrings (plain rings), and some pendant silver ornaments; many had bracelets, ornamented with brass; kumurbunds of plain white cloths: the poor ones have their heads naked, or with bits of cloth wrapped round.
They had no swords, but Hindoostany ones, and of these very few.
Even their archery, Macgregor says is bad; one or two had spears, the Chief’s spear was provided with a very long head, and ornamented with cowrie shells at the top of the haft; two women came afterwards, their necks loaded with cowries and bits of bones, but otherwise well clothed with the usual gowns, the outer one without sleeves and very wide arm holes. They were decorated with very coarse, large, circular earrings. They approached the rest singing in chorus, not unmelodiously, but with very little variation in notes. Then a whistle, general and loud from the whole party, representing their rejoicing over a slaughtered Mussulman.
On the whole these people present nothing peculiar as compared with other hill people: like them they are vindictive, savage, poor, dirty, remarkable for great cupidity, fond of red cloth, beads, etc. They are a mixed race, some are like Indians, some like Europeans, but in all the forehead is low, Tartar eyes, often light brown or grey, hair often light. Put them among the Nagas, etc. of the Assam frontier, and none would notice them.
The Chief’s son wore a black, narrow band round his head, ornamented behind with a few cowries and bone ornaments.