The mixture of Hindoostanee names is very curious indeed, particularly those names of things which, from being indigenous, one would suppose would have indigenous names.
7th.—Went up to Bharowl and returned to-day, March 9th, first went to Loongurze, the Barometer at which stood 24.758. Therm. in sun 85°. Bharowl is a small plain, but still three or four times larger than Loongurze, and perhaps 100 feet below it: this place is up the ravine leading to the fourth peak of the west side, which same peak must be between 9,000 to 10,000 feet high. Loongurze is visible from this, and is more to the south.
The villages consist of several houses forming a sort of wall; outside, the houses are of one story, with terraced roof, supported by timbers, they are built of stones, slabs of micaceous slate, which is the prevailing rock, and timbers interposed as ties; the rooms are very dark, and very dirty, with no outlet for the smoke. The only part of the furniture worth noticing consists of an inverted conical basket, made out of the stems of some large grass, coated with mud, and truncated at the top, used to keep grain in. The under, or ground floor appears to be used for the domestic animals which are cows, goats, fowls, etc. The inhabitants of Bharowl, Bhawiolis, are a kafir race with a Mussulman cast of countenance, but fair, of an unhealthy look, with in many cases light hair, and generally light eyes, they are a rather large tribe, and appear to have but few wants, are very poor, and very dirty; the better part of the men are clothed in Cashgar, chargas, and ordinary cotton under-garments; the women dress in blue. Both villages are on the limit of inferior snow at this season; there is enough of cultivation about to supply their wants, chiefly wheat and barley, and a sort of pea. Loongurze is infested with a villainous midge, of the same genus as that of the Naga Hills, but few are to be found at Bharowl.
At Loongurze I met a Khungurlye slave, of the caste Krungurlye, the head-quarters of which are at a mountain village, about eight cos off, in a north-west direction. The chief of Koorungul is Ahmed Khan, he is independent: his village having 400 men, well armed.
The man wore a goat skin jacket without sleeves, a skull cap of camel hair netted, and leggings to the ancle of the same, to keep off the midges; these leggings are likewise used at Bharowl for the same purpose. The following is a specimen of the Krungurlye dialect.
Baba, Father. Wurrik, Water.
Aiee, Mother. Soourr, Hog.
Lohideck, Brother. Kookoor, Fowl.
Trizzai, Sister. Ow, Bread.
Khleck, Woman. Trull, Jungul.
Gillor, Horse. Psan-sa, Cat.
The Krungurlies are said to have been kafirs, converted long ago. They are now quite Mussulman in appearance. They were doubtless originally a mixture of European and Tartar races driven by persecution to the hills, to which they are still perhaps restricted by the cause which led to their original isolation.
I tried to ascend the ridge, but the snow was impracticable even within 700 feet of the village. The Nakhtur, or Pinus, which is the prevailing feature above Bharowl, is the same as the Tazeen one, and is a Cedrus or Abils, leaves very short, cones erect and elegant, but only broken ones could be found. The ridge and its face is quite covered with them, they grow singly. Huge masses of micaceous rocks are scattered here and there, some are of gigantic size.
The Baloot is the next most common tree, but I fancy it does not extend beyond 7,500 feet; this is in general use for firewood, many of the trees, especially below, are much damaged, and on these the leaves are generally very thorny. Next is the Zaitoon, but it is not common in this direction, although common a mile to the south on the ridge first ascended. The soil is now saturated with snow water, and appears good and plentiful. The want of soil is another reason why the lower ranges are so barren, but this is just the contrary of what would be expected.
In spite of the beauty and fineness of these forests, there is still the Khorassan paucity of forms. Many herbaceous plants are doubtless hid under the snow, but few shrubs were to be seen: the Mespilus of Tazeen being the most common at 6,000 to 7,000 feet, a Thymus, Labiata, Olea fragrans, Ocymoidea, two or three Crucifera; Sedum pictum observed, and Melanthaceæ which has fragrant flowers, is very common. The rocks are covered with mosses, Grimmia pulvinaloides, every where in profusion. New forms consist of a fine Tortula and an Anictangioid, with leaves white, and membranous from the middle upwards.