A Peep into Toorkisthhan | Page 7

sell us again, we shall be well fed and clothed." I confess I do not see
why the servants, if they really were so anxious to return to slavery,
should not have sold themselves, and pocketed their own value.
Throughout Afghanist[=a]n a slave is treated as an humble friend, and
is generally found to be faithful and trustworthy.

CHAPTER IV.
After surmounting the Oonnye Pass, which is one of the principal
defiles of the Hindoo Khoosh, we proceeded on the 20th to
Gurdundew[=a]l, a distance from Uart of about six and a half miles.
The road was a gradual descent, and very rugged, leading along the
bases of barren rocks, till we debouched upon the river Elbon, as it is
termed by the natives, but the Helmund or Etymander of the ancients.
Even here, where the stream was in its infancy, the current was so
strong, that while we were fording it, one of our baggage ponies laden
with a tent was carried away by its violence, and, but for the gallant

exertions of our tent-pitcher, we should have had to sleep in the open
air for the rest of our journey; as it fortunately happened, both animal
and load were recovered; and when properly dried, neither one nor the
other were a bit the worse for their washing. On the 21st we encamped
near the village of Kazee, after a march of nine miles along the right
bank of the Helmund, which here flows in a south-westerly direction;
we could procure no supplies whatever, either for man or beast, which
was the more vexatious as we had a very hard day's work in prospect
for the morrow, and were anxious to recruit ourselves and cattle before
attempting it. We managed well enough in spite of our compulsory fast,
and on the 22d we reached Kalloo, a distance of twelve miles, after
crossing the steep and difficult pass of Hadjekuk, 12,400 feet high; as
we approached the summit we found ourselves amongst the snow, and
experienced some little inconvenience from a difficulty of respiration;
though this pass was even higher than that of Oonnye, it does not
possess the same abruptness and boldness of feature which render the
latter so interesting and dangerous. The hills near the gorge were so
strongly impregnated with iron as sensibly to affect the needle of the
theodolite.
Throughout this country, and especially amongst the Uzbegs, there is a
fortified wall in the form of a square surrounding each village, with
small bastions or towers at the angles. Plunder is so much the order of
the day, or rather of the night, that, as a protection, the cattle and every
living animal are shut up in these places at sunset; the wicket is locked
and barred, and if the villagers happen to have a feud with any of their
neighbours, which generally is the case, a watchman is stationed on
each bastion. Truly of this land it may be said, that "what one sows
another reaps," for frequently a chief forming a "chuppäo" or
plundering party against his neighbour, if unsuccessful in seizing men
to sell for slaves or cattle for use, reaps and carries off the corn. These
chuppäos are considered among the predatory tribes very exciting
affairs, as affording opportunities for the young warriors to flesh their
maiden swords; but it seldom happens that these encounters are very
bloody, as, in the event of one party shewing a determined front, the
other generally retreats. The unfortunate Huzareh tribe are constantly
the sufferers, and the traveller will recognize more slaves of that than of

any other "clan."
We were now in the vicinity of the Koh-i-baba, a mountain whose
granite peaks still towered six thousand feet above us, though our own
camp was at least nine thousand above the level of the sea. We
determined upon ascending it the following morning, but at first
experienced considerable difficulty in procuring guides, not from the
natives being either unqualified or unwilling to undertake the task, for
they were chiefly hunters, and familiar with the paths they had
themselves formed in pursuit of game, but they could not conceive why
we should be anxious to climb the difficult height, and therefore were
obstinately stupid in refusing to understand the purpose for which we
required their services. At length we obtained a guide, and started next
morning at half-past five: with considerable fatigue and some little risk
we reached the summit after three hours walking, but the magnificent
view amply rewarded us for our trouble. The peaks about us were
capped with eternal snow; those below were rugged and black. The
comparison of the view from the top of a lofty mountain in a hilly
country with that of the sea in a storm is old perhaps, but only