repeating the process on the inscription at the opposite side. The lower part of the rock, on which it is engraved, slopes inwardly, while the soil on which it rests inclines outwardly, thereby forming an angle too acute to permit the free use of the arms. After fruitless endeavours to effect our purpose here also, I found that I must be contented carry off a copy only.

to

As I purposed to devote the morrow to taking copies of the inscriptions by sight, we this evening exercised the ingenuity of the village smith in preparing half a dozen sharply pointed instruments, that we might the better trace and cleanse the channels of the letters. He converted for our use as many files, which he chanced to possess ; and before we went to sleep, gave them to us prepared and tempered.

20th October.-At sunrise we were again at the stone, and with our new implements employed in clearing the letters of the inscription. After completing this part of our labours, we traced the letters on the rock with sharp angular pieces of a somewhat soft stone which we found in abundance around us. As the marks left by these stones were white, while the surface of the rock originally dark, had necessarily been considerably deepened in colour by the coverings of ink we had passed over it, the effect when the operation was terminated, was to ourselves surprising, and to our friends the villagers, little short of magical. They loudly expressed their feelings, affirming that they never had a notion that the entire stone was covered with writing, their knowledge having been confined to the obvious inscription of M. Court. They fully agreed with me that the Khán was a wonderful Khán, and that Sháh-Báz Kalendar was a cunning fellow, first to cover the stone with writing, and then to conceal the writing under

moss.

In taking copies of the inscriptions, which was not done without difficulty from the waving and confused course of the lines, the young lad from Paráng proved serviceable to me, by guiding the end of a slender and long stick over the letters as I copied them, and by shifting it as I directed him. Towards evening, I had completed my copies of the three inscriptions, but after the pains that had been taken in clearing and bringing out the characters, I could not but regret being unprovided with fine calico, that I might take another impression of the superior inscription, under the advantages which would not fail to attend it. With little probability of success, but anxious that no attempt should be untried, I directed my young man to send for horses from the village, and to ride over with the Malek's son to Kote, and ascertain whether by chance, any calico could be procured among the

Hindú traders of the bazaar. During the day, I had essayed how far the coarse cotton fabric of the country would serve to bear an impression, but it had not answered. My young man returned from Kote, and to my great satisfaction presented me with twenty-seven yards of excellent British calico; a wonderful piece of good fortune; how so costly an article had found its way into the bazaar of a Yúsufzai village, I could scarcely account for; but its possession made me happy, and with light hearts we returned to supper and to rest at the village.

21st October. By sunrise this morning we were anew occupied by taking a fresh impression of the large inscription. At noon, we heard the reports of cannons and small arms, which continued more or less sustained until afternoon, from which we inferred that Sirdár Saiad Mahomed Khán and his opponents had met in mortal conflict. did not on their account remit our labours, but completed our impression in a manner, if not perfect, at least more satisfactory than the former one.

We

22nd October. This day was spent at the stone, in completing our observations on it, and in the evening we retired to the village, with the intention of starting for Pesháwer in the morning.

23rd October. Two or three hours before daylight our horses were saddled, and we were ready to start. Malek Derú and the man he had commissioned to accompany us to Peshawer were also ready. I was unable, although he was suffering from ague, to dissuade the Malek from attending us on the road, and urged to no purpose that it was ague day; I was also unable to send him back after he had proceeded a reasonable distance; he would and did keep us company until we reached the Kála-páni rivulet, being determined, he said, not only to see us safe in his own limits, but beyond them; we parted after a good deal of embracing, and I hoped the good old man would be able to reach his village before the ague fit came on. He must have been above seventy years of age; but he was hale, and on horseback active. Riding this morning on a mare, followed, as is the practice, by the foal, he dashed among the high jungle grass with great spirit and satisfaction, and was much pleased when I familiarly addressed him as Bai Derú, and alluded to the exploits of his youthful days.

We crossed the Kála-páni at daylight, and without halting at Hotti, committed ourselves to the plain before us. On nearing the mound before noted as between Hotti and Do Sir, we descried in the distance, but approaching us, a number of spears rising above the grass. They might be in hostile or in friendly hands, but we had only to encounter what happened as well as we could; we therefore

302 EXCURSION FROM PESHAWER TO SHAH-BAZ GHARI.

marched firmly on, taking care to keep well together. The spearmen gradually advanced, and as they came closer we observed a multifarious assemblage of men and animals; on our meeting them, we found many engaged in extinguishing the matches of their fire-arms, which by way of precaution they had lighted when they first beheld our party; they were a káfila from Sohát, bringing grain laden on bullocks. We kept on our journey, and without farther rencontre reached Paráng. The Malek's man was unable to keep farther pace with our horses; and we left him to pass the night there, and to make his way leisurely to Pesháwer the next day. For ourselves, we resolved to proceed at once to Pesháwer; therefore dropping a present into the hand of the young lad who had accompanied us to Sháh-Báz Ghari, we crossed the river, and, by the road we had come, made for the city, which we reached a little before sunset; and took up quarters at the Bágh-i-Vazír (the Vazír's garden), from which we had started on our trip.

The following day Malek Derú's man joined us, and after allowing him due rest, we made over to him a Korán, a lunghi, a postinchi, and two pairs of shoes, the articles desired by the Malek, and due to his civility; in addition we made over a few sundries which we judged would be acceptable; due to our own friendly feelings, and to show to him and to his people that attention and courtesy were appreciated, as well as to secure a welcome reception for myself, in case I should again wander that way, and that the traveller who may hereafter visit SháhBáz Ghari should have no reason to complain that I had preceded him. These duties acquitted, a lunghi was bound around the messenger's head and we dismissed him to rejoin his master.