Memoir of William Watts McNair, Late of "Connaught House," Mussooree, of the Indian Survey Department, the First European Explorer of KafiristanHoward, J. E.
History
Memoir of William Watts McNair, Late of "Connaught House," Mussooree, of the Indian Survey Department, the First European Explorer of Kafiristan
Howard, J. E.
McNair, William Watts, 1849-1889; Nuristan (Afghanistan) -- Description and travel; Nuristani (Asian people)
Rahmatullah Khan, chief of Dir, is an Eusafzai, ruler of a population
exceeding 600,000. In appearance he is anything but prepossessing--small
of stature and very dark in complexion for a Pathan; with not a tooth in
his head, and the skin on his face loose and wrinkled, he presents the
appearance of an aged man, though really not more than fifty-five.
I was at Shahzadgai seven days, and during that time succeeded in
bringing round the chief, who was suffering from an ordinary cold and
cough. I cannot say my stay was a pleasant one, for from early morn
till dusk our hut was surrounded by patients, and inasmuch as the chief
had recovered, it was considered a sufficient guarantee that, no matter
what the ailment or disease might be, if only the tabib would
prescribe, all would come right. Men with withered arms and legs,
others totally blind, were expected to be cured, and no amount of
persuasion would convince those who had brought such unfortunates that
the case was a hopeless one. It was here that I got as a fee the
antique seal which I have brought for exhibition to the meeting. The
man who brought it had found it across the Panjkhora, opposite
Shahzadgai, whilst throwing up some earthworks; it was then encased in
a copper vessel. General Cunningham, to whom I showed the seal at Simla
about three months ago, writes as follows:--"I am sorry to say that I
cannot make out anything about your seal. At first I thought that the
man standing before a burning lamp might be a fire-worshipper, in which
case the seal would be Persian. I _incline_, however, to think that it
may be an Egyptian seal. I believe that each symbol is one of the
common forms on Egyptian monuments; this can be determined by one
versed in Egyptian hieroglyphics." Since my arrival here I have
submitted the seal to Sir Henry Rawlinson. The fact of its having been
dug up in the Panjkhora Valley adds great interest to the relic.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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