1 434 A BURIAL-GROUND.
2 About mid-way to camp our notice was at-
3 tracted by an extensive burying-ground. Each
4 piquet of ours is posted, you begin to ascend up the very
5 steep side of the mountain, on a road cut out of the solid
6 rock. This continues about twelve feet wide for three
7 quarters of a mile, during which you ascend nearly 2000
8 feet. It is very much the same as one of the hill roads of
9 the Himalayah, only worse from being all loose, and till
10 lately was almost impracticable ; but we have had 200 men
11 at work on it for some weeks, and it is now comparatively
12 perfect.
13 “ A fier getting up this worst part, the road still continues
14 much the same, though now not ascending, for another
15 three quarters of a mile, in which are two short but very
16 steep ascents, which bring one to another stockade and
17 strong party of our irregulars, posted so as to defend this
18 end of the pass. Beyond this we had about another mile
19 of indifferent road, and three more tolerably good, which
20 brought us to a small mountain valley and fort called
21 Gurrhee Lala Beg; distance in all about thirteen miles.
22 To say this pass is»bad is far too mild a word. I never
23 contemplated anything at all to be compared to its strength ;
24 and I can only say that, if a position is wanted to defend
25 India on, this spot would be totally impregnable if pro-
26 perly defended by Europeans. From this we travelled
27 seven miles along the pass over a tolerable road, except
28 one or two bad spots, to Ali Masjid. This place, which
29 commands the whole Khaibar, was the place at which the
30 chiefs,.levied their passage-money on all travellers, for
31 which its situation absolutely prevents their having a hop