'A Journey from Bengal to England, through the Northern part of India, Kashmire, Afghanistan, and Persia, and into Russia, by the Caspian-Sea. By George Forster. In the Civil Service of the Honourable the East-India Company in Two Volumes. Vol. II.' [‎29] (42/314)

FORSTER'S TRAVELS.
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officer* The rigorous treatment of this clafs of females, which
are ever the moil: pleafing to fociety from the indulgence granted
to them, has here effedted a grievous change $ for though Kafh-
mire is known to abound in fine women, few are now feen
among the courtezans.
A revenue of between twenty and thirty lacks of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
is colledled from this province, of which a tribute of feven
lacks is remitted to the treafury of Timur Shah, The army of
Rafhmire, a part of wdiich I have feen embodied, confifts of
about three thoufand horfe and foot, chiefly Afghans,* who had
received little pay for two years, and many of them, for want
of a better fubfiftence, were obliged to live on the Kernel of
the Singerah,-f or water-nut, which is plentifully produced in
the lakes of the country.
In noticing the character of the governor of Kafhmire, which
is compofed of little elfe than a blind deftrudtive cruelty, you
* The natives of this province are rarely feen engaged in a military occupation,
from which their genius feems averfe; and it is held an eftablifhed rule in the Afghan
government, to refufe the admittance of a Kafhmirian into their army. The common
people ufually carry abroad with them in the winter feafon an earthen ftnve, which
hanging near the thigh, gives it a fcorched appearance; and by this mark a Kafhmirian
is difcovered, fhould he by ftealth endeavour to enlift. The fling, in the ufe of which
they are expert, feems to be their favourite weapon, and enables them with little va
riation to oppofe an adverfary at a diilance, and from places of fecurity.
f The Singerah alfo conftitutes a great portion of the food of the lower clafs of
the natives, and the excluflve privilege of vending it, yields annually about twelve
theufand pounds to the government*