'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎15] (148/458)

ON THE PROVINCE OF PESHAWUR. 15
highly picturesque, particularly from the Grain market and the Silk-
sellers’ bazar•
The houses, few of which are worth noticing, although many of them
are large, and for the most part built of burnt bricks (which is difficult
to distinguish from unburnt brick, on account of the dusty colour of the
buildings, occasioned by the dust storms which greatly prevail in the
hot season) are generally erected in wooden frames, on account of the
frequent occurrence of Earthquakes, which are common in this districts
as also in all the northern parts of AfFghanistan. Many of the houses
are three stories in height, the second and third of which have often
fronts of carved wood and open work, which admit both air and light,
and, at the same time, prevent their room from being seen into
from without. In most of the principal streets the lower parts of
the houses are occupied as shops, which are, however, in no way con
nected with the upper part, the latter being accessible by a stair at
the side of the house. The roofs are all flat and plastered with mud,
and surrounded by a parapet four or five feet in height.
In the hot weather the people pass a great deal of their time on the
house tops, and on which, in this season, they invariably sleep. On
this account it is considered a crime to overlook the roof of your neigh
bour’s house from your own, as you might by doing so see the ladies of
the family. The houses of the better sort of the people contain Tali-
lianas or Zeerzaminees, rooms under ground, in which the females, when
not employed in household matters, spend the whole of the day. The
heat of a house in the hot season, which continues for three months, is
at times very great, often reaching to 100° of Fahrenheit.
Several streets are as wide as the streets of many of our towns at
home, for which General Avitabile, or as he is called by the Peshawurees
Abutabile Sahib, must be thanked. During the period that he was
Governor of the Province, he made many improvements : he, in fact,
almost rebuilt many parts of the city, and although he ruled with the
“ rod of iron” yet still his name is greatly respected. The Pesha
wurees say he was a just man, and that instead of entrusting its ad
ministration to overbearing Hindustanies, he administered justice him
self, heard every complaint, and was accessible at all times to the meanest
person. The door of his residence was not surrounded by swarms of
lazy peons to keep those who cannot afford to bribe them and the
Moonshees from access.