camp, and we remounted when it was growing light. At breakfast-time (9 a.m.) we put our mail on and moved forward faster. The blackness of Parhala shewed itself from 2 miles off; the gallop was then allowed (chapqiin quiuldt) ; the right went east of Parhala, Quj Beg, who was also of the right, following as its reserve; the men of the left and centre went straight for the fort, Dost Beg being their rear-reserve.
Parhala stands amongst ravines. It has two roads ; one, by which we came, leads to it from the south-east, goes along the top of ravines and on either hand has hollows worn out by the torrents. A mile from Parhala this road, in four or five places before it reaches the Gate, becomes a one-man road with a ravine falling from its either side ; there for more than an arrow's flight men must ride in single file. The other road comes from the north-west; it gets up to Parhala by the trough of a valley and it also is a one-man road. There is no other road on any side. Parhala though without breast-work or battlement, has no assailable place, its sides shooting perpendicularly down for 7, 8, 10 yards.
When the van of our left, having passed the narrow place, went in a body to the Gate, HatI, with whom were 30 to 40 men in armour, their horses in mail, and a mass of foot-soldiers, forced his assailants to retire. Dost Beg led his reserve forward, made a strong attack, dismounted a number of Hatl's men, and beat him. All the country-round, HatI was celebrated for his daring, but try as he did, he could effect nothing ; he took to flight; he could not make a stand in those narrow places ; he could not make the fort fast when he got back into it. His assailants went in just behind him and ran on through the ravine and narrows of the north-west side of the fort, but he rode light and made his flight good. Here again, Dost Beg did very well and recompense was added to renown.1
Meantime I had gone into the fort and dismounted at Tatar Kakar's dwelling. Several men had joined in the attack for whom to stay with me had been arranged ; amongst them were Amin-i-muhammad Tarkhan Arghun and Qaracha.2 For this
? Juldu Dost Beg-nirig Mi-gha buldi.
2 The disarray of these names in the MSS. reveals confusion in their source. Similar verbal disarray occurs in the latter part of f. 22q.
