Mountains

 

 

The mountains of the agency have been already reffered to . Of these the Safed Kof range stand out by itself . Starting with the peak of Sikha Ram (15,620 feet) the range continues on a line almost due east with a succession of peaks of little less height. After a time it loses some of its impressive altitude and finally branches out with the two ranges enclosing the Bazaar Valley. In its highest slopes it is steep and rocky, and rather devoid of vegetation, but below that it is thickly wooded with pine trees of all descriptions. Within the agency itself it can be closed by only one pass, the Agam with an altitude of 11,730 feet. The other hills within the agency deserve little mention.

That portion of the Mandher range between the Paiwar Kotal and Khalachi is of varying height but rarelty exceeds 8,000 feet. It toois copiously wooded. The other hills are barren, bearing little else than scrub. Of these the highest are Khwaja Khidr in the Khush Khurram range, and Ding Sar behind Sadda in Zaimusht country. Of other subjects, ordinary dealt with under this chapter, such as geology, flora anf fauna, it is impossible in a work of this limited space to give any notice which would be of practical use. Those who desire to go in to the subject are recommended to Aitcheson’s flora of Kurram and other similar works. Suffice it to say that no mineral deposits worthy of remarks, or of such quantity as to foster even a small local trade, have been found in the Kurram. Wild animals there doubtless are, but these do not exist in any source of danger to the people. In the matter of sport, ibex, markhor, Chinkara and the  like are to be found, but not in any quantity and generally  speaking, the heads are of no value.