DARD, a race lying along the Indus, to the westward of Ladakh, and to the N. and N.E. of the Snowy Range, who speak three distinct dialects. They use the Persian character in writing Dardu, the three dialects of which are ealled Shina, Kha juna, and Arniya. The Shina dialect is spoken by the people of Astor, Gilghit, and lower down in Chelas, Darel, Rohli, and Palas on both banks of the Indus. The Khajuna, by Bic people of Hunza and Nagyr ; and the Arniya in Yasan and Chitral. The Dard group of languages includes the Arniya, Astori, Gilghiti, Kalashtunander, and Khajuna. The Kashmir people have their own pectiliar lan guacm. In Gilghit, Astor, and Baltistau, the castes are Ilona, Shin, Yaskun, Kremin, and Dum or Dom. The Kremin is a mixed rake. The Shin or Shina and Yaskun were the dominant race. In the N.W. Himalaya, the lowest castes are the Dogra and Dom. Astor has an area of 1600 scinare miles, on the left bank of the Indus. Gilghit, in Tibetan Gyilgyid, has an area of 2600 square miles, on the right bank of the Indus. The Dard or Durd, the people who now occupy the country called Dardu, are supposed by Vigne to be the Dadicre (AA:mot) of Herodotus. Darada, a country in the Hindu
Kush, bordering on Kashmir, is mentioned by Pliny. The people are the Dard, and are mentioned in the Vishnu Puratia. The Kashmiri has decided affinities with the Dard tongue. Tha Balti people of Little Tibet say that Ladakh, Iskardo, Khopalu, Purik, Nagyr, Gilghit, and Abtor are distinct Tibets. Papps is a drug from Ladakh, seemingly composed of dough, which the Dards add to an infusion of corn to make the batt) tailed mo. Wine is largely made by the Dards. Men and women amongst the Dards eat together. When men :drink plain milk together, it is as an oath of eternal friendship. At the conclusion of the mullah's reading the marriage service, the bride and bridegroom partake of a spoonful of boiled milk. Dards are fond of chaughan bazi, or hockey on horseback, also called polo. The game is called tope in Astor ; at Gilghit it is called bulla. The Dard legends and beast tales have been described by Dr. Leitner.—Dowson ; Latham; Vigne.