Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/McNair, William Watts
McNAIR, WILLIAM WATTS (1849–1889), traveller, was born 13 Sept. 1849. He joined the Indian survey department 1 Sept. 1867. His first twelve veers of service were passed with the Rajputana and Mysore topographical parties, and under Majors Strahan and Thullier he learned surveying thoroughly. In the autumn of 1879 he was selected to accompany the Khyber column of the Afghan field force, and was present during the fighting before Cabul and the defence of Sharpur in 1879–80. While in Afghanistan he made valuable maps, exploring the Lughman Valley and the route to Kafristan; and he was the first officer to traverse by the same valley the route from Cabul to Jalalabad. South of Cabul he penetrated to the Logar and Wardak valleys. After the war he was engaged in the Kohat survey under Major Holdich, tracing the frontier line from Kohat to Bannu, and, across the border, surveying part of the valley of the Tochi, and mapping some of the Khost district. He was soon transferred to one of the Beluchistan parties, and passed the remainder of life in surveying in that district; his main work was to carry a series of triangles from the Indus at Dehra Gazi Khan, near the thirtieth parallel, to Quetta. In 1883, hearing that a native explorer was about to visit Kafristan, he volunteered to accompany him disguised as a hakim, or native doctor. He obtained a year's leave, and the party crossed the frontier 13 April. They passed through the Dir country, and came by the Kotal Pass, at an elevation of 10,450 feet, to Ashreth, and thence to Chitral. He had intended to go northwards, by the Hindu Kush valleys, but after reaching the Dora Pass, and making observations in the Chitral district, he was compelled to return, owing to his identity having been disclosed by a native, Kafristan being very strictly secluded from Europeans. On his return he was officially reprimanded by the viceroy for crossing the frontier without permission. He read an account of his expedition before the Royal Geographical Society in London on 10 Dec. 1883, and was awarded the Murchison grant. He continued his survey work, but was in 1889 attacked by fever at Quetta, and moved to Mussooree, where he died 13 Aug. 1889.
[Memoir by J. E. Howard; Proc. Royal Geogr. Soc. 1884 p. 1, 1889 pp. 612, 684.]