the staircase is a circular erection about three feet high, covered with brass, and bearing a large gilt Bajra or thunderbolt of Indra, which resembles a double-headed sceptre. Around the large central dome-shaped temple or mound are numerous small temples, shrines, bells,

etc.

Simbhūnāth is much frequented by the Newars and Bhotiyas, but is not held in great respect by the Hindu part of the population.

South-east of Simbhunath, between it and Kāṭhmānḍū, lies the artillery parade-ground, on which stands a large house, used as an arsenal and museum of old weapons of

all sorts.

As regards the buildings of the country one point remains to be noticed, and that is the number of Powahs, Pātīs, and Sātals scattered all along the roads and paths. These are resting-places for travellers and pilgrims. Some are large square two-storied buildings, frequently attached to temples and shrines. Others are mere sheds, consisting of a wall with a tiled verandah supported on wooden pillars. All of them are erected by private persons, and supported by the descendants of the builders. Many of them therefore are falling into ruins, but new ones are as constantly erected to replace them. The building of these resting-places, and of Dhārās or watering-places, is considered a highly meritorious act by the Nepalese.

CHAPTER II.

Population of the country. Various races. Gorkhas, Newārs, Magars, Gurungs, Limbūs, Kirātis, Bhotiyas, and Lepchas. Their appearance, languages, dress, and ornaments. Food. Drinks. Education. Religions. Marriage. Satis. Adultery and its punishment. Divorce. Eras in use in Nepal. Religious festivals.

For the size of the country Nepal possesses a great variety of races in its population. The principal of these are the Gorkhas, Newārs, Magars, Gurungs, Limbūs, Kiratis, Bhotiyas and Lepchas.

The Gorkhas, or Gorkhālis, so named from the former capital of their country, are the dominant race. They formerly occupied the district around the town of Gorkha, which is about forty miles west of Kāṭhmānḍū. They are said to be of Rājpūt descent, and to have been driven out of Rajputana on the occasion of an invasion by Musulmans'. They first settled near Pālpa, having passed through the Kumāon hills, and gradually extended their dominions to Gorkha. A little more than a hundred years ago they invaded Nepal, and the country to the eastward, and they have remained the ruling race ever since.

The Gorkhas are in general rather fine-looking men. Some of the higher castes, such as are found in some regiments of the army, are tall and slim in figure, but

1 The royal family claims to be descended from that of Udaipur.

2 The centenary of the conquest was in 1868.

muscular and wiry, and have high features like the natives of Hindustan. However, owing to intermarriage, etc., the various races have become much mixed. They are essentially a military race, and form the bulk of the army. They are temperate and hardy, and make good soldiers, but they are by no means industrious, and take but a small share in the agricultural or mechanical labours of the country. They live chiefly in Kāṭhmānḍū, but many are scattered about in the other towns and throughout the country.

The Newars constitute the largest section of the inhabitants of the valley, but are not numerous beyond its limits. They were the occupiers of the country prior to the invasion of the Gorkhas, and they still form the bulk of the population of Patan, Bhatgaon, and most of the smaller towns. They are in general a shorter set of men than the Gorkhas, and their features are more of the Mongolian type. They perform almost all the agricultural and mechanical work of the country, and many of them are skilful carpenters, masons, workers in metal, painters and embroiderers1. Most of the trade of the country too is in the hands of Newārs, and a few of them are very wealthy.

The Magars and Gurungs inhabit chiefly the country to the west of the Nepal valley. They are short powerful men, of Mongolian cast of features. These are the men mostly to be found in what are called the British Gorkha regiments.

1 They are industrious enough when working for themselves in the fields or elsewhere, but when employed by Europeans they are the most idle, exasperating workers that it is possible to conceive. The only way to get them to work is to have a sepoy to watch them. Most of them too are Banras or Budhist priests, and on an average they take four holidays in a week!

The Limbus and Kirātis occupy the hilly country to the eastward of the valley. The Limbūs are much employed in the army, and both they and the Kirātis are famous as hunters. They are both short flatfaced people, powerfully built, and decidedly Mongolian in appearance.

The Lepchas occupy the hills near Sikkhim, and in general characteristics closely resemble the Bhotiyas.

The Bhotiyas are the hillmen living around the valley, and between it and Tibet. They are powerful, muscular, but ugly people. Much of the carrying of burdens is performed by them, and the load they can bear is surprising. It is by no means uncommon for them to carry two maunds, though one maund (80 lbs.) is the regular load, and this too has to be carried over hills several thousand feet in height, where the paths are of the most primitive construction. The Bhotiyas always carry loads on their backs, supported by a strap across the forehead, whereas the Newārs invariably carry theirs in baskets with a pole across the shoulder.

In addition to these regular inhabitants of the valley, a number of natives of Bhotān and Tibet visit it in the cold season, generally living around Bodhnath and Simbhūnāth.

A few Musulmans, consisting of Kashmiri and Irāki merchants, live in Kathmandu. The former have been established there for several generations. Altogether they do not number more than about one thousand.

These various races differ greatly from each other in many respects. The language used by the Gorkhas is Parbatiya, which is a modern dialect of the Sanskrit, and is written in the same character. The Newari language is quite distinct, and the written character also

is somewhat different. The other races have each a language, or at least a dialect, of their own; and some of them, such as the Limbus and northern Bhotiyas, use the Tibetan language.

The Gorkhas are decidedly the best-dressed part of the population. In summer they wear pāejāmas and a jacket, or long tunic, of white or blue cotton, with a kamarband, in which is invariably fastened a kukhri, or large heavy crooked knife. In winter they wear similar clothes padded with cotton, or, if they are able to afford it, lined with fur. The headdress is generally a small closely-rolled turban of dark cloth, but they often wear a loosely folded pagri, or a gaudy little skullcap, ornamented with tinsel and braid.

The poorer classes of the Newārs wear in general little but a waist-cloth and a jacket of coarse cotton or woollen cloth, according to the season. Some of the wealthier, particularly merchants who have visited Tibet, wear a handsome dress, consisting of very full short trousers, a long tunic, and a fur-edged cap. Some of the men, especially the inhabitants of Harsiddhi, wear a long robe like a woman's gown, reaching to the ankles, and gathered into numerous plaits at the waist. The headdress of the Newārs is a small skull-cap of black or white cloth, thinly wadded with cotton, and generally turned up for an inch or so at the border. The dress of the other races varies little from those already described.

The women of all the races dress much alike, wearing a cloth1 by way of petticoat, gathered into a mass of plaits in front and almost touching the ground, but short behind, barely reaching the knee. Besides this, they

1 The ladies of the higher classes like their muslin to be sixty or eighty yards in length. Of course they cannot walk much with such a bundle round them.