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 ACCOUNT
OF THE

KINGDOM OF NEPAUL
BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF OBSERVATIONS MADE DURING

A MISSION TO THAT COUNTRY

IN THE YEAR 1793
 i

'Z.
 ACCOUNT
OF THE

KINGDOM OF NEPAUL
BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF OBSERVATIONS MADE DURING

A MISSION TO THAT COUNTRY

IN THE YEAR 1793

COLONEL KIRKPATRICK

ILLUSTRATED WITH A MAP AND OTHER ENGRAVINGS

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 AN

ACCOUNT
OF THE

KINGDOM OF NEPAUL,
BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF OBSERVATIONS MADE DURING

A MISSION TO THAT COUNTRY,

IN THE YEAR 1793.

BY COLONEL KIRKPATRICK.

ILLUSTRATED WITH A MAP, AND OTHER ENGRAVINGS.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR WILLIAM MILLER, ALBEMARLE STREET:
BY W. BDLMEB AND CO. CLEVELAN D-BOW, ST. JAMES’S.

1811.
 TO

THE HONOURABLE THE

CHAIRMAN, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN,

AND

COURT OF DIRECTORS,
OF

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY\

THIS VOLUME,

DERIVED FROM THEIR RECORDS,

PUBLISHED UNDER THEIR SANCTION,

AND FAVOURED BY

THEIR LIBERAL PATRONAGE,

is

MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED.

 PREFACE

No Englishman had hitherto passed beyond the range

of lofty mountains which separates the secluded valley
of Nepaul from the north-eastern parts of Bengal: and
the public curiosity respecting that Terra Incognita*
(as it might then be justly called), was still ungratified,
except by the vague and unsatisfactory reports of a few
missionaries and itinerant traders,t when, towards the
close of the year 1 792, an opportunity was unexpect¬
edly presented to the British Government in India, of
removing the veil which had so long interposed between

* The time will probably be recollected by many persons still living,

both in England and in India, when Nepaul was spoken of as another El
Dorado.
+ Principally Hindoo mendicants of the well known classes called
Gusains and Sunafies, who are at once devotees and pilgrims, beggars, sol¬
diers, and merchants.
IV PREFACE.

the two countries, and of establishing a more intimate

and beneficial connection with the Hindoo state of
Khatmandu, than had yet been found practicable. Of
this opportunity the late Marquis Cornwallis, who then
presided over the British Possessions in India, did not
neglect to avail himself.
That venerated nobleman had, some time before, form¬
ed certain arrangements* with the existing authorities of
Nepaul,which, itis to be regretted, were not followed up,
as they would have left nothing more to be wished for
by the British Government: since, besides being well
calculated to promote and protect the commercial inter¬
course of the two nations, they had a necessary tendency
to extend and improve, by degrees, all the other social
relations, to which proximity of situation naturally
invites.
Such, however, was not yet the case. The habitual
jealousy of the Goorkhas,+ fostered, at least, if it was
not inflamed by the insidious representations of indivi¬
duals desirous of preserving the exclusive influence,
and profitable monopoly, which that jealousy had

The arrangements here alluded to were negotiated l>y Jonathan Dun¬

can, Esq. then Resident at Benares, and n.iw (.overnor of Bombay.
■f This is the usual designation ol the leignmg dvnastv of Nepaul.
 PREFACE. v

enabled them to acquire, and which they saw endan¬

gered by the closer approach of the two governments,
either wholly prevented the removal, or soon led to
the revival, of many of those impediments to a secure
and active trade, which it had been the express purpose
of the recent treaty to obviate. Accordingly, little or
no progress had been made in effectuating the enlight¬
ened views of the framers of that treaty, when the
course of events seemed, on a sudden, as already inti¬
mated, to furnish a peculiarly favourable occasion for
accomplishing their complete realization.
The Court of Pekin, resenting certain encroachments
which had been made by the Government of Nepaul
upon the rights of the Lama of Tibet, whom the Em¬
peror of China had, for some time past, taken under his
protection, or, in other words, had subjected to the
Chinese yoke, came to the resolution of chastising the
aggressor, or the Robber, as the Rajah of Nepaul was
contemptuously styled in the Chinese dispatches to Lord
Cornwallis on the occasion. For this purpose a consi¬
derable army was detached (under the command of a
kinsman of the Emperor), which, after traversing the
dreary and elevated regions of Tibet, had penetrated,
VI PREFACE.

with little other opposition besides what was presented

by the nature of the intervening countries, within a
short distance of the city of Khatmandu. It was then
that the ruling power of Nepaul, which, in consequence
of the minority of the reigning Rajah, was at this
period vested in a regency, alarmed at the danger with
which it saw the kingdom menaced, earnestly implored
the assistance of the Bengal Government.
This Government now beheld for the first time, the
extraordinary spectacle of a numerous Chinese force,
occupying a position, which probably afforded it a dis¬
tant view of the valley of the Ganges,* and of the richest
of the East India Company’s Possessions. It is true,
that the military character of that people was not of a
stamp to excite, under any circumstances, much fear
for the safety of those Possessions from their future
enterprizes. Least of all had we any thing to apprehend
from this quarter at the period in question, when we
had just signally humbled our most formidable enemy
and were at complete peace throughout India. Still,

* The valley of the Ganges being clearly discernible from the summit
of Bheem-phede (see p. 52), there is no difficulty in believing that it may
also be visible (though not very distinctly) from the heights of Dhyboon.
(See Map.)
 9•
PREFACE. VII

however, if, subduing Nepaul, the Chinese were to esta¬

blish themselves permanently in our neighbourhood,
the border disputes always incident to such a situation,
would be but too liable to disturb, more or less, the
commercial relations subsisting between them, and the
East India Company in another section of Asia. No
event, therefore, was more to be deprecated than the
conquest of Nepaul by the Chinese : and yet it would
have been a question of considerable difficulty and
delicacy how to have frustrated such a design, if it had
been actually entertained by the invaders. Military aid,
which was what the Regency of Nepaul had solicited of
the British Government, could not be afforded without
a direct departure from the system of policy laid down
for its general guidance by the legislature; or without
producing the immediate suspension, if not utter anni¬
hilation of our trade with Canton. Such aid was there¬
fore explicitly and steadily refused, but the assistance
which could be properly granted was readily offered.
This consisted in a tender of the mediation of our
Government for the purpose of effecting an amicable
accommodation between the belligerents, and in a propo¬
sal to dispatch with all practicable expedition to the
via PREFACE.

head quarters of the Chinese army, a Britisli Envoy

furnished with suitable powers and instructions for the
occasion. This offer, though falling far short of what
was desired, and, perhaps, expected by the Nepaul
Regency, was. nevertheless, accepted ; and Captain
(now Colonel) William Kirkpatrick was, in consequence,
appointed to conduct the proposed negociation in con¬
junction with the Court of Khatmandu.
But although the Envoy lost no time in repairing to
Patna, from whence he was to be conducted by a depu¬
tation" to be sent thither for the purpose, from Nepaul,
he found at his arrival at the former place, that the
Regency, either dubious of the efficacy of our interpo¬
sition with the Chinese, or fearful of the influence which,
if successful, it might give us in their future councils,
or possibly really intimidated by the menacing attitude
of the enemy, had suddenly, and without any reference
to the British Government, concluded such a treaty

* This deputation consisted of Bern Sah (a member of the government),

his brother, Rodur Beer (commander of the Rajah’s guards), and Deena-
nath Opadiah, the Nepaul Vakeel, usually resident at Calcutta. It was
joined on its return to Nepaul, by Bajoo Seer, half brother of the Rajah,
and a very promising youth, together with one or two others, relations ol
the Rajah, who had been on a pilgrimage to Ghyah.
 PREFACE. ix

with the invaders, as entirely superseded the necessity

of the proposed mediation. The treaty alluded to was
never formally communicated to the British Govern¬
ment, but there is reason to believe that though it res¬
cued the dominions of the Goorkhali from the more
immediate danger with which they appeared to be
threatened, it was, in other respects, by no means ho¬
nourable to the rulers of that country ; especially if it
be true, as was affirmed at the time by some intelligent
persons, that a little more firmness on the part of the
Regency would speedily have compelled the Chinese
(who had suffered greatly from sickness and scarcity,
and were not less impatient to quit Nepaul, than the
Nepaulians were to get rid of them), to solicit the ac¬
commodation, which they were permitted to make a
merit of granting.
Notwithstanding, however, that the original ground
of the proposed mission was, by this means, removed.
there remained sufficient subject of discussion between
the two Governments of Bengal and Nepaul, to make
that measure still extremely desirable. Accordingly
there was not much difficulty in leading the Nepaul
ministers to this point. It would have been, at least, an
b
X PREFACE.

ungracious return to the friendly disposition recently

manifested towards them by the Company’s Government,
if they had rudely sent back the Envoy of the latter,
after he had, as it were, advanced to their door with
their own concurrence, and in the prosecution of their
immediate interests. He therefore, some time after his
arrival at Patna, received a sufficiently pressing invitation
to proceed to Noakote, where the Rajah of Nepaul at
that time held his court ; and having obtained the ne¬
cessary authority for the purpose, from his own Govern¬
ment, he proceeded thither accordingly.
The gentlemen who accompanied the Envoy oil this
occasion, were the late Lieutenant Samuel Scott, assis¬
tant to the deputation,* Lieutenant (now Major) W.
D. Knox,+ in command of the military escort ; Lieu¬
tenant J. Gerard J (attached to the escort), and Mr. Adam
Freer, as surgeon. The escort consisted of two compa-

* And afterwards Deputy Adjutant General of the Bengal army

+ Appointed in 1801, during the government of Marquis Wellesley,
resident at Khatmandu. That part of the accompanying Map which con¬
tains the route of the Nepaul army, on its return from its incursion into
Tibet, was constructed on the authority of information obtained by Major
Knox, from persons holding principal commands in that army.
t Alterwards Lieutenant Colonel, and Adjutant General of the Bengal
army.
 PREFACE. xi

nies of Sepoys, and Moulavee Abdul Kadir Khan, an in¬

telligent and zealous native servant of the Company, who
had been employed by Mr. Duncan in negociating the
treaty of commerce already alluded to, and who had,
on that occasion, resided some time at Khatmandu, was
likewise attached to the mission.
It is no more than a bare act of justice to the gentle¬
men who have been here named, to state, on the present
occasion, that it was impossible for any persons to have
been more studious than they were during their short
stay in Nepaul, to conciliate, by all the means in their
power, the good will, and favourable opinion of every
class of the inhabitants of that interesting country, and
it may be confidently added, that their endeavours for
this purpose were as successful, as they were unremitted.
It is equally due to the native part of the Deputation, to
observe, that their conduct was, on all occasions, cor¬
respondent with that of their superiors.
The mission, of which the origin has here been ex¬
plained, gave rise to the cursory observations composing
the present volume. They were thrown together in
greater haste than was perhaps entirely compatible
either with much accuracy of style, or clearness of ar-
2
XU PREFACE.

rangement ; and more in obedience to the orders of his

Government, than from any hope entertained by the
Writer of being able to do justice to the subject prescribed
to him. They were written, in short, expressly, if not
solely, for the information of that Government, and of
the Court of Directors ; and certainly with no view to
future publication. It was not, indeed, till ten years
after, on the Writer’s return to England, that, after
declining to undertake the task himself, he consented,
at the instance of some private friends, that the manu¬
script should, with the permission of the Court of Di¬
rectors, be put into the hands of a literary gentleman
for the purpose of its being properly prepared to meet
the public eye. The Court of Directors, always ready
to encourage even the humblest attempts to contribute
to the stock of useful knowledge on every subject con¬
nected with India, not only assented to the proposed
publication, but agreed to patronize it with their
accustomed liberality. From this time, the fate of the
Work rested with the gentleman alluded to; and
perhaps its appearance would not have been much
longer delayed, if it had not been suggested that, as a
second mission to Nepaul had taken place, since the
 PREFACE. xiu

former one in 1 793, and under circumstances far more

favourable to the prosecution of useful enquiry, it was
probable that much new, as well as more correct infor¬
mation, relative to that country, would soon reach
England, which, if it did not wholly supersede the
necessity of the intended publication, might be advan¬
tageously engrafted upon the latter. But the expecta¬
tion thus excited was not yet fulfilled, when the death of
the proposed Editor once more arrested the progress of
the Work, which, on that occasion, passed into the hands
of the present Publisher, exactly in its original shape.
In the mean while, the latter having incurred consi¬
derable expense in preparing the Work for the press, he
was naturally unwilling, either entirely to relinquish
the publication, or to postpone it to an indefinite
period; especially as the additional information, in the
expectation of which so much delay had already oc¬
curred, did not any longer appear likely to be obtained.
On this occasion it was his wish, and he, in conse¬
quence, endeavoured, to engage the original Writer of
the observations to revise the manuscript, and to give
it the form which it was to have received from the
literary gentleman before alluded to. Being, however,
XIV PREFACE.

unsuccessful in this attempt, he was reduced to the

necessity of sending the work forth nearly in the same
state in which it came to his hands; the only alteration
made in it consisting of a few verbal corrections, and in
the division of the contents into Chapters.*
The foregoing candid statement of the circumstances
which have led to the present appearance of the follow¬
ing sheets, while it is designed, on the one hand, to
exonerate the original Writer from any responsibility
for the defects of a production, which it was at no time
his wish or purpose to obtrude upon the public in its
actual state, will, on the other, it is hoped, prove a
sufficient apology for the part taken by the Publisher
respecting it. Indeed the latter is even willing to
flatter himself, that whatever the imperfections of the
Work may be, or, however its value may hereafter be
diminished by more copious and methodical relations, it
will, in the interim, be received with indulgence, as
the only attempt hitherto made (with the single excep-

* When the volume was nearly printed off the Publisher was favoured
with a copy of Colonel Kirkpatrick’s official correspondence with the
Governor Genera), of India during his mission to Nepaul, and other Papers
relative thereto ; these he has given in the Appendix, No. II.
 PREFACE. XV

tion, it is believed, noticed below") to present the public

with a general idea of a country and people, particu¬
larly interesting to an English reader, on account of
their vicinity to the principal settlement of the British
Nation in India.
To conclude—if it should have only the effect of
stimulating those who are in possession of more just
and extensive information on the subject, to commu¬
nicate their knowledge to the world, the Publisher will
think that he has not adventured entirely in vain.

* The publication here referred to is a short Account of Nepaul, which

appeared some years ago in the Asiatic Researches, and of which an extract
will be found in the Appendix, No. III.

March 1, 1811.
 The following Errata, for which the Publisher has to apologize to the Reader, were unfortu¬
nately committed in transcribing the Manuscript; and it was not until the volume was nearly
printed off that they were detected.

Page line Page line

6 — ult. for 43“ 8' read 43.8. 118 — 15, for halted read hutted.
80 — 9, for George, read Georgi. 123 — 2, for not so much on account of the
33 — 4, (note) for Surren-dbool, read Surren- rocky channel in which it runs, as owing to
dboob. the rapidity of its stream; read, not so mnch
ib. — ib. — for Dhoob-kee read Dhoob tree. on account of the rapidity of its stream, as
41 — 6, before Goorkhalies invert possession of owing to the rocky channel in which it
the runs.
68 — 19,/or Kurripoot, read K4nipoot. 131 — 14,/or Argheea, read Argus.
66 — 17, after Mooruth insert (or idol) 138 — ult, after in which insert direction.
67 — 17, for probable, read palpable. 143 — 2, for green read gum.
70 — 4, for 831.75, read 23.75 inches. 148 — 10, after Manuscript insert (Vide Asiatic
79 — 81,22,/or or bicolor read orbicular. Researches, vol. iv. p. 172).
81 — II ,/or strong read deep, 188 — S3, for any of her read any other.
ib. — 13,/or Tilluh read Tilluk. 197 — 8, for agreeable read equable.
82 — 19, for F.karo read Jh4ro. 200 — 17,/or Cuchum read Kuchurry.
94 — 3, after Kodo insert a comma, 203 — 1 ,Jor Tbarrehs read Th&nehs.
ib. — penult, before thirds insert two- 204 — 6,/or Uluts read Uteets.
95 — 12,/or Chaster read cluster.
97 — 6,/or seven seer* read eleven seers. 205 — 20!} TeiSh read Tbuj-
104 — 6, for Ghow-hut read Gow-bhut. 207 — 2,/or raw Sai read raw Lac.
ib. — 7,/or Stubhut read Stri-bhut. 208 — 9,for Mulmuts read Mulmuls.
ib. — 10, after Kool, insert (or Sorcery). 211 — 19,for M4h read M41.

109 — 22, for Koushna, read Krishna.

110 — 14, after distance omit the comma, and in¬ 219_ 9’ | for Addheeda read Uddhaila,
sert it after side, 218 penult, for Soka read S4ka.
 [ xvii ]

C O N T E N T S.

Preliminary Observations.—Construction of the Map. - - p. 3

CHAPTER I.
ROUTB FROM MUNNIARY TO HETTOWRA.

Bh&gmutty River—Seriva—Kurrurbunna— Peepra Rajepore—Bund&r-pokhrah Tank

—Ruins of Semroun—Loll Bukkia Stream—Jumni River—Cultivation—B&reh, or
Bharra-ghurry—Soophye—The Billarie Nulla—Forest—its Timber—Elephants—
Mode of catching them—Jhurjhury—Sukti River—Cheeriaghati Hills—Valley of
Muckwanpore—Fort of Muckwanpore—Hettowra—R&pute River. - 11

CHAPTER II.
ROUTE FROM SEGOULY TO HETTOWRA.

Segouly—Boori-Gunduck River—Tillkw6 River—Fort of Ullown—Beheera Nulla—

Goorpussra—Forest—Nagsoti and Bechiacori Rivers—Bechiacori Hills—Purrewa-
bheer—Joona River—Forest of Dumwa—Kurra River—Hettowra—Rapti River—
Mode of Fishing—Trade at Hettowra — Hill-porters—Modes of Travelling—
Description of the Turryani of Nepaul—its mineral and vegetable Productions—
Remarks on Sir Robert Barker’s Account of it. - 29

CHAPTER III.
ROUTES FROM HETTOWRA TO KHATMANDU.

Rapti River—Dhokha-phede—Bheem-phede—Cheesapany Mountain and Fort—

Description of the Military—View of the Mountains of Himma-leh—Tambeh-kan
River and Village—Copper-Mines—Markboo—Ekdunta Hill—Chitlong—Chan-
draghiri Mountains—Thankote—View of the Valley of Nepaul from the Summit of
Chandraghiri—Markhoo River—Khargoo—Seebhoo-doal River—Phurphing—Sutti
kheil—Bh&gmutty River — Patn — Doona-baisi Mountain—Trees and Shrubs—
Puss&n-kheil—Owl, or Plague—Doona Valley—Division of Landed Property. 49
c
xviii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.

Division of Lands in Nepaul—Measures and Weights—Cultivation of the Soil-

Labourers Wages—Classes of the Peasantry—Military Service. p. QJ

CHAPTER V.

ROUTE FROM DOONA TO KHATMANDV.

Mahaise River—Royhalia—Deoralli—Koolpoo River and Valley—Koomhara—

Bailkote-kola—Valley of Noakote—Tadi River—Temple and Town of Noakote—
Paloong-tar Valley—Daiby Ghaut—Temple of Bhowani.—Jogimara—Brahmirlical
and Chetree Tribes—Mountains of Himma-leh and Jibjibia—Animal and Vegetable
Productions of the Valley of Noakote—Bheerbundy Mountain—View from its
Summit—Kowhilai-peak—Bishnmutty River—Dhentn-tulla—Temple of Mahadeo
—Sumbhoo-nath—Jeea Plant. - - 107

CHAPTER VI.

Valley of Nepaul—Temple of Sumbhoo-nath—Extent of the Valley of Nepaul

Surrounding Mountains—Bh&gmutty and Bishnmutty Rivers—KhhtroS.ndu—Patn
—Bhatgong—Kirtbipoor—Chobbar. - - 147

CHAPTER VII

Name, Climate, Season, Soil, and general face of the Country of Nepaul—Metals and
Minerals—Animal and Vegetable Productions—Population and Classes of Inhabi-
tsnts—Customs and Manners—Religion, Temples, and religious Festivals—Govern¬
ment—Laws—Administration of Justice—Commerce, Arts, and Manufactures—
Revenues, and Military Force—Coins—Learning—Languages. - 169

CHAPTER VIII.

Historical Sketch of Nepaul. - 255

CHAPTER IX.

Boundaries, Extent, and several Divisions of Nepaul.—Various Routes and Distances.

279
ITINERARY,

Containing the Bearings and Distances of the various Towns, Villages, &c. &c.; which
occurred in Colonel Kirkpatrick’s Route from Munniary to Kh&tnicAndu, and from
thence back to Segouly. - 329
 CONTENTS. XIX

APPENDIX.
No. I.
Extract from a Memorial of the Court of Khatmandfi, relative to the Origin of the
War with Tibet p_ 333

No. II.
OFFICIAL PAPERS AND LETTERS, RELATIVE TO COLONEL KIRKPATRICK’S MISSION

TO NEPAU L.

A. Particulars relative to the Origin of the War between the Emperor of China and
the Rajah of Nepaul. From a paper(in Persian) communicated by MY. Duncan. 345

B. From the Dalai Lama at Poolla Lassa, to Lord Cornwallis. Received 3d August,
1792. - - 348
C. From Lord Cornwallis to the Rajah of Nepaul. Written 15th September, 1792. 349

D. From Lord Cornwallis to the Dalai Lama at Pootla Lnssa. Written 25th of Sep*
tember, 1792 - - - - 351
E. From Lord Cornwallis to the Rajah of Nepaul. Written 30th September, 1792. 353
From Lord Cornwallis to the Dalai Lama, Teshoo Lama, the Chinese Vizier, and
the Rajah of Teeshoo 1 umboo. Written 15th October, 1792. - 354

F. Front Colonel Kirkpatrick to the Right Honourable Earl Cornwallis,K. G. Gover¬

nor General, 8cc. in Council. - - 355
G. From the same to the sume. - 356
H. From the same to the Most Noble Marquis Cornwallis, K. G. &c. Governor
General in Council. - 358
I. From the same, to the Most Noble Marquis Cornwallis, K. G. Governor General in
Council. - - - 366
K. To the most Noble \larquis Cornwallis, K. G. &c. &c. &c. Governor General in
Council. - - - 370
To ihe Honourable Sir John Shore, Bart Governor General, 8tc. &c. in Council, ib.
L. Memorandum respecting the Commerce of Nepaul: delivered to the Governor
General. - - - 371
Heads for the Improvement of the Treaty of Commerce with the Nepaul Govern¬
ment, as submitted to Behadur Sah by Deena-nath Opadiah. - 377

No. HI.
Some Account of the Invasion of Nepaul by Purthi Nerain. Extracted from Father
Giuseppe’s “ Account of N^phl,” in the Second Volume of the Asiatic Researches,
p. 315; ... - - - 380

3
 LIST OF PLATES.

The Sceptre oflndra, Vignette in the Title-page.

The Map to face the first page of sig. B.
The Dhoka and Hammock 39
Natives of Nepaul (Hill-porters) - 40
Implements of Husbandry - - 100
The Khookeri and Khora - - 118
Head of the Kustoora or Musk Deer 131
The Khalidge - 132
View of Sumbhoo-nath - - • 149
Panoramic View of the Valley of Nepaul 153
View of Khatmaudu - - 158
Nepaul House - - - - 160
A Male of Nepaul - - - 185
A Female of ditto - - - 18?
Nepaul Bow, Arrow, and Quiver - » 214
Purbutti, and other Alphabets - 220
ACCOUNT OF NEPAUL.
 tieeToo

Tibnria

>%ffnAa
Ruf.toott
. fh/kar Dht*\mn

St.tntd fanil

Rhuf/a/a Patti h'umtfk

rLurhnnj

. findao Run/an

A*

IfTSirpa, KJuirtit

''^fuH'Oa Katun R
(Ojoan -Pinvtt f

M'Sfj/uiAuJ 1 hr lot Rhaut

RCPaoMiatk .Inmchaak

Mr Ttrn Rhsm

Hunfia/n

WITH
Rfuttru
<7ierhh,'<i Tar Tran Patn

CrtOhJhan,/ River
Knt/a - Am/

r Ttumthny Trr

Tumioar

fl-tra/i - rhattm
'hattni

Road; Jurvtyrd

Roads laid dnm from In/armMum

'Dhj’ufr
"»1 «•

Villages

'aShMSSM Srstr.i: or Bninsu .'Ulf.s

CourftJ of Riven
 ACCOUNT OF NEPAUL.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS —CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAP.

When it is considered that my late visit to Nepaul commenced

under circumstances peculiarly unfavourable to that free kind of

research which alone can lead to a rate information, and that its

duration did not, at most, exceed seven weeks, it will hardly be ex¬

pected that I should be able to add greatly to our former knowledge

of that country. It is, nevertheless, but fair to own, that although

the extreme jealousy, by which I knew its Government to be actuated,

suggested to me the propriety of conducting my enquiries, and of

making my observations, with a ertain degree of circumspection,

yet it was not long before I discovered, in the open and communi¬

cative disposition of every description of the inhabitants, that I

might safely throw off much of the restraint which I had at first im¬

posed on myself in this respect. Still, however, (had I been even

better qualified for the task than I was,) the period of my residence

was too short, to allow of my collecting such materials as would be

4 CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAP.

requisite to the furnishing a complete account of Nepaul. The form

of the government; its revenue and military establishments ; its

civil and religious institutions : the customs and manners of the

natives, their population, their arts and manufactures, their com¬

merce, their learning and languages; and, finally, the political and

natural history of the country, are objects of enquiry to which I cer¬

tainly was not indifferent ; yet it must be obvious, that on some of

these points, my information could not but be extremely vague aud

defective, and that my opinions on others would necessarily be no

less liable to error. And although it is true, that both our actual

observations, and our researches concerning theGeography of Nepaul

and of the adjacent countries, are open to the same objection ; yet

there is not equal reason for withholding the result of these last, since,

with all their imperfections, they will serve to convey a general idea

of some considerable tracts, hitherto scarcely heard of, and cannot,

if received with no more confidence than what they will be deli¬

vered with,materially mislead, while they may possibly contribute,

in no small degree, to the advancement of geographical knowledge,

by suggesting and assisting future enquiries ; an advantage which

it is easy to conceive may sometimes be derived from very superfi¬

cial and erroneous maps.

These considerations have made me determine to confine myself,

in the following pages, almost entirely to the illustrating, as well

as I may he able, the Geographical Sketch which accompanies

them : I shall, accordingly, but rarely stray beyond these limits,

 CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAP. 5

and never in the formal manner suited only to a regular dissertation.

Indeed, I shall not be studious of much method even in the arrange¬

ment of the remarks which constitute the immediate object of this

Memoir ; but content myself with dividing what I have to offer on

the subject, into such notices as may serve, first, to throw light on

the topography of our own actual track; and, secondly, to elucidate

the geography of those parts which have been laid down altogether

on oral authority.

The original of the accompanying Map is the performance of

Lieutenant Gerard,* who has also the merit of having taken consi¬

derable pains, in the course of our journey, to ascertain with

exactness the relative positions of places; a task which was rendered

the more laborious, by the circumspection with which he was

obliged to employ the compass.

As the use of a perambulator was entirely out of the question ;

and as, owing, perhaps, to the nature of the country, wre did not find

the pedometer answer, we had no other means of measuring the

distances, but by the watch. No doubt this was a very inaccurate

method, but wa endeavoured to correct it, in some degree, by com¬

paring notes after each day’s journey ; and by paying due regard,

in our computations, to the varieties of the road with respect to rug¬

gedness or facility. Accordingly, we have allowed, in different

situations, from two to four miles per hour, though it wras very rarely

* Now Lieutenant-Colonel Gerard, and lately Adjutant-General to the army on the

ltengal Lstablishment.
6 CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAP.

indeed, after entering the Nepaul territories, that we proceeded at

the latter rate, even for ten minutes together.

As I shall occasionally set down the computed road distances,

and shall give a table of the whole at the end, it will be seen on a

comparison of these with the horizontal distances in the Map, that

we have determined the latter by no fixed rule of reduction ; we

were guided in this particular, as in estimating the road distances,

by the nature of the country. Thus it will be found, that in cer¬

tain situations, we have admitted a reduction of one in three

miles: nor, when the great elevation and steepness of some of the

mountains which we crossed are considered, will this be deemed,

perhaps, too large an allowance.

The points of departure from the Company’s Possessions adopted

in the Map, are Munniary and Segouly, the former of which is laid

dowm according to Major Rennell ; Segouly, the other extremity of

our route, is placed agreeably to the result of the observations made

on our return ; and, although it was not to be expected that the

relative bearing and distance of these two primary points should

turn out the same in our projection as in the Atlas, yet it will be

seen that they do not disagree very widely.

With regard to Hettowra (the Etouda of Rennell), it w ill be right

to notice, that it is laid down in the annexed Map conformably to

the observations from Munniary, uncorrected by subsequent results :

since all of them being in their principles equally defective, we

had no reason to prefer one to another. It stands therefore 43° 8

 CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAP. r
horizontal miles, N. 16° 40' W. of Munniary, and thirty-nine

miles N. 26° 20' E. of the situation which we have assigned to

Segouly. In the Atlas it is placed sixty-five miles N. 16° 0 W. of

the former, and fifty-seven miles N. 18° 40' E. of the latter.

It is certainly very much to be regretted that we were not able

to fix the situation of a few points, at least, of our route by obser¬

vations of the latitude and longitude; all other means of ascertaining

the true positions and distances of places, in so mountainous a

country as that of Nepaul, being manifestly very defective. I

am obliged to acknowledge on this occasion, that we were not

absolutely without the means of accomplishing the former of these

interesting objects, but as we did not sufficiently understand the

management of the astronomical quadrant, which we happened to

have with us, we were too ill-satisfied ourselves with the results of

our operations to think them entitled to any confidence.

Having premised thus much concerning the materials employed

in the construction of the annexed Map, I shall now proceed to the

illustration of its several divisions, beginning with the route from

Munniary to Heltowra, after whidh I purpose passing to that from

Segouly to the same place.

 CHAPTER I.

ROUTE FROM MUNNIARY TO HETTOWRA.

Bhhgmutty River—Seriva—Kurrurbunna—Peepra Rajepore—Bundhr-pokhrah Tank

—Ruins of Semroun—Loll Bukkia Stream—Jumne River—Cultivation—B&reh, or
Bharra-gharry—Soophye—The Billarie Nulla—Forest—its Timber—Elephants —
Mode of catching them—Jhurjhoory—Sukti River—Cheeriaghati Hills—Valley of
Muckwanpore—Fort of Muckwaupore—Hettowra—Rfipute River.
 c ii:

CHAPTER I.

The Bhagmutty river, which passes between Munniary and the

Huttioul of our maps, divides in this place the Company’s and

the Nepaul territories, in a direction nearly SSW. We found

this river, though tolerably wide, not above knee deep. The lord

we crossed at led us to the village of Seriva, consisting of a few

wretched huts. About one mile to the north west of Seriva stands

Kurrurbunna, a sort of frontier post, which has succeeded Huttioul,

the encroachments of the Bhagmutty having not long since swept

away this last place, which was situated a little below Seriva. The

fort of Kurrurbunna seems designed to serve no other purpose than

that of an occasional retreat for the cattle of its neighbourhood ; in

a military view' it is altogether contemptible. It stands, however,

as well as the village adjoining to it, on a high, and, as the Com¬

mander of it (who was a native of South Behai) assured me, a very

healthy spot. The Bhagmutty is navigable with great facility,

during the rainy season, by boats of all burthens, as high as Seriva,

and, no doubt, is practicable also as far as the skirt of the adjacent

forest, if not all the wav to the foot of the Cheeriaghati ridge:
12 RUINS OF SEMROUN.

but the only materials of commerce in this quarter being timber,

which is floated, there appears to.be no inducement for pushing

the regular navigation of this stream beyond Muuniary.

For about four road miles beyond Kurrurbunna the country is

pretty open, though by no means highly cultivated. Soon after

passing Peepra Rajepore, however, a dha’l or pullas jungle com¬

mences, which continues, with very little interruption, all the way

to Patra. This jungle is infested by bears, which, the people of

the country pretend, are to be frightened, and prevented from

disturbing travellers, by an imitation of the cry of a goat-

Bundar-pokhrah, laid down in the Map, is a very considerable

tank, which, though now useless and neglected on account of its

wild situation (as is the case with many others equally large, which,

I am assured, this forest contains), indicates that this part of the

country was formerly in a more flourishing condition than at pre¬

sent. Indeed the ruins of an ancient and extensive city, called

Semroun (and Ghurrsemroure) are still to be seen a few miles to

the southward of Bhareh ; and as the Newar princes of the dynasty

which was overthrown by the Goorkhalis derived their origin

from this city, whence, their historians inform us, they emigrated

about four centuries and a half ago, its antiquities are, perhaps,

worth enquiring into. These ruins are situated between the Bukkia

and Jumne rivers.

The Loll Bukkia, which occurs in this part of our route, is an in¬

considerable stream, which has its rise to the southward of the

 JUMNE STREAM. 13

adjacent hills (or Cheeriaghati range), and flows but a little way
before it falls into the Bhagmutty. The Bukkia, which runs under
Cachouriva, is, on the other hand, a river of some note, its source
being as remote as the Mahabahr mountains, by which name some
of the loftiest peaks immediately to the southward and the south¬
west of Nepaul are distinguished. This last stream, in its progress,
passes at no great distance from the fort of Muckwanpore, whence
it proceeds across the valley that separates the Muckwany from the
Cheerighati hills, and after forcing a passage through the latter,
pursues a very serpentine course till it disembogues itself into the
Boora-Gunduck, which it does near the village of Jingrye, in Sircar
Chemparun. It w’inds so remarkably at Cachouriva, as to form
almost a complete island of the spot on which we encamped at that
place.
The Jumne, which is crossed about midway between Cachouriva
and Bhareh, and again, very near the latter place, by which it
passes, is a dull and turbid rivulet, the springs of which are not
far off. Narrow as it is, however, we found it so deep as to be
scarcely fordable in palankeens. The cultivation between Cachou¬
riva and Patra is very inconsiderable, being confined to a few
specks, at either end of the two or three irretcbed hamlets which
occur on the road
Bareh, or Bharra-gharry, although the ordinary residence of the
Subah of the Western Turrye, is a mean place, containing from
thirty to forty huts: its fort is not more respectable; nor would the
14 B H A R E H.

Governor’s habitation attract notice any where else; it is built,

however, of well-burnt bricks and tiles.
The commerce between Nepaul and Patna passes through Gool-
pussra, though a much more circuitous route than that of Bhareh,
which is as little frequented by travellers as by merchants. Indeed
the former possesses decided advantages over the latter, both with
regard to the facility of the roads and the face of the country; as
will be further noticed in the proper place. It will be sufficient to
mention here, that the company of Nepaul guards, which met me
at Bh&reh, came thither from Hettowra by the Goolpussra road,
though so much out of their direct way, instead of taking the
shorter route, by which we proceeded. The situation of Bhareh, too,
must be unhealthy, surrounded as it is on all sides by a thick
wood, and standing so near the foot of the Cheeriaghati ridge,
which here rises higher above the level of the Turrye than it does
in the Goolpussra quarter. It is not, therefore, to be wondered
at, that Captain Kinloch’s detachment, which remained here for
some time, after the unfortunate attempt, in 1769, to penetrate
into Nepaul, should have suffered so much as it did from sick¬
ness. The water of the Jumne is, in particular, esteemed very
unwholesome.
At Bhareh it was judged necessary that we should leave our
hackeries behind; and although we might certainly have carried
them on to the entrance of the Sukti, yet we could not have
done so without considerable difficulty. To have transported
 SOOPH YE. 15

them up the course of that river would have been utterly

impracticable.
Soophye, which is but a mean village, stands very near the skirt
of the great forest: we crossed the Jumne twice in our way to it.
The onlv marks of cultivation we met with were limited to a few
narrow patches on each side of the road ; yet, from the appearance
of the corn both here and to the southward of Bhareh, the soil would
seem to be tolerably fertile; and, indeed, I have been frequently
assured by intelligent persons, that no land can be better adapted
to the culture of rice than that of the Turrye in general. The waste
state of the country, therefore, is to be referred to the want of popu¬
lation, and to the defects of the government, which but ill under¬
stands the means of promoting it. It is rather extraordinary,
perhaps, considering the temptations held out by the vicinity of
the Company’s dominions, that this dreary tract should have any
inhabitants at all; but it will be still more singular, if our late
permanent settlement of the revenue, and recognition of proprietory
right in the landholder, should not soon have the effect of entirely

depopulating it.
There is a shorter road from Cachouriva to Soophye than that
by Bhareh; it passes to the southward of the latter place; but was
described to me as being impracticable except in hammocks.
The Billye or Billarie nullah, a dull stream, which is crossed a
few minutes before you enter the great forest, would appear to be
a branch of the Bukkia, because Us source cannot be traced to the

5
16 GREAT FOREST.

Cheeriaghati hills, on account of the interposition of the Bukkia;

and, on the other hand, cannot be attributed to any springs situated
to the southward of the Bukkia’s course, on account of the nature
of its bottom, which is stony. It probably also reunites with the
Bukkia at no great distance from the point where we passed it.
I was three hours in proceeding from what is considered as the
proper entrance of the great forest, to the village of Jhurjhoory,
which may be said to mark its nothern limit I therefore judge its
breadth by the road to be somewhat under ten miles; for though
the ground throughout was very good, yet as we were occasionally
not a little impeded by trees that lay felled across our path, and by
others under which it was not easy to pass, I cannot allow more
than three miles and a quarter per hour. The horizontal depth
assigned to this forest in the Map, is eight miles and a half. Our
course, for a short time after we entered it, was about north; it was
next a good deal easterly; and during the last hour lay consi¬
derably to the westward.
This forest skirts the Nepaul territories throughout their whole
extent from Serinugur to the Teesta, separating them every where,
either from the Company’s or the Vizier's possessions. It is not, of
course, equally close or deep in every place; some parts having
been more or less cleared away, especially those which are situated
most favourably for the commerce of timber, or in the vicinity of
flourishing towns. To the eastward some considerable tracts are
reported to be quite clear. 1 cannot pretend to enumerate the great
 ELEPHANTS 17

varieiies of ils trees; but the principal for size or utility are, the
Saul, the Sissoo, the Setti-saul, the Phullamikhd (or iron-wood), the
Kalikdht (a sort of black wood), the Sdjh, the Bhurra, the Summi,
and the Multa. The ebony is also, I understand, found here. This
forest is much over-run in the Jhuijhoory quarter with underwood
and long grass. The part most resorted to by the wood-dealers ap¬
pears to be that which borders on the Boggah district, timber being
transported from thence even to the distance of Calcutta. I am
inclined to think, however, that, notwithstanding the convenience
afforded by the vicinity of the Cunduck, a more advantageous
spot might be selected for the operations of the wood-merchants.
The Nepaul government levy, I believe, very high, and conse¬
quently, in a commercial view at least, impolitic duties on this
traffic : whether or not they are influenced, in this respect, by the
idea that the vigorous prosecution of it would haye the effect of
diminishing the strength of the barrier which this forest no doubt
constitutes, I had not an opportunity of ascertaining. Upon my
remarking on the ill tendency of such restraints, it was thought a
sufficient justification of them to declare, that they had not origi-
nated with the present government, which did no more than follow
the ancient practice in this particular.
Besides valuable timber, this forest affords another source of
profit to the Nepaul government in its numerous elephants; but
this, like the timber, is not improved so much as it might be. The
Governor of the Turrye told me, that in his district, which reaches
D
 IS ELEPHANTS—MODE OF CATCHING THEM.

from Somoisir to the Kousi, there were caught annually between

two and three hundred elephants; much the greater part of these,
however, are very young, being not above five hauls, or seven feet
and a half high; nor can they well be supposed able to catch any
of a superior size, as the animals are not driven into a keddah, or
inclosure, but are caught by snares or nooses thrown over their
necks by a mahoot seated on a decoy elephant. The rope being
immediately drawn, the end of it is secured round a tree, from
which it is easy to conceive that they often break loose, and are
not unfrequently strangled in their struggles. There is, therefore,
a double disadvantage attending this imperfect mode of catching
these animals, for while it clearly tends to diminish the breed, it
renders the elephants so prematurely caught of little value; there
'are, accordingly, very few of this great number sold for the benefit
of the government, who claim an exclusive right to the whole, and
dispose of them, for the most part, in presents, or in commutation
of occasional services, and pecuniary demands.
A third branch of revenue arising from this forest consists in a
duty levied upon the cattle of Chemparun and other districts,
bordering on the Nepaul territories, which graze here annually
about four months, the pasturage between October and January
being deemed excellent; but as this duty is confined to buffaloes
(cows being exempted under the present government), and never
exceeds two annas per head for the season, its amount cannot be
very considerable.
 GREAT FOREST. 19

Besides elephants, this forest is said to be greatly infested by

rhinoceroses and tigers. The latter appear almost invariably
solitary, but two or three elephants, I have been told, will some¬
times take possession of the road, and obstruct the progress of tra¬
vellers a considerable time: a large herd of them assaulted the
camp of the Nepaul deputies at Jhurjhoory, when they were on
their way to Patna, and were got rid of with difficulty. They
sometimes issue from the forest in droves, and over-run the culti¬
vated country on its borders, penetrating even, now and then, a
good way into the Company’s districts. We did not, however, meet
with a single wild beast of any kind in the whole course of our
journey.
Travellers cannot make a resting-stage in this part of the forest,
it being no where clear, or containing springs. This is not the case
in the Goolpussra road.
I took notice occasionally of several trees in the forest, round
which wisps of jungle-grass were bound ; and in one particular spot
they were observable for a hundred yards together. This circum¬
stance was accounted for differently; one person telling me that
these marks were designed to indicate the vicinity of wild beasts,
and another, that they were propitiatory offerings by passengers to
the deities of the forest; it is not probable, however, that any one
part of the road leading through it is more dangerous than another,
and I am therefore inclined to attribute this practice to a supersti¬

tious motive
20 JHURJHOORY.

It appeared to me that the level of the forest, for the last two or
three miles, was lower than the preceding part: though, on the
whole, Jhurjhoory stands higher, I believe, than Soophye.
Jhurjhoory is a wretched village, consisting of a few herdsmen’s
huts scattered on the south bank of the Bukkia, the bed of which is
here of a considerable breadth, though we found its water confined
within a narrow channel. The forest is cleared to the eastward of
it to an extent barely sufficient to admit of a few tents.
Father George would appear to have proceeded straight across
from this place to Muckwanpore, by which road he travelled to
Nepaul; we took a more circuitous, yet certainly an easier route,
if we may rely on the Missionary’s description of that by Muck¬
wanpore, which is confirmed, indeed, by various accounts I have
received of it; by the circumstance of its being distinguished by
the expressive name of Kharadahr, or the Sword-edge-road ; and
lastly, by its almost total disuse.
At Jhurjhoory we met with a tree called Dubdubea, the leaves
of which abound in galls, containing from one to.six winged insects;
its wood was somewhat of the ash kind, and the gall powerfully
astringent.
You cannot be said to have quitted the forest on reaching
Jhurjhoory; though the continuation of it from thence to the
Cheeriaghati hills differs considerably from the former part, the
trees, in general, being neither so lofty, nor standing so close together
as before.
 SUKTI RIVER. 21

From Jhurjhoory to the entrance of the Cheeriaghati pass, the

road, for a short way, lies along the bank of the Bukkia. At the
distance of about six road miles from Jhurjhoory we entered the
bed of the Sukkattie or Sukti (called also Suktikhoar), and conti¬
nued in it till we reached its sources, which are situated near the
summit of Cheeriaghati. I was not able to ascertain the course or
termination of this stream; I observed, however, that it took a south¬
east direction from the point at which we entered it; and as it does
not occur in the Goolpussra road, I conclude it either empties
itself into the Boora Gunduck somewhere below Segouly, or unites
with, and yields its name to, one of the nullas of the Turrye which
disembogue into that river. There can be no doubt of its passing
through the great forest; but whether either its depth, or the na¬
ture of its bottom, fits it for the floating of timber, are questions
which I had no opportunity of determining.
After ascending for a quarter of an hour the bed of the Sukti
(in which there was but little water), we found ourselves enclosed
on either side by the high ground of Cheeriaghati, covered thickly
with tall trees, chiefly of the Saul and Sissoo kinds. The proper
entrance of the pass, however, is a little higher up, where the Sukti
runs rapidly between two perpendicular rocks not more than forty
feet asunder, and apparently not less than two hundred feet high.
At no great distance beyond this gloomy spot is a curious cascade,
formed by an impending projection from one of the rocks, resembling
the nave of a broad wheel. The water, which trickles, rather than
22 SUKTI RIVER.

rushes, from this overhanging conductor, is supplied from springs

on the summit of the adjoining hill. I placed a thermometer
under the falling water, which was so cold as to sink the mercury
presently between six and seven degrees. Our progress in the Sukti
was very slow, owing to the huge stones with which the bed of it
was filled ; in one place, in particular, the river was divided into
two branches by an immense rock that had been recently detached
from one of the enclosing hills, and now occupied the middle of
the stream. This obstruction to the free passage of the waters had,
I was told, considerably encreased. the difficulties of the road.
Ambeah-gauteh is a station in the bed of the Sukti where pas¬
sengers sometimes rest, and which is so named from two or three
mangoe trees growing near it. We. however, did not stop here,
but proceeded further up, pitching a few of our tents as well as we
could on a small island formed by the river (which in this place
passes in a W S W. direction), and near which they sometimes
catch a few elephants that are driven from the forest below. The
springs of the Sukti, which gush forth in innumerable little rills,
that may be multiplied almost at pleasure by slightly pressing the
ground, are about two miles and a half beyond this island, from
whence the ascent is very perceptible. From the springs to the top
of theCheeriaghati ridge (which is perhaps a mile and a half), it is
still more so, being, in fact, of no inconsiderable steepness.
The journey through the Sukti, though fatiguing, was rendered
interesting by the wild and picturesque scenery around us. The
 MUCK WANPOR E-MARI. 23
hills enclosing it were every where well covered with several va¬
rieties of wood, among which, however, we saw but few firs. The
strata of these hills appeared to be a mixture of sand, gravel, and
light clay. We met with no fish of any kind in the river.
From the summit of the Cheeriaghati we had a noble view of the
Muckwanpore hills, which rose before us to a considerable elevation.
The Cheeriaghati range is no where very high, though I am inelincd
to think it rises somewhat as it stretches towards the Kousi, which
marks its eastern limit, as the Gunduck does its western one. It
does not, throughout this extent, every where bear the same name.
Its elevation where we crossed it, and where it is properly called
Cheeriaghati, would appear, according tb the indications of the
barometer, to be about 480 yards above the level of Hazipoor.
Descending Cheeriaghati in a direction nearly north-east, and by
a very easy declivity, we reached Muckwanpore-mari, or the valley
of Muckwanpore, which is formed by the Cheeriaghati andMuckwan-
pore hills. This valley is of no great extent, not stretching farther
eastward than six or seven miles, and terminating near Nagdeo, on
the Hettowra side. It is very fertile, yielding abundance and great
variety of rice, which is not owing, perhaps, more to its natural situ¬
ation (though no soil can be finer), than to the peculiar immunities
enjoyed by the cultivators of it, who, I was assured, pay no taxes to
the government. The reason of this extraordinary exemption may
possibly be discovered in the political revolutions of the district.
The ancient Rajah of Muckwanpore, who was dispossessed by the
6
24 FORT OF MUCKWANPORE.

Goorkhalis, and who still resides on the borders of his former terri¬
tory, under the protection of the Company, has not yet relinquish¬
ed all hopes of establishing himself in his rights, having recently
made a feeble attempt for this purpose; it may therefore be thought
necessary, or at least advisable, by the Nepaul government, to give
the inhabitants of this district such an interest in the permanence
of its own authority, as shall leave them nothing to hope, but much
to fear, from the success of an invader, whether it be their former
master, or any other power.
During the late war with the Tibetians and Chinese the peasantry
being generally obliged to repair to the army, agriculture suffered
a temporary interruption; and when, in addition to this mischief,
the scanty crops of Nepaul were destroyed by a hail-storm, very
considerable relief was derived from the luxuriant produce of this
valley.
The hill fort of Muckwanpore is distinguishable by the naked eye
from the banks of the Kurra, on which stands the village of Muck¬
wanpore of the valley, whence the fort bears about E. by N. The
ascent to it from the valley is not represented to be difficult, and
though we could not well judge of its strength at the distance from
which we viewed it, yet it certainly had nothing formidable in its
appearance. However, when the Nepaulians were hard pressed by
the Chinese, the Regent and some of the principal chiefs dispatched
a great part of their most valuable property to this fort.
The Kurra has its rise in one of the hills of the Muckwanpore
 HETTOWRA. 25

ridge, whence it descends into the valley, through which it pursues

a winding though but short course to the Rapti, falling into that
river about two miles below Hettowra.*
In proceeding from Muckwanpore of the valley to Hettowra, you
pass through a sort of strait formed by a low ridge or spur of the
Muckwany hills that projects into the valley, and the Kurra,
which in this particular spot abounds astonishingly with fish. This
place is held in great sanctity by the more pious classes of Hindoos,
who have dignified it with the name of Nagdeo (or the Divine
Serpent), and who, so far from disturbing the fish which swarm
here, rarely pass without feeding them.
Hettowra, though a place of much occasional resort on account
of its being the centre of all the commerce carried on between
Nepaul and the Vizier’s as well as the Company’s western posses¬
sions, is but a miserable village, containing from fifty to sixty
houses, the only decent one among which has been lately erected
by Zorawar (the Governor of the Western Turrye). It is considered
very unhealthy ; and indeed, although it stands near four hundred
yards above the level of Bauk, and is watered by a pleasant lively
stream, yet it is so closely surrounded by high hills covered with

* In an ill-concerted enterprize against Nepaul, which Cossim Ally Khan was encou¬
raged to undertake (on nearly the same grounds which soon after gave birth to
Captain Kjnloch’s expedition), an attempt was made on the fort of Muckwanpore by
Goorgun Khan ; the issue ot which was so disgraceful, that Purthi Nendo had no diffi¬
culty in prevailing with the Nabob to abandon the cause of his adversary.
E
26 RAPTI RIVER.

thick forests, that the air cannot fail, during the hot and wet
months, of being impregnated with unwholesome vapours.
The Rapute or Rapti (on the bank of which Ilettowra stands)
issues from a mountain to the eastward of Chusapany, and separ¬
ated from it only by a narrow bottom or glen. After passing
Hettowra, where its bed is of a considerable breadth, it pursues a
westerly course till it reaches the Gunduck,into which it discharges
itself near Koombia Ghurry, or about fifteen miles to the north of
Somaisir. There is another river of the same name, which passes
under Goruckpore, and disembogues into the Dewah. The Rapti
of Hettowra, though laid down in the map of Hindostan, is not
named, and might there be mistaken for the principal branch of the
Gunduck.
I will now endeavour to throw some light on that part of the
Map which concerns the route from Segouly to Hettowra, by which
road I returned from Nepaul.
 CHAPTER II

ROUTE FROM SEGOULY TO HETTOWRA.

Segouly—Boora-G undock River—Tellawa River—Fort of Aloun—Bherra Nulla—

Goolpussra—Forest—Nagsote and Bechiacori Rivers—Bechiacori Hills—Pnrrewa-
bheer—loona River—Forest of Dumwa—Kurra River—Hettovvra—Rapti River—
Mode of Fishing — Trade aL Hettovvra — Hill-porters — Modes of Travelling —
Description of the Turrynni of Nepnul—its mineral anti vegetable Productions—
Remarks on Sir Robert Barker’s Account of it.
.
 CHAPTER II.

Segouly stands near the south bank of the Boori-Gunduck, which

takes its rise in the vicinity of Somaiser. This river is navigable
during the greater part of the year, as high as Segouly, by boats
of considerable burthen. Its course, w hich is a very winding one,
lies through the districts of Bettia, Chemparun, and Hajypore.
At Segouly and upwards, it is known best by the names of Sek-
rownah and Kurrah, the appellation of Boori-Gunduck, and Little
Gunduck, being chiefly applied to it in the lower part of its course.
It passes under both Maisi and Muzufurpoor, discharging itself into
the Bhagmutty at Roussarah. In the Atlas the Sekrow’nah and Little
Gunduck appear to be laid down as distinct rivers; yet it is never¬
theless certain, that they are one and the same.' In a commercial
view, the Boori-Gunduck is entitled to particular notice; the great
extent of its course, its depth, and its communication with various
other streams that issue from the adjacent hills or forests, fitting
it admirably for the purposes of internal navigation.
North of the Boori-Gunduck, at the distance of about six miles,
passes the Tillawe, a small stream that springs from the foot of the
30 GOORPUSSRA.

neighbouring hills, and falls into the Boori-Gunduck at Singrowli,

a village situated a little to the eastward of Segouly. The common
boundary of the Company’s and the Nepaul territories, on this side,
may be described by a line drawn about midway between Ekdurra
and Ullown. The Gurry, or little mud fort of Ullown, which has
succeeded the fort of Persa, now in ruins, consists of six round
bastions united by a slight wall, and surrounded by a tolerable
ditch; it stands close to the Beheera nulla, which we found middle-
deep. This stream, which rises at no great distance from Ullown,
after receiving the united waters of the Dehar and Gahd, or Ghadi,
empties itself into the Boori-Gunduck near Seemra-butna, about
four miles west of Segouly. The springs of the Dehar are situated
in a part of the Bechiacori forest, called Koila-bahr, which lies to
the westward of Addha-bbar. You leave this river close on your
left in proceeding from Persa to Ullown, and at a point whence it
turns short to the westward, emptying itself soon after into the
Gihd near the village of Phoolkoal.
Goorpussra stands very near the skirt of the great forest, which
is, however, far from being thick in this quarter. The country all
round the village is pretty open, and by no means bare of cultiva¬
tion, on the west side of it passes a small sluggish stream called
the Sunghya, which rises below Cheeriaghati and falls into the
Beheera about seven miles to the east of Goorpussra. The Soubah
of Turrye has a house here, in which he occasionally dwells ; but
his most usual residence is at B&reh, which is, nevertheless,
 BECHIACORI RIVER. 31

neither so neat nor so large a place as Goolpussra; this last, how¬

ever, is, after all, but a mean village, though the thoroughfare for
most of the merchandize that passes between Nepaul, Benares,
Oude, and Patna, over the Chusapany mountains. Besides being
watered by the Sunghirja, it has a large square tank on the east side
of it, but this is of little advantage to travellers, owing to the
shameful manner in which it is neglected.
The road from hence to Bechiacori, through the great forest, is
very practicable for wheel-carriages ; there are also two or three
stations (though no villages) in the way, sufficiently open for the
temporary accommodation of passengers. The middle of the forest,
which has a clear space of some extent, is usually called Addha-bhar,
which implies its being half way between Goolpussra and Bechia¬
cori. This part of the forest contains the same variety of trees as
the Jhurjhoory quarter. We met here with a felled Saul tree,
that measured better than a hundred feet below the branches,
and from eight to nine feet in the girth. About three miles to the
south of Bechiacori we crossed the Nagsote, a pretty broad stream
when at its height; it comes from the north-west,,and falls into the
Bechiacori nulla, at no great distance from the point at which we
passed it.
Two miles and a half beyond the Nagsote you quit the
forest, and enter the Bechiacori river, in which you continue
up to its source. This stream, which is never considerable
except during occasional torrents in the rainy season, takes an
7
32 BECHIACORI RIVER.

easterly direction where we came to it, holding the same course till
it falls into the Boora-Gunduck, somewhere below Segouly. Bechia-
cori is the name by which the Cheeriaghati hills are distinguished
in this part of their range. There are a few miserable huts situ¬
ated on the east bank of the nulla, at no great distance from the
entrance of it, which also bear the name of-Bechiacori, but which
we found abandoned. The bed of this river, through which the
road runs, though not obstructed by such huge rocks, or of so
perceptible an ascent, as the Sukti, is nevertheless difficult; and
must, I think, be impassible for wheel-carriages. From the head
of it to the entrance of the great forest is scarcely less than six
miles ; hence, as well as in allusion to the nature of the bottom,
this part of the road is called Lumbabegger, or long stony way.
It is enclosed on either side by banks, rising gradually in
height till they terminate at the summit of the ridge, which,
though probably equally elevated here as at the head of the Sukti,
does not appear to be so, on account of the superior level of the
forest immediately under it, compared with that of Jhurjhoory;
indeed, I am inclined to think that the Cheeriaghati chain pre¬
serves nearly the same level throughout the remainder of its
course to the Gunduck, though I understand it is there scarcely
any longer perceptible, owing, probably, to the gradual ascent
of the country which borders it towards the south, and which
would at last appear to reach the general elevation of those hills
themselves.
 IOONA STREAM. 33

The Bechiacori hills seem composed chiefly of light sand and

gravel, with scarcely any proportion of indurated or rocky strata;
differing herein from Cheeriaghati proper. It is probably owing to
this variation of soil, that, while the fir-tree is very scarce along
the banks of the Sukti; those of the Bechiacori are thickly clothed
with a very fine kind, one of which, that had been felled, and lay
across our road, measuring about ninety feet clear of the branches,
and not less than eight feet in the girth.*
Proceeding up the course of the river, you pass on the left, at
the distance of about two miles from Bechiacori village, a steep
lofty bank or hill, of a pyramidal figure, which seemed to be com¬
posed of materials so loose, as to be but ill calculated to resist the
torrents which sometimes sweep its bottom. This curious peak is
called Purrewa-bheer, on account of its swarming with pigeons.
Almost opposite to it, the loona, a small stream which issues from
springs situated in the neighbourhood o! those which give rise to
the Sukti, falls into the Bechiacori river.
This last stream gushes from two or three small circular foun¬
tains, communicating subterrangousfy, which are met with a few

• This tree is, more properly speaking, a species of pine, having three delicate and
spike-shaped leaves issuing from the same foot-slalk, or sheath. I met with no more
than a single kind, though I received accounts of others. It is called in Nepaul, Sulla,
and Sin i ‘n-dhool; and emphatically Dhoob-kee, on account of its resinous nature. Its
branches are very commonly used as torches; the fragrant turpentine vrbicli it yields
is employed in sacrifices and in medicated salves, and with its wood they make ralters
for their houses.
F
34 KURRA RIVER.

minutes before you reach the top of theBechiacori ridge, from the
opposite (or Hettowra) side of which, and also near the summit,
issues the Kichria ; this rivulet we found quite dry, but in the
rainy season (the only period it contains any water) it contributes
to the encrease of the Kurra, into which its channel leads. The road,
in descending the hill to the northward, lies chiefly through the bed
of this dry nulla, upon quitting of which you enter a pleasant forest
called Dum Dumwa, where you begin to ascend again, though very
gently. About midway between this forest and Hettowra you cross
the Kurra, the same river that is passed in proceeding from Mukwan-
pore-mari. The bottom of the Kurra, though rugged and pebbly,
does not oppose any material impediments to the traveller; the
more especially as it& declivity is scarcely sensible. The stones in
it being remarkably white, its channel, 1 was told, is perfectly dis¬
tinguishable in fair weather from Chusapany fort. Unfortunately,
it was so hazy when we halted on the summit of this mountain, in
our return from Nepaul, that though we stopped there expressly
for the purpose of viewing, from so commanding a situation, the
adjacent country, we were scarcely able to make a single observation
of utility.
Hettowra stands at the foot of a hilly ridge, (which appears to
be detached from the Muckwanpore mountain,) and just at the point
where the Rapti enters the Muckwanpore valley. This ridge, which
is by no means regular, extends itself in a direction somewhat to
the northward of west, as far as the Gunduck, being the same that
 MODE OF FISHING. 35

is met with immediately to the northward of Boggah. At Hettowra

it is composed of a confused heap of hills separated in various
directions by narrow bottoms or glens, which is also the appearance
exhibited by the greatest part of the mountainous tract known under
the general nameofNepaul, nothing corresponding with the idea ofa
single uninterrupted chain or range being to be met with after passing
the Cheeriaghati ridge, if even this can be said to answer correctly
to it. The sides of these hills are every where either well covered
with tall forests (chiefly of Sissoo,or Saul,) or partially cultivated with
grain of different sorts. Those, however, in the vicinity of Hettowra
presented few or no marks of husbandry, of which, indeed, there
were but scanty traces discernible even in the flats below them.
The Rapti abounds with fish at Hettowra. The upper part of its
course is, generally speaking, both too rapid and too shallow to
contain any, though there are some depths or pits in which great
plenty are occasionally found: the principal kind is the seher,
which resembles the roach, and is much esteemed. There are also
a few gaoleer, or trout. The manner of fishing here is as follows.
The channel of the river is intersected by seven or eight casting
nets, united together by being hooked at their extremities to poles
or sticks erected in the water for the purpose. To each net thereis
a man or boy, who has a second net fixed to his waist, and hanging
behind him, in which he deposits the fish he catches ; this he does by
diving. They dive head foremost, though in water not deeper than
the middle, throwing up tbeir feet nearly quite erect, and seizing the
36 MODE OF FISHING.

fish sometimes between their teeth, but most commonly with their
hands. After remaining as long as they think proper at a spot, all
the nets are dragged together further down the stream, when they
renew their operations: these being over, they draw casting nets
separately, some of which, as well as those round their waists, are
often quite full. Both Bern Shah and his brother Roodur Beer *
appeared to enjoy this amusement exceedingly, plunging into the
river, and going through every part of the process (except that of
diving), with the greatest spirit. On this occasion, as well as many
others, it was observable that the superior classes of these people
admitted of considerable freedom in the carriage and conver¬
sation of the lower orders, whom they very rarely affected to
keep at any distance. Nor was this sort of easy intercourse con¬
fined to particular descriptions of men; it existed equally among
the military and the civil ranks; the private soldier being as
unembarrassed and forward to deliver his sentiments in the pre¬
sence of an officer of whatever degree, as the fisherman or porter
before a minister of state, or governor. At the same time, this
frankness of manner was never seen to degenerate into rudeness or
disrespect
There have been no duties collected on merchandise at Hettowra
since the conclusion of the commercial treaty, by which it is fixed

* Bern Shah was a kinsman of the reigning Rajah of Nepaul, and was sent with
other deputies to Patna, for the purpose of eventually conducting the British Mission
to Nepaul. Roodur Beer was a younger brother of Bern Shah, and commanded a
division of the Rajah’s guards sent as an honorary escort to the British Envoy.
 HILL-PORTERS. 37

that they are to be levied by the Nepaul Government only at the

stations of Chusapany and Sundooli (or Seedly); at the former on
the western, and at the latter on the eastern trade. Previous to
this convention, imports were very irregularly and arbitrarily
levied.
But notwithstanding that the trade. between the two countries
has doubtless been freed from many of the restraints which
formerly shackled it, yet it is certain that it still labours under
difficulties of a very discouraging kind. It is not, perhaps, one
of the least of these, that the merchants are liable to be delayed
more or less in their journey by the want of porters; and I was sorry
to observe, that they appeared but too much exposed to it from the
loose or arbitrary form of the government; as no ceremony was
used in depriving them, for our accommodation, both at Hettowra
and Goolpussra, of the carriers with which they had provided them¬
selves. The evil would have scarcely merited notice, had it
been limited to the particular case in question; but I am afraid
the instances of it occur too often, when any of the principal men
of the country happen to travel (especially on public business) in
the route of the merchants.
The general level of the country, in the route from Choprah to
Hettowra is considerably higher than in the Bhareh direction,
though the distance between the tw'O roads no where exceeds seven¬
teen horizontal miles. Segouly is much more elevated thanBharra-
gharry, which, indeed would seem to be even louver than Choprah
38 MODES OF TRAVELLING.

itself. The level of Goolpussra differs little or nothing from that of

Segouly; hence, on this side the ascent is so far easy, and in fact
scarcely perceptible. One of the consequences of this superior
elevation being, that the country is less liable to inundation,
find the roads better, an advantage which, when joined to
me circumstance of the Bechiacori forest being so much clearer
than the Jhurjhoory, gives a decided preference to the route
by Goolpussra, notwithstanding its being more circuitous by a few
miles than the other, if Choprah be taken in the way; while,
if you proceed to Segouly by the direct road from Patna (which
lies to the eastward of the Gunduck), the distance will rather be
shortened.

No sort of baggage or merchandize being transportable beyond

Hettowra, except on the shoulders of hill-porters, the price of their
labeur has been regulated by the government From Goolpussra,
the trip to Khatmanda is from 3± to 3j ; from Hettowra J J- to \\
Nepaul rupees, each man, who ordinarily carries, either in a Dhoka
(or hamper), or otherwise in a bale, a weight equal to eighteen
Dharnis, or about forty-five Seers, exclusive ofhis own provisions.
The rates, however, are in some measure governed by the season
of the year, being higher in the warm than in the cold weather.*
These porters are, for the most part, of the Japoo and Douja tribes

# These rates are also partly regulated by the weight of the burthen agreed to be
carried ; some porters, especially those of ChitloDg, very commonly transporting from
20 to 24 Dharnis.
 r '//if ', y'u^mm^cy^y

fail*»h«>7 , r.fnn Jrv J.. i /'V Hr iJiTlrr JllbemJtrL J'try

 MODES OF TRAVELLING. 39

of Newars, though there are not a few Bhautias, or Tibetians,

among them; but these latter rarely descend into the Turryani,
the climate of which they dread still more than the Newars, whom
no offers, nevertheless, can tempt to pass beyond Hettowra after
the middle of April. Travellers too, especially women, are very
often conveyed over the mountains in Dhokas, which are usually
made of bamboos, somewhat of the form of an inverted trun¬
cated cone. The carriages employed instead of palanquins are a
sort of hammock, nearly resembling those used at Madeira. They
consist of a Durwar, or cotton sack, slung upon a pole made for the
most part of the juggur*wood, which is a species of palm differing
little from the khujhoor of Bengal. From four to eight bearers
are assigned to each, two or four (according to the weight of the
person in it) being under the pole together. When four are neces¬
sary, they usually fix a stick horizontally across each extremity of
the main pole, one man supporting each end of the two cross sticks.
These bearers receive for the trip, whether from Goolpussra or
Hettowra, to Khatmanda, at the same rate as the porters, and are
for the most part of the same tribes. Persons of a certain rank have
suitable establishments of Durwars, or hammocks, without, how¬
ever, regularly maintaining bearers for the carriage of them, it being
*

among the obligations of the tenants of jaghires and other landed

estates, to perform this service occasionally for the proprietor.*

* The bearers are sometimes engaged by the day, when they receive two annas
per man, besides their victuals, which are served out to them three times in the day.
40 TURRYANI OF NEPAUL.

This hammock might easily be rendered a much more commo¬

dious vehicle than we found it to be; the addition of a light wooden
frame, for the purpose of spreading the sack, and keeping it a con¬
venient breadth, would leave nothing more to be desired by the
traveller, than some contrivance for defending him from the oc¬
casional inclemencies of the weather, at a less price than the
deprivation of the delightful prospects constantly claiming his
attention.
Hettowra, though standing very little below the level ofCheeria-
ghati top, is nevertheless comprehended in the Turry or Turryani
of Nepaul, as indeed is the whole of the country situated to the
southward of Chusapany, and of the irregular cluster of mountains
stretching from thence to the ea^t and west, in a nearly parallel
elevation. Turryani properly signifies low or marshy lands, and
is sometimes applied to the flats lying below the hills in the interior
parts of Nepaul, as well as to the low tract bordering immediately
on the Company’s northern frontier. The Turryani of Nepaul,
confined between the Gunduck and Teesla, is divided into soubahs
or governments; that under Zorawar Sing, which stretches from
the former of these rivers easterly to the Kousi, and which may
be distinguished by the appellation of the Western Turrye or
Turryani, consists of five zillahs, or districts, subdivided into
twenty-seven pergunnahs. These zillahs are,
1. Subtuni, bounded to the eastward by the Kousi.
2. Mohtuni, wrest of Subtuni.
 5®

•;-.:\*;*V’

'w-^x

;.v>7

/Jrjtrri by A W Dcvir 2Jf r Ji’i,)t\i\>c,i b; P. (»*//./.

 CULTIVATION. 41

3. Rhohututt,or Rohtut, in which Huttioul is included; it is

situated to the westward of Muhtuni.
4. Bh&reh.
5. Persa, which extends to the westward as far as the Turryani
of Tannohi. The higher part, as well as the fort ofTannohi, is in
the Goorkhalis, but the Turrye still belongs to Hurry Kumar
Seen, the ancient or former rightful Rajah of Tannohi.
Extensive as this government is, the Rajah of Nepaul does not
draw any considerable revenue from it; this is partly owing to the
numerous jaghire and brhemoter lands comprehended in it; but
more particularly, perhaps, to the low state of its population, and
to mismanagement. It is pretended that the Zemindars of Turrye
hold their lands on very easy terms under the present government,
which is content to divide the produce of the soil equally with
them. It is acknowledged, however, at the same time, that the
Buttye is, in most cases, no more than a nominal settlement, as,
besides the formal or established cess, the Zemindar or cultivator is
obliged to pay occasionally, other irregular and arbitrary taxes in
the form of fines, douceurs, and the like.
For lands recently brought into cultivation, the cultivator pays
to government eight annas per biggah, the first year, and subse¬
quently, whatever kind of grain he raises in it, three rupees the
biggah.
The most that Zorawar (the governor of West Turrye) remits
to Khatmanda annually is two lacks of rupees; though his net
G
42 CULTIVATION.

receipts, after discharging all expenses of collection, are supposed

by some intelligent persons, to amount to double this sum; but
whatever the surplus may be, he does not enjoy it exclusively
being obliged to divide his profits with the official men at Khat-
manda, who would not appear to be a whit less corrupt than their
brethren of Hindostan. East Turrye, though it is on the whole a
more fertile, or rather more populous, district, does not yield a net
revenue of more than from one lack and a quarter to one lack and
a half of rupees. It contains, however, more jaghire and brhemoter
lands than the other. The Moruny, which is comprehended in the
East Turrye (and of which it is indeed the most valuable part) is
divided into two soubahs or governments by the Arun, which runs
through the middle of it; this river, though it yields its name to
the Kousi at Bundharia Ghaut, is, nevertheless, a much more con¬
siderable stream than the latter, rising beyond Himma-leh, and
'winding in a singular manner through a great portion of Tibet,
before it descends into the Turryani.
If I might venture to form a judgment from the superficial view
I had of West Turrye, I should be inclined to pronounce that it is
capable of being rendered highly productive to the Nepaul govern¬
ment; its extensive forests alone contain an almost inexhaustible
source of riches, since they might be made to supply with valuable
timber, not only the countries washed by the Ganges, but even our
other settlements in India. The pines of the Bechiacori, and the
Saul-trecs, both of that and the Jhurjoory forest, are not perhaps
 TIMBER. 43

surpassed in any other part of the world, either for straightness or

dimensions, or probably for strength or durability.* The Bechia-
cori pines, nevertheless, seem to have never had an axe applied
to them, though they grow in prodigious numbers, are very
superior to what we generally met with in Nepaul proper, and,
considering the vicinity of the Boora-Gunduck, might be con¬
veyed to us both with little trouble, and at little expense, compared
to the channel by which we are at present supplied with this useful
article, and the cost at which it is procured. Besides timber for
masts and yards, we could draw from hence whatever supplies of
pitch, tar, and turpentine we required. Kota, or pure turpentine of
the Sulla pine, may be procured, I believe, even in Nepaul, at the
rate of ten seers per rupee, and a tree will yield, I have been told,
for eight or ten years together, about three maunds annually.
Neither the tar of America, nor the pine spars from thence, would
appear to be in much estimation in India, though, for want of better,
I suppose, we take off, it is said, from the American traders consi¬
derable quantities of both at high prices.
It is true that the nearest part of the Boora-Gunduck is not less
than thirty miles from the course of the Bechiacori nulla; but

# I had two cut down and floated from Segouly to Calcutta, by way of sample; one
of these spars measured 76, the other 73 feet. Mr. Gillet the shipwright has pronounced
of them that they promise to prove botli strong and lasting, and means to give them a
trial in a ship which he is about to launch. They had felled a couple of immense
dimensions in girth as well as length, but were afterwards unable to move them.
Those examined by Mr. Gillet will work about a foot in diameter.
44 TIMBER.

when we advert to the great number of streams which intersect the

intermediate country, some of them springing even from the forest
itself, the level of the country from Cheeriaghati southerly, so
favourable (on account of its gentle declivity) to the opening of a
communication between these several streams and the Boora-
Gunduck, by means of canals, and the nature of the soil, so well
adapted to the easy execution of such a work, it will be evident that
there are no difficulties opposed by nature to the accomplishment
of so useful an object, which an active and intelligent government
might not speedily remove. Attempts have heretofore been made
:o transport fir or pine-trees from different parts of the Nepaul, and
even of the Rohilcund Turrye, but they have always failed, because
i mountainous country, as well as rapid and rocky rivers, opposed
their success. In the quarter here pointed out, we meet with every
thing calculated to encourage the undertaking, viz. vicinity to a
navigable river passing over the borders of Chemparun, a forest
by no means much elevated above the subjacent country, and the
declivity, such as it is, being gentle; communicating streams, neither
rocky nor rapid, and the means of reducing the land-carriage con¬
siderably, if not of precluding the necessity of it altogether.
Sir Robert Barker wrote to Lord Clive in 1766, concerning the
productions of the tract in question, as follows:
“ Bettyah (he meant the northern parts, or Nepaul borders) will,
I think, be of considerable consequence to the Company ; its firs
“ w‘h afford masts for all the ships in India, which must produce
 MINERAL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. 45

“ a new and considerable trade with the other nations in India, as

“ well as advantage to our own shipping. Gold and cinnamon are
“ also here (the latter we gather in the jungles); timbers as large
“ as any 1 have seen, musk, and elephants’ teeth, besides many
“ other commodities I have not yet got the knowledge of.” It must
be owned, however, that this is an exaggerated account of the na¬
tural riches of the Turrye districts. The quantity of gold dust
found in the Gunduck, and other rivers in this quarter (for mines
are totally out of the question), is very inconsiderable, though it is
pretended that the sanctified stones called Salligrams contain that
precious metal. The cinnamon is no other than the Sing Rowla,
or Lignea Cassia; and with regard to the musk talked of, it is certain
that, if of the true kind, or Kusloora, it could not have been the
produce of the spot, this animal not being met with to the south¬
ward of the Kuchar, or Lower Tibet.
At Hettowra there is a grove of very fine Saul-trees, in which we
pitched our tents : there are but few pines in the environs of this
town; nor do they abound greatly on the banks of the Rapti, as
you proceed up its course. The mineral contents of the hills through
which this river descends appear to be various. We collected many
stones, and some ores in the bed of it indicated the presence of
iron, copper, and other metals. Among others was a stone which
appeared to be an ordinary iron ore, but of which I was told they
made a magnet by wrapping it up in a fresh buffaloe hide, and
depositing it in this state, for a certain time, in the earth. I trans-
46 MINERAL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS.

mitted to Mr. Blake specimens of all the metallic ores and fossils
we met with, both in this and other situations, but he has not yet
had leisure to examine them with attention. The natural produc¬
tions of the vegetable kingdom most common between Hettowra
and Bhimpore, are the Saul, Sissoo, and Simul trees; the nettle,
wild worm-wood, raspberries, and mulberries; we also found here
a curious shrub called Khaksi, the leaf of which answers the
purpose of emery, or sand-paper, giving a fine polish to the harder
woods.
 CHAPTER III.

ROUTES FROM HETTOWRA TO KHATMANDA.

Rapti River—Dhokha-phede—Bheem-phede—Cheesapany Mountain and Fort—De¬

scription of the Military—Viewofthe Mountains of Himma-leh—Tam beh-kan River
and Village—Copper-Mines—Markhoo—Ekdunta Hill—Chitlong—Chandraghiri
Mountains—Thankote—View of the Valley of Nepaul from the Summit of Chan¬
draghiri—Markhoo River—Khargoo—Seeboodoul River—Pheerphing—Sulti-khul
—Bh&gmutty River—Patn—Doona-baisi Mountain—Trees and Shrubs—Pisan-
keel—Owl, or Plague—-Doona Valley—Division of Landed Property.
 [49]

CHAPTER III.

Soon after our leaving Hettowra, we entered the bed of the

Rapti, which we continued to ascend till we reached Dhoka-phede,
the road traversing, for the most part, one or other of the irregular
and rugged banks that enclose it, but occasionally lying through
the midst of its channel, which is uninterruptedly strewed with
huge fragments of rocks, rent from the craggy precipices, between
which this river must rush with astonishing impetuosity during
the autumnal rains. The ascent from Hettowra to Dhoka-phede,
though on the whole by no means inconsiderable, is too gradual,
except in one or two places, to be much felt; nor are the waters
any where deep enough (running off too fast to rise to any great
height) to make the passage of them in the least dangerous : the
few Ruhas, or pits, which they contain, not occurring in the tra¬
veller’s route. The chief inconvenience experienced in crossing, or
proceeding in the bed of the stream, arises from the slipperiness
of the bottom, which is so great as to render it very difficult for the
porters or bearers to keep upon their legs. Independent of the danger
which would arise from the numerous rocks choaking, as it were,
H
50 RAPTI RIVER

the channel of the river, its navigation in boats would scarcely be

practicable, even when its waters were at the highest; for, as Dhoka-
phede rises at the least five hundred yards above the level of
Hettowra in a distance not exceeding fourteen road miles, it is easy
to conceive, what was indeed sufficiently perceptible, that in this
space there are several rapids and falls (called by the Nepaulians
Chekeera and Chdngo) which no loaded boat could pass, while the
idea of establishing carrying or portage-places is altogether pre¬
cluded by the nature of the enclosing banks, which, in general, are
inaccessible precipices. The few cataracts which we saw did not,
it is true, appear very formidable, the fall of the greatest of them
not being more than four or five feet; but it may be presumed,
and, indeed, 1 have been assured, that there are others much grander
than these, in some points of the river’s course, which were con¬
cealed from our view by its windings and the thickness of the sur¬
rounding forest, it being probable that the foot-path has been car¬
ried along, or across, the most practicable parts of the chaunel. The
perpetual roaring occasioned by the impetuous course of this
stream over its rocky bed adds wonderfully to the effect of the wild
and picturesque scenery that adorns its lofty banks, the hills which
confine it being of an immense, though not uniform height, and
abundantly clothed with a great variety of beautiful trees; for
the most part, indeed, these are so close, as barely to leave a pas¬
sage for the waters; at Nimbootan, however, and one or two
other spots, they recede so far as to form a plain along the margin
 DHOKA-PHEDE. 51

of the river sufficient for the admission of a few tents; but even
in these situations the ground is over-run with thickets, and covered
with stones. The fordable passages of the Rapti are called Junghars,
of which there are no less than twenty-four between Hettowra and
Dhoka-phede, at the foot of which this river passes, just after
rushing from the bosom of the mountain whence it has its rise ; it
is of course but an inconsiderable stream at this place.
After crossing the Rapti for the last time, we immediately as¬
cended Dhoka-phede, or the Gate hill, so called from the great
straitness of the pass leading over it; this hill is of a moderate
height, and, excepting just at the summit, of a pretty easy acclivity.
Below it, on the left hand, or to the westward, is the bed of a to¬
lerably wide stream, which flows from certain springs (more parti¬
cularly noticed hereafter) situated towards the summit of the
Cheesapany mountain: we found it quite dry, which is its usual
state, though it is sometimes filled by torrents that occasionally
rush from the adjoining hills.
After the description which has been given of the road from
Hettowra hither, it can scarcely be necessary to add, that it is
utterly impassable during the periodical rains, at which time the
little intercourse maintained between Nepaul and the Turryani is
kept up by the routes of Muckwanpore and Sundooli, which, though
abundantly difficult, yet, not lying through the courses or beds of
torrents, are in some degree practicable at all seasons of the year.
The space between the farther or north foot of Dhoka-phede and
to
52 BHEEM-PHEDE.

Bheem-phede is tolerably level and open, and exhibits some traces

of cultivation. This last is a mean village occupied by a few Newar
families, and standing at the south foot ofCheesapany mountain ;
it owes its name, according to some etymologists, to the circum¬
stance of the Hindoo divinity Bheem having happened, in a ter¬
restrial excursion, to rest one of his feet here, in making a god-like
step : hence it is esteemed a place of sanctity, and the Newars who
inhabit here have dedicated to this deity a small spring, or natural
well, which stands close to the village.
A little way to the westward of the village, and in the bottom
of a close glen formed by a hollow or gorge in the side of the
Cheesapany mountain, a small brook was pointed out to me
which issues from the springs already mentioned to be situated to¬
wards the summit of this mountain. It did not flow, at this time,
much below the spot where I saw it quit the mountain, though it
occasionally runs, as beforesaid, in a broad stream, till it meet the
Rapti. Its water was cold enough to sink the mercury of Fahren¬
heit’s thermometer from 65 to 51 degrees upon being immersed in
it about three minutes; it was still colder at its source, the mercury,
upon being plunged into it there, falling presently from 67 to 48
degrees. These experiments, it is proper to observe, were made
at the hours of nine and eleven in the morning, when the heat
of the sun was considerable, even in the shade. I was assured,
indeed, that the water of this spring is very often too cold to
be drank ; and it is in allusion to its frigidity, that the mountain
 CHEESAPANY. 53

containing it is called Cheesapany, which literally signifies cold

water.
The ascent from Bheem-phede to Cheesapany fort, is for the
most part difficult; the road traverses the side of the mountain,
and in many places lies close to the brink of frightful precipices,
formed, on one side, by the torrents of the Rapti, and on the other
by the Cheesapany stream, which together insulate in a manner
the south side of the mountain. Some idea may be formed of the
depths of these chasms from the circumstance of our having been
actually at a loss, more than once, to determine the genus of the
animals which we saw below, the largest cattle often appearing not
larger than the size of a bird. As the path does not wind in a wide
horizontal range, but stretches abruptly towards the summit, and
forms numerous sharp turnings, the ascent is consequently in many
places very steep ; besideswhich, the footing is rendered not a little
insecure by the loose fragments of rock which are scattered
throughout it. Many parts of the road too necessarily over-hanging
others, and these stories being easily set in motion by the action of
the feet m climbing, those who bring up the rear of a company of
travellers are very liable to be annoyed by the tumbling fragments.
The perpendicular height of Cheesapany fort above Bheem-phede
is about five hundred and thirty yards, which it took me very near
an hour and a half to ascend in my hammock. In returning, I
descended on foot, in somewhat less than three quarters of an
hour.
54 CHEESAPANY.

The south side of this mountain is not so well covered with wood
as the north ; I speak of the space lying between the two ravines
formed by the Rapti and Cheesapany streams, for the hollows, to
a considerable way up their steep slopes, are abundantly and beau¬
tifully wooded. It is in these situations that the fir is mostly seen
in the mountainous tracts, and never near the summits of the more
elevated hills. The Saul and Sissoo are produced on the sides of
Cheesapany ; and after ascending from the springs, and reaching
the greatest height of the path which leads over its summit,
oaks, and other plants peculiar to the loftier situations, are met
with. Indeed, we could always, in the course of our journey, form
a tolerably accurate idea of our comparative elevation, by observ¬
ing the various shades of vegetation which occurred as we
ascended.
The fort of Cheesapany possesses no other strength than what
it derives from its situation, which though considerably below the
summit of the pass, is, nevertheless, as well chosen, perhaps, as it
could be, since the space left by the torrents that embrace the
mountain on either side being here very narrow, this barrier en¬
tirely occupies the whole breadth of the pass, and could not be
easily turned on account of the precipices, at the edge of which it
stands. It is not capable, however, of containing above an hundred
men, and, although the masonry of it appears to be excellent, is
altogether unworthy, in a military view, of any further notice.
This fort is not commanded by an Omrah, as almost all the
 CHEESAPANY. 55

fortresses in the Nepaul territories are, but, like Muckwanpore,

Seedule, and some other places of strength included in Zorawur
Singh’s government, is in charge of an officer immediately nomi¬
nated by that Soubah. The Omrahs are every where wholly inde¬
pendent of the civil governors; their garrisons too, are chiefly
composed of troops raised and formed by themselves, the regulars,
or those of the line, being only occasionally employed under them:
they have lands assigned them for the support of themselves and
men, and rank very high among the orders of the state. They are
distinguished by the simplicity, or what may (in contrast to the
refinements elsewhere observable, even in Nepaul) be called the
clownishness of their dress, wearing short j&mas, wide drawers,
or trowsers, and white turbans carelessly and inelegantly folded.
Their arms consist of matchlocks, broad-swords, bows, and arrows,
and their class is determined by the number of Kohras,* or swords,
which they muster. They are never allowed to remain a long time
together in the command of the same place, being relieved for the
most part yearly, and not unfrequently in the moment that they
are about to reap the harvest of their lands. The same policy,
however, is discernible in all the other arrangements of the Nepaul
government with regard to its delegated authorities, and the
jaghire lands, both of which are constantly passing into new hands.
The Omrahs serve very commonly in the armies, but preserve with
jealousy their own usages. Their respective forces are generally

• A representation of the Kohra is given in the plate at p. 118.

56 CHEESAPANY.

composed of their own kinsmen ; and they affect to despise even

the highest situations in the regular troops. They are all, with few
exceptions, of the Rajepoot tribe.
Cheesapany is a custom-house station, and the only one, besides
Seedli, at which duties are collected on merchandize passing
from the Company’s and Vizier’s territories. The village adjoin¬
ing to the fort contains about twenty thatched houses. There is
a little grain raised here, but by no means sufficient for the con¬
sumption even of the few inhabitants of the place, who are therefore
obliged to supply themselves occasionally from the neighbouring
hamlets. The soil indeed of this mountain (especially of its southern
side) would not seern to be favourable to the culture of any species
of grain; the scanty fields which appear towards its summit con¬
stitute the jaghire of the Jemadar who commands at this station.
From the fort or village it is a tolerably easy ascent of about
three quarters of a mile, by the road, to Cheesapany, or Cold-water
spring, which lies in a natural hollow of the mountain situated a
little below the road, and on the left hand; it is a romantic spot,
and being but little exposed to the influence of the sun, owing to
the high hills which encircle it, as well as to the trees which shade
it, is delightfully cool. Amidst the great variety of plants with
which it abounds, our attention was particularly attracted by a tree,
t

some of the leaves of which exhibited, in a striking degree, the

phenomenon described by Smellie in his account of the Hedysa-
rum movens. As the people of Nepaul consider it in a great measure
 CHEESAPANY. 57

necessary both to the copiousness of a stream, and to the coldness

of its waters, that its fountains, as well as the superior parts of its
course, should be constantly well covered with foliage, they, on
this account, make great difficulty in removing the thickets that
are occasionally met with in those situations.
After quitting this spring, we continued to mount for very near
another mile, before we actually reached the summit of the moun¬
tain, or rather of the path which traverses it. This part of the
ascent is, on the whole, tolerably easy ; though the ground being,
as before, loose and stony, the road must be pronounced to be at
best very indifferent. Near the top of a peak (but not the loftiest of
those which rise from Cheesapany mountain) situated to the
noth-west of the highest point of the pass, the mercury in the ba¬
rometer fell to 23.80 inches, which indicated an elevation of about 7 80
yards above the level of Bheem-phede. This peak, and, of course,
all those around it, most of which are higher, is often covered with
snow for a fortnight together during the winter. Indeed the snow
lies sometimes a span deep, and for ten days together, even at
Cheesapany fort.
On reaching the point of the pass just mentioned, (and which I
judge to stand about i20 yards higher than Cheesapany fort), the
mountains of Himma-leh suddenly burst upon the view, rearing their
numerous and magnificent peaks, eternally covered with snow, to
a sublime height; and so arresting the eye as to render it for some
time inattentive to the beautiful landscape immediately beiow it,
I
58 CHEESAPANY

and in which mount Chandraghiri, and the valley of Chitlong,

with its meandering stream, form the most prominent objects. Indeed
the snow lay upon them as low down as their sides were visible to
us, which in some parts was to a very considerable depth, notwith¬
standing the interposition of the stupendous mountains which rose
immediately to the southward of them, and which, though of a
very inferior elevation, were nevertheless streaked with snow. This
lower Alps, which would appear to be an inseparable attendant
on the Himma-leh chain throughout the whole range of the latter,
and which constitutes, to an immense extent, what is called the
Kuchar, or lower Boutan (dividing every where upper Boutan or
Tibet from the Nepaul territories), will be more particularly men¬
tioned hereafter. The extreme points of Himma-leh, as discernible
from the top of Cheesapany, stretched from east by north to N. N.
West, the nearest horizontal distance being about thirty-eight miles.
After descending a few yards, we lost sight of these Alpine regions,
which were not again visible till we reached the summit of one or
other of the hills belonging to the Chandraghiri ridge. The
snowy peaks of Himma-leh are distinguished among the Nepaulians
by the term of Hima-chooli; Chooli signifying a sharp or pointed
peak ; a round swelling one, such as generally crown the summits
of the Nepaul hills, being called Tutnkoo.
The view from the peak of Cheesapany, which I ascended for
the purpose of observing the state of the barometer, is said to be, in
a clear day, one of the grandest that can well be imagined, the eye
 CHEESAPANY. 59

reposing from hence alternately on the various sublime objects just

enumerated, and on all the subjacent country to the southward,
stretching even beyond the Cheeriaghati ridge to the borders of
Chemparun. We were unfortunately deprived in a great degree of
this noble sight, as, when we were best able, and most at liberty to
enjoy it, which was in our return, the mountain was enveloped by
one of those thick mists (called here Too-al) which always hang
over this elevated tract, except during the periodical rains, or oc¬
casional showers. These vapours, however, did not prevent our
observing, in the night, the numerous lights, and extensive confla¬
grations which illuminating the sides and summits of the sur¬
rounding hills, constituted a most picturesque sight, some of the
former seeming, from their immense height, like so many stars,
and, in fact, not easily distinguished at first from those luminaries;
and the latter presenting the image of streams of fire rushing from
the eminences into the valleys below. This last appearance was oc¬
casioned by the burning of the grass and underwood on the sides
of the mountains intended to be cultivated, a practice very common
in the low, as well as in the high lands, from an idea that the soil
is at once cleared and fertilized by the operation.
The descent from Cheesapany summit to the valley or glen at
its north foot, is neither so considerable, nor is the road so bad
or dangerous, as the ascent from the Bheem-phede side. The road
for the first part winds round the brow of the mountain, by a
gently sloping path, which, though carried along the edge of an
11
60 TAMBEH-KAN RIVER.

immense abyss, is too wide to raise any alarm in the traveller for
his safety. On reaching the north side, the descent becomes rather
more abrupt, but still continues tolerably easy; and during the
middle part, is rendered not a little pleasant by the shade afforded
by some fine trees which adorn this face of the mountain. Towards
the bottom, the declivity is rapid and rocky.
In descending the north side of Cheesapany you meet about mid¬
way with one of those conical piles of stones, which are frequently
raised in similar situations by the superstition of the natives, who
in passing these rude temples, never fail to adore the divinity,
whose presence they are supposed to manifest. They are called
Deoralli, a name which we also find applied both to a very re¬
markable peak of Himma-leh, situated directly between Dhyboon
and Kheroo, and to a mountainous ridge through which the
Bhagmutty rushes, soon after escaping from the valley of Nepaul.
Immediately on reaching the north foot of the Cheesapany, you
cross a rapid but not wide stream, which bears different names,
according to the villages near which it takes its course. It is here
called Tambeh-kan, or Kowli-kan, kola; further up it is known
by the appellation of Markhoo-kola, and still higher by that of
Chitlong-kola. It has its rise at no great distance from Paloong, a
village situated in one of the mountains of the western branch of
the Ghanclraghiri ridge; after descending into the valley of Chit*
long, it is there augmented by some other small rivulets issuing
from the surrounding hills; it then winds through this vallev, and
 TAMBEH-KAN. 61

runs to the eastward of Ekdunta hill, washing to the westward, the

bottom of the eminence on which the village of Markhoo stands;
whence it pursues its course to Tambeh-kan, passing turbulently
along the east side of that station. From the foot of Cheesapany,
where its bed and banks abound with huge rocks, it rushes with
considerable rapidity in a direction nearly east, forcing its way
through the intervening mountains till it reachesthe Bhagmutty,
into which it throws itself at Sisniari, at the distance of about seven
horizontal miles from Tambeh-kan. Between Tambeh-kan and
Sisniari, and rather less than two miles below the ford at which we
passed (reckoning according to its course), it is precipitated from a
rocky perpendicular height of nearly fifty feet, with a noise that,
during the periodical rains, is described to be very grand. Indeed
the distant roar of this cataract was by no means inconsiderable,
even at the season of our journey.
The glen or hollow of Tambeh-kan (for it is scarcely entitled to
the name of valley) stands about two hundred and seventy yards
higher than Bheem-phede; on which account, as well as because the
soil on the north side of Cheesapany mountain is not altogether so
loose as on the opposite face, the descent to it is comparatively
easy. I am assured that this spot is extremely subject to violent
gusts of wind, which rushing from the intervals of the mountains,
and carrying with them innumerable pebbles, render it a very un¬
pleasant stage for travellers, on whom these scattered fragments
sometimes descend with the impetuosity of a hail-storm. This glen
62 TAMBEH-KAN.

is also remarkable for the severity of its temperature in winter, at

which time it is said that the water of the river that passes through
it is almost too cold to be drank.
The village of Tambeh-kan, called also Kowli-kan, is at present a
miserable place, though before the copper mines in its vicinity(whence
it derives its name) were exhausted, it is said to have been both popu¬
lous and flourishing. Indeed the sides of the smaller hills, which
immediately encircle it, exhibiting every where traces of former
forests, is of itself, perhaps, no slight indication of the fact, whether
we suppose these forests to have been removed for the purposes
of fuei merely, or with a view to the cultivation of the soil.
Though the mines close to this place are now nearly exhausted,
yet other veins of copper have been discovered, and are worked at
no great distance from hence. It would seem that the mind's (who
are of the Agrye cast or tribe) move from place to place, according
as their discoveries occasionally prompt them; and although I am
not exactly informed upon what terms they carry on their opera¬
tions, yet there Is reason to suppose that they find them abundantly
profitable, since Kurripoot Ranipoot (or a miner’s son and a
prince’s son) is a proverbial expression in the country, denoting
the opulence of these people, who, it is notorious, indeed, throw
away their money in the most lavish manner, working only when
stimulated by necessity, or by particularly advantageous offers.
Upon quitting Tambeh-kan, we proceeded for some way along
the banks, and occasionally through the bed, of the river, which
 EKDUNTA. 63

towards Markhoo is of a considerable breadth, and every where

confined by hills or rocks of a stupendous height, most of them
very steep, and some actually overhanging the channel below : one
of the craggiest of these cliffs, of a dark barren aspect, and standing
on the right hand in proceeding up the river, presents the striking
appearance of a few well grown pines issuing from its perpendi¬
cular side, and preserving their erect position in a remarkable
manner. Before we reached the village of Markhoo, the road
leading to Khatmanda by Pheerphing turned off to the right. I shall
take notice of this route, after describing the more direct one by
Chitlong.
Leaving Markhoo, which stands near the summit of an eminence
on the right, and quitting the bed of the river, we ascended the
hill of Ekdunta, over which there le two paths. Our cattle, and
most of our people, proceeded by the safest, but neither the shortest
nor easiest. It lies to the left, and partly through the course of a
rivulet. That by which I was conducted winds round the right or
east face of the hill, at no great distance from its brow, and is the
most alarming, if not the most dangerous passage that occurred in
our whole journey ; the breadth of it no where exceeds two feet,
and it is in some places not so much. On one hand is the side of
the hill, which, contrary to the general nature of these mountains,
is here quite bare, affording neither shrub nor stone capable of
sustaining the stumbling traveller, on whose other hand is a per¬
pendicular precipice some hundred feet deep, at the bottom of
64 EKDUNTA.

which the Markhoo-kola rushes impetuously over its rocky bed.

When I perceived the situation I was in, I should have been very
well pleased to have got on my legs: though probably, so sure¬
footed are the bearers, I was better in my hammock, where, at
all events, I was under the necessity of remaining, as the narrow¬
ness of the road did not allow of my quitting it with safety.
After descending from Ekdunta hill, we proceeded for about a
mile and a half along an undulating valley intersected with canals
and natural rivulets, and swelling sometimes into small eminences,
the greater part highly cultivated, and exhibiting several interest¬
ing views of scattered cottages and hamlets, some of them standing
on the summits, some on the sides, and others in the bottoms of
the inclosing hills, the whole constituting a coup-d’oeil of the most
pleasing and picturesque kind. If, indeed, it had not been for the
terraces or steps (resembling an irregular flight of stairs) in which
the fields were laid out, both in the low and elevated situations^
and which form a striking feature in the landscape of this country,
the general scenery might have been compared with the appear¬
ance of many a spot in England. As it was, the objects which
surrounded us here did not fail to remind us of some of the natural
beauties of our native island. The terraces or steps just mentioned
are constructed with no small labour (often extending to the tops
of the highest hills), for the culture of those kinds of grain which
require that the water should remain for some time on the soil.
The sides of most, if not of all the mountains in this country
 CHITLONG 65

abounding in springs, these terraces are easily overflowed, and the

water conducted from one to another, according as circumstances
demand. Sometimes two fields or flights of terraces are seen sepa¬
rated from one another by ravines or rivulets several hundred
feet deep, watered from the same spring by means of an aqueduct
constructed simply of one or more hollowed trees laid across the
intervening chasms, and slightly supported at their extremities as
far as the nature of the precipice happens to admit.
Chitlong, called also Lohari, or Little Nepaul, stands near the
bank of the same stream that passes below Markhoo and Tam-
beh-kan; it contains a few brick and tiled houses of two and three
stories, but is on the whole an inconsiderable place, though cer¬
tainly the first station having any appearance of a town, that the
traveller meets with in the Nepaul territories. It is said to have
been formerly more extensive and flourishing than it is at present,
and its decline was accounted for to me by observing that its situ¬
ation on the high road between Nepaul and the Turrye exposing
its inhabitants to be pressed as porters by the officers of government
and other persons of authority passing through it, had occasioned
the greatest part of them to fly from this oppression into the in¬
terior parts of the country. There can be little room to doubt this
account, when it is considered that the same thing happens under
many other governments, which either have not the will or the
power to protect the labouring classes of the people from the vio¬
lence of the superior orders. Whether or not the case was other-
K
66 CHITLONG.

wise under the ancient Newar princes, I am unable to determine

with exactness, though I suspect that their administration was far
from being moderate or just. But be this as it may, it is pretty
certain that the Newar tribes (who alone, throughout Nepaul proper,
cultivate the ground, and exercise all the other useful arts) enjoy
but little security or happiness under their present rulers, who, on
most occasions, make but too light both of their civil and natural
rights. This observation, however, is by no means meant to convey
any peculiar censure on the Goorkhali government, which I believe
to be at least as mild and equitable as any other in India, whether
Hindoo or Mahomedan.
During the dynasty of Newar princes, Chitlong was for some
time a dependency of the Patun Raje, or sovereignty, and had a
district annexed to it containing several populous villages, among
which were Paloong, Taistoon, Boe-khail, See. It constitutes, at
present, part of thejaghire or fief of one of the four Sirdars, or
commanders in chief, of the Goorkhali forces. There is a mooruth
of Mahadeo to the eastward of the town, close to which is a spring
of excellent water.
We passed about a mile beyond Chitlong, betore we met with a
spot on which we could pitch our little camp; the situation which
we occupied was on the east bank of Chitlong-kola, and at the
distance of about half a mile from the south foot of Chandraghiri,
or the mountain of the moon, a branch or spur of which, however,
stretched close to our encampment, as did another, in the satne
 CHITLONG. 67

manner, from the opposite side of the rivulet, hemming us in so

closely, that the sun did not rise to us on the 27th February, till
half after eight, setting on the same day proportionately early, or
between three and four o’clock.
There is no cultivation on the sides of the hills just described as
terminating the upper part of the Chitlong valley. They are, how¬
ever, well wooded, and abound in a vast variety of wild shrubs,
forming altogether a very pleasing sight, though not so interesting
a one as the fields of corn with which many of the adjacent
eminences are enriched.
Although our barometer was not in order for making here our
usual meteorological observations, yet both the rapidity of the
stream which passes through this valley, and the probable ascent
by the road from Tambeh-kan, sufficiently indicate that Chitlong
stands considerably higher than the last-mentioned place. The
natives, besides asserting the same fact, affirmed it to be still more
elevated above the valley of Nepaul; and this opinion we had the
means of confirming generally, by observing that the level of
Khatmanda was actually below that of Tambeh-kan, though, as to
the precise elevation of Chitlong, as well as of some other situations,
we could form only a vague estimate. It may serve, however, as a
further corroboration of the idea regarding the superior height of
this valley, to notice that during the night of the 27th February
the mercury in Fahrenheit’s thermometer fell to 29 degrees, and
that on the following morning we found all the standing water
12
63 THANKOTE.

around us frozen to a considerable thickness, the mercury at the

same time being at 36.
The Chitlong-kola descends with too much rapidity to be ever
frozen, but the Chandraghiri mountain was crowned with snow
not many days before our arrival at its foot. We had not an op¬
portunity of judging of the height of this mountain by the baro¬
meter ; but, from a rough comparison of it with others in its
vicinity, which we were enabled to calculate with some degree of
exactness, I think it probable that it rises about eight hundred
yards above the level of Chitlong valley, which, I conceive, stands
within two hundred yards as high as Cheesapany fort itself.
The direct road from our camp to Khatmanda lay over mount
Chandraghiri; but as we proceeded to the capital by another
route, I can give no satisfactory account of the former: from the
report, however, of Lieut. Gerard (who ascended to the top of the
mountain for the purpose of taking the bearings of the principal
surrounding points), it would appear that the acclivity on the
Chitlong side is much easier than that of Cheesapany, the road
being on the whole neither so steep, nor of so loose a bottom. The
descent to the valley of Nepaul is, on the other hand, described by
every one to be very abrupt and rugged.
Thankote is situated near the north foot of the mountain; you
pass through it in proceeding to Khatmanda, from which it is dis¬
tant about six road miles. The horizontal distance between Chitlong
and Khatmanda does not exceed nine miles.
 MOUNT CHANDRAGHIRI. 69

From the summit of Chandraghiri there is a most commanding

prospect, the eye, from hence, not only expatiating on the waving
valley of Nepaul, beautifully and thickly dotted with villages,
and abundantly chequered with rich fields fertilized by numerous
meandering streams; but also embracing on every side a wide
expanse of charmingly diversified country. It is the landscape in
front, however, that here most powerfully attracts the attention;
the scenery in this direction gradually rising to an amphi¬
theatre, and successively exhibiting to the delighted view the
cities and numberless temples of the valley below ; the stupendous
mountain of Sheoopoori; the still super-towering Jibjibia, clothed
to its snow-capped peak with pendulous forests ; and finally, the
gigantic Himma-leh, forming the majestic back-ground of this won¬
derful and sublime picture. On the Bhunjan, or flat of Chandra¬
ghiri summit, there is a small village and market for the accom¬
modation of travellers; and on one of its peaks, immediately
below which the road passes, there formerly stood a small fort,
which has lately been allowed to go to decay.
We will now, as proposed above, return to Tambeh-kan, and
trace the route from thence to Khaimanda, by what is called the
Pheerphing road.
Proceeding for about a mile from Tambeh-kan, partly in the bed
of the river, which passes under it, but chiefly along its western
bank, you at length cross it, at the foot of a mountain which con¬
fines it here on the east side, and which you immediately begin to
70 MARKHOO RIVER.

ascend. This mountain rises to a very great height, and terminates

in two or three gently-swelling peaks, on one of' which (situated

immediately over the road or pass) the mercury in the barometer

fell to 231.75 inches, which indicates an elevation almost

exactly the same with that of the neighbouring peak of Cheesa-

pany. The road, for nearly the whole way to the top, is ex¬

ceedingly bad, but the first part is particularly rugged. It winds

considerably soon after quitting the river, and therefore is not often

very steep ; there occur, however, several precipices in it, which

are but ill compensated for by the circumstance of this mountain’s

being remaikably well wooded, and consequently shady. The dif¬

ficulty of the acclivity is in some degree diminished by a break or

step, which, after ascending about midway, stretches forward in a

sort of terrace for two or three hundred feet. On approaching the

summit, and during some minutes in descending to the north-east,

you have a view of Himma-leh, but neither uninterrupted nor ex¬

tensive. The Markoo-kola, which meanders through the intervals

of the hills, appears to the eye of the traveller from above,

of a deep dark tinge, nearly as black as ink. I conceive the ascent

of this side of the mountain to be little less, by the road, than four

miles.
In proceeding to Khargoo, you descend by a very bad path,

which winds along the north-east face of the mountain that has just

been described, till you reach a small rivulet which separates it

from the spur or projecting hill, on the brow of which the village
 KHARGOO. 71

of Khargoo stands. After crossing this stream, which, as well as

several others that flow in various directions, has its rise from
springs situated, some of them actually within, and some in the
skirts of the village, you ascend by a tolerably easy acclivity
leading to Khargoo. This is an inconsiderable, and miserable
looking place, notwithstanding the few huts it consists of are built of
brick, and apparently well tiled. It may be observed, indeed, once
for all, of the hamlets scattered over the more mountainous parts
of our track, that owing to their favourable situation, which was
very commonly highly romantic, they generally constituted most
agreeable prospects when seen from a distance; but that, on a
nearer view, the delusion vanished, being but too often succeeded
by a picture, in which poverty and squalidness formed the most
prominent figures.
Instead of ascending to the top of the hill on which Khargoo
stands, and passing through that village, the traveller may proceed
by a more direct path that lies a little below it to the southward ;
but this is very unsafe, being as narrow as that of Ekdunta, though
not of equal extent, and having a steep precipice on the right hand;
the danger of it is not a little augmented by the numerous rills of
water which issue from the superincumbent springs, and, by in¬
tersecting the road cut out of the side of the hill, must always render
it very slippery. I happened to be conducted through Khargoo,
and could not view, from the opposite mountain, some of our party
IS KHARGOO.

passing under that village by the lower way, without strong sen¬
sations of alarm.
By advancing, after quitting Tambeh-kan, a little higher up the
course of the river than the point at which our route crossed it,
and keeping the Chitlong road till you come to the bottom of Ek-
dunta hill, striking off from thence to the right, I have reason to
believe that a great part of the difhcultv just described would be
avoided. Some of our people proceeded by the way here alluded
to, and from their report of it, there can be little doubt of its being
considerably easier, than that which we ourselves pursued. Indeed,
if the case were otherwise, it would be impossible to account for
the preference given by all merchants to the Pheerphing road,
since there would not seem to be any thing in the descent from
Chandraghiri to the valley of Nepaul nearly so arduous or dan¬
gerous as what we experienced between Tambeh-kan and Khargoo,
not to insist upon the general ruggedness of the whole of this
route, which was, however, far greater than we had been taught to
expect.
On leaving Khargoo, you descend till you reach a stream
called Khargoo-kola, by a road that, after winding some way round
the brow of the hill, strikes rather abruptly down the north face
of it. The Khargoo-kola rises from the springs already mentioned,
as being situated in and about the village of the same name. I am
not able to describe its course; but it is probable that alter being
 SEEBOODOUL STREAM. 73

joined by the Seeboodoul rivulet, it empties itself, at no great

distance, into the Tambeh-kan river. After proceeding for a few
minutes along the bank of the Khargoo-kola, you cross it, and
presently mount, by a gentle ascent, another hill of no great ele¬
vation, the declivity of which, however, towards the north-east,
is rather steep. Immediately on descending this hill, you enter
the bed of the Seeboodoul rivulet, which is crossed several times
in advancing up the valley through which it runs. This stream
issues from one of the hills that inclose the valley here mentioned,
to the eastward ; if that may be called a valley in which we found
it difficult to pitch the few tents we had with us. But confined as
this glen or bottom was, we nevertheless found it very agreeable,
the surrounding eminences being beautifully wooded, and pre¬
senting many romantic points of view. Low as this situation ap¬
peared to be on account of the lofty hills which in a manner over¬
hung it, the barometer indicated its elevation to be very consider¬
able, the mercury sinking here to 24 inches and a half, or almost
exactly to the level of Cheesapany spring. The height of this place
is further denoted by the extreme cold which we felt during the
night of the 20th March, when on our return from Khatmanda, and
the morning following the mercury in Fahrenheit’s thermometer
stood at 43 degrees and a half. It must not be omitted that we were
assured this spot was much infested by tigers ; this animal, however,
•would not appear, from the accounts we received, to be nearly so
fierce or dangerous in Nepaul as those of the southern countries,
L
74 SULTI-KHUL.

Proceeding from hence about three quarters of a mile, you reach

the foot of a hill, midway up which there is a small fort, called
Gowthan, where some cattle belonging to the Rajah are usually
kept. The bottom below it, on the south-side, is known by the name
of Phakheil Kurrug, on account of its abounding with wild hogs,
which, in the Newar dialect, are called Pha. This is not a very
high hill, yet the ascent in some parts is exceedingly bad, nor is
the opposite declivity on the whole much better. You no
sooner pass this hill than you begin to mount a second, rather
loftier than it, by a road which is at first rugged and steep, but
improves as it approaches to the top, where it winds with an
easy ascent. Descending again by a tolerably gentle declivity, you
cross a third hill, the ascent of which is by no means difficult.
On the summit is a level path for about forty or fifty yards, alter
which you descend once more, passing, at the bottom, the Pheer-
phing-kola. From this rivulet you ascend to the town of Pheer-
phing, which stands on the brow' of a hill, at the further or north
part of which the Bhagmutty (lows over a sandy bed, and through
a channel but little obstructed by rocks. Above Pheerphing,
whence the hill continues to rise very gradually, and about half
a mile to the westward of it, stands the village of Sulti-khul,
romantically situated, directly under mount Chempa-daibi. The
springs of the Seker are to be seen close to this village, and
though it is an inconsiderable rivulet, emptying itself into the
Bhagmutty, very soon after passing to the north-west of Pheerphing,
 PHEERPHING. 75

vet its sanctity, and, consequently, its importance, among the

natives is very great, giving name to one of the four Arthans of

Nerain for which Nepaul is celebrated. The multitudes of small

fish which the fountains of this stream contain, cannot fail to at¬

tract the notice of the traveller, nor will it sufficiently account for

their being so numerous, to observe, that the inhabitants are uni¬

versally impressed with a conviction, that any attempt to steal

them (catching them openly being altogether out of the question)

would be followed by immediate death. This rivulet no sooner

passes the Arthan of Seker-nerain, at which spot the fish most

abound, than it throws itself in a cascade of considerable elevation

abruptly into the valley below, whither it would necessarily carry

the greater part of the fish along with it, if some means of prevention

were not used. The mode adopted has been that of sinking two or

three basons in the rock, below the natural bed of the stream, the

current of which, however rapid, can only propel the superior

part of the water confined in the basons. Accordingly, very few

fish are precipitated down the hill by the torrents, even when those

are at the highest, the artificial depths affording them a secure

retreat from its violence.

Pheerphing, though dignified with the title of a town, possesses

but little advantage over Khargoo, either in size or any other re¬

spect. The hills and valleys around it, and comprehended in its

jurisdiction, and which, in general, appear highly cultivated, are

celebrated for the wheat and Karphul which they produce ; the
76 PHEERPHING.

latter is a small stone fruit, somewhat resembling the cherry in

flavour; we saw also at Pheerphing some very fine-looking peach-
trees of unusual height. Whether or not more grain is raised in
this district than is required for the consumption of its inhabitants,
I had not an opportunity of ascertaining; but it is certain, that
neither here, nor at any other town or village in our route (Khat-
manda alone excepted) could we easily procure even a single day's
provisions for our followers ; the authority of the government being
almost always necessary for this purpose, notwithstanding our rea¬
diness to pay whatever might be demanded; from this circumstance,
and the nature of the country, which was everywhere unfavourable
to the transportation of its productions to any distant market, I am
inclined to think that for the most part these people are content to
obtain from the earth support only for themselves, and that, conse¬
quently, we were rarely supplied by them in the course ofourjourney
but at the expense of exposing them more or less to real inconvenience.
From Pheerphing to Pain, the road, though traversing a country
broken into irregular and unequal heights, and consisting some¬
times of the same narrow sort of path cut out of the side, or carried
round the brow or shoulder of. a mountain, and impending over
immense chasms, which occurs so commonly in this country, may,
nevertheless (especially the latter part), be said to be com¬
paratively good. The Bhagmutty is crossed at the distance of three
and a half road miles from Pheerphing. Advancing from this river
about a mile, you leave the villages of Sona-koate and Koakna to
 PATN. 77

the left. Thh lust place, as well as Bhagmutty, which stands close

to it, is situated somewhat below the road, which here lies over a

hill that separates the Bhagmutty and Purbaooty rivers, between

which the distance is nearly three miles. The Purbaooty issues

from one of the mountains to the eastward, passing soon after on

the cast side of Chapigong; it has but an inconsiderable course

before it falls into the Bhagmutty, which it does a little way below

the point at which we forded it. This stream is also called the

Nec-khoo, from its abounding with fish ; nya, or nee, signifying

Jish, and klioo, a rivulet, in the Newar dialect. The city of Patn,

which is not above three quarters of a mile beyond the passage of

the Nee-khoo, stands on a small, but rather elevated plain, at the

distance of about a mile and a half from the south end of Khat-

manda. The Bhagmutty separates these two capitals, being crossed

a little above its junction with the Bishnmutty, and at nearly the
same distance below the point at which it receives the waters of the

Tookeha, a l iver that will be further noticed elsewhere.

I compute the road-distance from Tambeh-kan to Khatmanda,

by Pheerphiug, to be twenty-three miles, whereas, byChitlong and

Chandraghiri, it does not, I imagine, exeeed nineteen. Of the pre¬

ference to which this last route appears entitled, in every other

respect, I have already offered my opinion; I will here add, that

it is invariably used by all natives travelling directly from Het-

towra to Khatmanda, which is a journey very commonly performed

between sunrise and evening

78 DOONA-BAISI MOUNTAIN.

I will now return to Chitlong valley, and trace the route we pur¬

sued from thence to Khatmanda bv Noakote.

Leaving Chandraghiri proper on the right hand, we ascended

in a direction nearly north, and by a path neither remarkably

steep, nor in any other shape very difficult, to the summit of what

may be called Doona-baisi mountain, from the valley of that name

lying below it to the northward. It is, however, a continuation

of mount Chandraghiri, from which it is only partially divided by

a sinking in the top of the ridge, and a separation of the shoulders

constituting a deep gorge or chasm, overgrown with trees and

shrubs, and formed, perhaps, by the attrition of the waters which

spring from above, and meeting in their course down the side of

the mountain, with little resistance, from the nature of the strata

which compose it, may be readily conceived (especially as these

streams are occasionally violent torrents) to have gradually effected

this breach. The same description, as well as theory, will apply to

the greater part of the mountainous tract over which our route lay;

it appearing to consist almost universally of a calcareous rock, and

that rarely of a firm or compact kind.

The acclivity of mount Doona-baisi is broken into two steps.

The first ascent is, by the road, about a mile and a quarter, the

other is a mile ; the flat or level separating them is, however, very

inconsiderable. The whole of this face of the mountain is delight¬

fully wooded, the lower parts, towards Chitlong valley, excepted,

where the principal natural production is a stunted oak of the

 DOONA-BAISI MOUNTAIN. 79

holly-leafed species. The chasms below the shoulders (along the

edge of which the road, as usual, occasionally passes) contain Sissoo,

pine, and other trees; among those which adorn the side of the

hill, the chief are the Phullaced, the Kaholo, the Sing Rowla, the

Timmue, the Chillownia, and the Seidburrooa. The first of these

is a species of oak, the wood of which is in high repute in Nepaul

for its strength and durability; the acorns are used medicinally,

and also serve as food for their hogs. Of the pith of the Kaholo,

the poorer classes of the people, in times of scarcity, prepare a nu¬

tritious bread, which is sometimes eaten by itself, and sometimes

mixed with flour. The Sing Rowla is the Lignea Cassia, the

leaves of which are very commonly brought into Hindostan, where

thev are employed in spicery under the name of Taiz-pat (or sharp

leaf): the bark of the root does not differ widely from cinnamon,

for which it is, indeed, often sold in the upper provinces; but that
of the trunk and branches possesses little of the cinnamon flavour.

This spice, when not manufactured so as to resemble cinnamon,

is vended by the Pussaries or druggists under the name of

Thieg. The Timmue, called also Taizbul (of which there are two

species), is a curious plant, yielding a berry somewhat like the

black pepper in shape and size ; this berry consists of a black or,

bicolor seed contained in a thin shell or pod, which spontaneously

opens when the fruit is ripe. The shell is a strong„pleasant spice,

used for various culinary purposes, and is likewise asserted to pos¬

sess great medicinal virtues.* The Chillownia is also a singular

* This appears to be the Cubeb of Java.

so DOONA-BAISI MOUNTAIN.

tree; its upper coat is entirely composed ofinnumerable needle-form

fibres laterally united by a kind of glutinous sap. This part of the
plant applied to the skin, affects it in the manner of thistles, and is
on that account employed as one of the instruments of corporal
punishment used in this country. The wood of the Chillownia
is very much valued, but whether the estimation in which it is
held be founded on experience of its good qualities, or merely on
superstitious opinion, I am not quite certain; I have been told it
makes good rafters, and have also been assured that it is the god
of trees, and that no house can be said to be perfectly secure in
which more or less of this timber has not been employed. The
bark of the Siedburrooa is manufactured by the people of Nepaul
into a strong useful paper ; they also make rope and packthread
of it, neither of which, however, would appear to resist moisture
well. There are two species of this tree, both growing to a consi¬
derable size; the one just mentioned is also called K&ghazi-pat, or
the paper plant; the other is the Bhootca Siedburrooa, or paper-
tree of Tibet, which is deemed the best.
Besides these, there are several other useful or curious trees and
shrubs among the natural productions of this and the adjacent
mountains, that appear to be very well entitled to investigation, as
promising both to reward and gratify an active and intelligent bo¬
tanist. I shall only notice here, in addition to what has been just
enumerated, the Jumne-mundroo, the Gurras, the Puddiem or
Poyeh, the Ghootraphul, the Mahail, and the Dhullola. The first
 DQGNA-BAISI MOUNTAIN. SI

of these bears yellow sweet-smelling flowers, in branches; its leaves

resemble those of the holly, and the wood is, both in closeness of
texture and colour, very like box. The Gurras is a tree that affects
the highest situations ; its flowers are large, and of a deep red ; and
yield by decoction a purplish colour which ascids convert to a
tolerable pink. The Puddiem or Poyeh resembles, in its leaf and
wood, the cherry ; we did not see it in flower, and as it is not cul¬
tivated, could form no accurate idea of its fruit from the account
we received of it. The wood is held in great sanctity by the natives.
The Chootraphul is not unlike the barberry in appearance; the
wood is of a strong yellow colour, but does not afford a permanent
dye ; the women of Nepaul use it, instead of sandal, for tracing the
Tilluh on their foreheads. The Mahail and Dhuttola are both
species of plums; the former bears abundance of beautiful flowers.
The Okher, or walnut, of Chitlong is reckoned the best of any pro¬
duced in the Nepaul territories; but those of Tibet are esteemed
superior. The shell of the Chitlong, and, indeed, of most of the
Nepaul walnuts, is remarkably hard. They have learned to employ
the wood in the manufacture of gun-stocks, Behadur Shah having
of himself discovered that we put it to that use. Their best char¬
coal is made of the Bh^ng, or holly-leafed oak.
We were just an hour in ascending to the top of Doona-baisi
hill, from whence we had a delightful view of the valley below, as
well as a broken one of the snowy ranges of mountains before us.
M
82 DOONA VALLEY.

The declivity to the northward was in many places extremely steep,

the road often lying along the edge of the shoulder by which we
descended, and which now and then sunk very abruptly. The
distance by the road from the summit of the mountain to the
bottom of Doona-baisi, could not, I judge, be less than six miles, as
I was two hours and twenty minutes in descending. We passed in
our descent two hamlets, situated on small flat projections from
the side of the hill; the first of them nearly midway down, the
other about half a mile from the bottom. The village of Pisan-keel
stands on the face of a detached hill less than a quarter of a mile
from the foot of the descent into the valley, and leaning from it
about south-west. The north side of Doona-baisi mountain, though
of a perpendicular height not less than twelve hundred yards, was
cultivated in some parts from its very summit to its base, present¬
ing to the view one of the most interesting and picturesque sights
that can be well imagined ; many of the fields, indeed, appeared
to be so steep as to excite some degree of wonder in us at the hus¬
bandman’s being able to reach, far less to cultivate them. The
grain raised in these situations is principally Towli and Ikaro;
they are both species of Ghya, or dry rice, the former of which is
reaped in the summer, and the other in the winter solstice.
I am inclined to think that Doona-baisi* lies nearly on the same
level with Beem-phede, or perhaps a little lower. The Owl, orlow-

# The word Baisi or Biasi, wherever it occurs, signifies a valley.

 DOONA VALLEY. 83

country plague, prevails in this valley with some force, between

the months of April and November, which must be attributed to
the great height of the mountains enclosing it, as otherwise it
might well be considered an elevated situation, standing as it does
more than fifteen hundred feet above the level of Cheeriaghati.
During this period, the inhabitants fly to the sides of the surround¬
ing hills, upon which they all have cottages to retire to. They
nevertheless, continue, even during the bad season, to visit the
valley without fear, while the sun remains above the horizon,
never venturing, however, to pass the night below. This endemial
disease, of which we have been accustomed to hear such exagger¬
ated accounts, though doubtlessly a very afflicting malady, appears
• •

to be nothing more than the jungle fever, so common in the hilly

and woody districts of India, and differing in no respect from
the Malaria of Switzerland, as described by Coxe.
Our camp in the Doona valley was pitched on a rising ground,
which, though not sufficiently elevated above its bottom, to disclose
to us the sublime scenery of the Alpine regions in front, was, ne¬
vertheless, abundantly favourable to the view of one of the most
delightful prospects that occurred in the course of our journey,
and the milder beauties of which I should in vain attempt to de¬
scribe. It must not be omitted, however, that the romantic and
rural situations of some of the hamlets with which this pleasing
landscape was studded, did not constitute the least striking of its
charms; the soil of the nearer hills, as well as of the valley, appeared
14
84 DOONA VALLEY.

to be very rich, being, it is probable, mostly composed of decayed

vegetables and decomposed lime-stone. On the eminence upon

which our tents stood, there was a lofty Champah-tree, which
measured in girth eleven feet, though in Bengal this is a shrub of
inconsiderable bulk. The Shujh, or milk-tree, also called in this
country Sukoor, grew here to a very uncommon size.
The valley of Doona is divided from that of Nepaul by an irre¬
gular ridge of hills of no great height, which runs across the eastern
head of it, issuing apparently from that part of the Bheerbundy
mountain adjoining, towards the elbow formed by the Chandraghiri
and Doona-baisi mountains. In passing from Khatmanda to Patn,
this ridge presented the appearance of four or five separate ranges,
one rising above the other in amphitheatrical order. If they are
really distinct ranges, the intervals must be very inconsiderable,
the horizontal distance, even from Pisan-keel to Thankote, across
these hills, not exceeding five miles. I incline to think, however,
that what seemed to be separate ridges were in fact no other than
so many steps or risings of the same range, divided severally by
gentle sinkings between, a physical disposition which I often ob¬
served in this mountainous region, and which always, in a certain
point of view, exhibited the appearance of so many distinct hills.
With regard to the western extremity of the Doona valley, I can
say nothing positive, because though it seemed to be partially
bounded very soon in that quarter by some low hills crossing it in
a north-west direction, yet the view beyond those was, for this
 DOONA VALLEY. 85

country,uncommonly distinct and extensive. But whatever may be

the western limit of this valley, there is no doubt that one may
travel hence to Noakole without crossing any hills, and, conse¬
quently, turn the west point of Koomhara mountain, by proceeding
occasionally through the beds of rivulets. The following sketch of
the Rajah’s route from Khatmanda to Noakote will both establish
the fact, and shew also that the ridge which confines the Doona
valley to the eastward, is not actually in contact with mount
Chandraghiri.
Proceeded from Khatmanda
to Kertipore
toThankote '

Hence descended into

Doona-baisi; whence proceeded westerly
to Mahadeo-baisi.
to Khaistia-dhoban* (or the junction of the Mahaise and
Khaistia, which last stream rises in
Ghedia-kan)
to Mahaise-dhoban (or the confluence of the Mahaise
and Tirsoolgunga).
to Koolpoo-dhoban (or the junction of the Koolpoo and
Tirsoolgunga).
to Bhoodo-sing-baisi
to Daiby Ghaut,
to Noakote.

* Dlioban signifies the confluence of two rivers.

86 TJOONA VALLEY.

The whole of the way from Thankote to Noakote (excepting,

indeed, between the former place and Doona-baisi, where the
descent must be rather abrupt) would seem to be a gradual de¬
clivity lying entirely through valleys and the beds of rivers, each
successively lower than another, the valley of Noakote being deeper
still than that of Doona. The first part of this route being westerly,
the middle northerly, and the latter easterly, it is evidently so ex¬
tremely circuitous, as to require several days for its performance,
whereas, it is only one good day’s journey from Khatmanda to
Noakote, by the direct road over Bheerbundy mountain, of which
we shall speak in the proper place.
Most of the cultivated grounds in and about Doona-baisi are di¬
vided somewhat in the manner of jaghires among the civil and
military servants of the Government; a few are in the hands of
Brahmins, and some of the least productive, as those situated to¬
wards the summits of the mountains, are held under certain stipu¬
lations by the peasantry who till them. I do not possess the infor¬
mation necessary to giving a full or satisfactory account of the
nature of tenures in this country, but I will here sketch out a ge¬
neral idea of the matter in the best manner my sources of intelli¬
gence will admit.
The Sovereign is deemed to be originally the absolute proprietor
of all lands, nor is there any tenure under which they can be en¬
joyed permanently, or considered as hereditary possessions, except
the few hereafter particularized. Even the first subject of the state,
whether as to birth or office, has, generally speaking, but a tern-
 DOONA VALLEY. 87

porary and precarious interest in the land s which he holds, being

liable, at every Punjunni, or grand council (which is for the most
part annual, and assembled during the months of May and June),
to be deprived of them altogether; to have them commuted for a
pecuniary stipend, or to have them exchanged for others. This
council is composed of the principal ministers of Government, and
of such other persons as the Prince or Regent thinks proper to
invite to it; and its business is to examine into the conduct of all
the public officers during the preceding year, to degrade, punish,
and reward them, according to their merits, and to bestow govern¬
ments, military commands, and jaghire lands for the ensuing, year,
in all which it is the policy of this court to make frequent changes,
with the view of preventing local attachments, and the dangerous
effects of long confirmed local authority; of accustoming its sub¬
jects to serve indifferently in all parts, and of keeping its dependents
always in a state fluctuating between hope and fear; imitating
herein the practice of the court of Delhi, during the most vigorous
period of the Mogul monarchy; I say imitating, because, little
as I had an opportunity of observing the political institutions of
this government, I saw enough to satisfy me that many of them
were directly drawn irom that source.
 CHAPTER IV

Division of Lands in Nepaul—Measures and Weights—Cultivation of the Soil—

Labourers’ Wages—Classes of the PeasaDtrjr—Military Service.
 [ 9» ]

CHAPTER IV.

The lands of Nepaul, under which denomination I comprehend

not only those of Nepaul proper, and of Ghoorkha, but of such
conquered districts as have been thoroughly settled, may be
arranged under the following classes :
First. Those constituting what may be termed crown-lands, or
the Rajah’s immediate estates. These are situated chiefly in the
Ghoorkha territory, but there is hardly any division of the
Goorkhali conquests, in which the Prince has not appropriated a
greater or smaller share of the lands to himself. Some of these
estates are cultivated by husbandmen, with whom he equally
divides the produce; others are managed entirely by agents of
his own, and tilled by the neighbouring husbandmen, who are
obliged to dedicate a certain number of days in the year to this
service; and others are farmed out. From those of the two first
descriptions he draws almost all the supplies for the consumption
of his kitchen and the other departments of his household ; every
jaghiredar at Khatmanda furnishing himself in the same manner
is
92 DIVISION OF LAND.

from his jaghire (unless this happens to be too remotely situated)

with so much of its produce in kind, as he may require for domes¬
tic expenditure, depending on the markets, whether at Khatmanda
or elsewhere, only for such articles as his lands do not yield. This
is the reason why the markets of this country appear to be but
scantily supplied, when considered relatively to the number of in¬
habitants ; for they may be said to be almost exclusively resorted
to by the trading, manufacturing, and other classes of the people
not in possession of lands.
Second. The Birtha, or Brhemotcr lands, which are of two
kinds, viz. the Koos-birtha, and the Soona-birtha. The former are
rarely bestowed excepting on Brahmins. The manner of investiture
is solemn; the Rajah waters with his own hands a clod brought
from the land to be given away, mixing it with some Kuos
(a species of holy grass,) and Teel (sesame), and, with certain
other ceremonies occasionally performed by a priest, presents
the whole to the Brahmin, who returns part of the clod to the
earth from which it was taken, and carefully preserves the remain¬
der ; this gift is sometimes accompanied by a written patent, and
sometimes by a Tambeh-putter, or title-deed, engraved on a plate
of copper. Lands of this kind are rent-free, saleable, and heredi¬
tary; but are also forfeitable for certain crimes. Some titles to
estates of this sort are derived from giants confered by former
princes, the predecessors of the Goorkhali dynasty, but which the
present reigning family have confirmed, by atfixing their red seal
 DIVISION OF LAND. 0^

to the original patents, the proprietors paying in these cases a fine

proportioned (o the value of the land. It must here be observed,
that though, strictly speaking, the sovereign has no claim on the
proprietor of such lands for any thing more than his prayers, yet
the latter occasionally considers it prudent to propitiate his prince
by other more substantial means. This is particularly necessary on
the accession of a new Rajah.
The Soona-birtha tenure is that by which certain Newars, and
other natives of the different countries subjected by the Goorkha-
lis, continue to hold their ancient possessions under the govern¬
ment of the conquerors. These lands, though rent-free, saleable,
and hereditary, like the others, are not enjoyed altogether on
terms equally easy ; for besides that a considerable fine was exacted
from the proprietors upon the first confirmation of their original
titles, these must be renewed on similar terms under every
succeeding prince
Third. The Kohrya and Bari lands. The lands which come
under this description, are such as are destitute of springs, and
have no stream passing through them. Of this kind are the sides
and summits of many, perhaps the greater part, of the mountains of
this country, though certainly most of those which we passed were
very well watered. A Bari is properly an enclosed fruit or kitchen
garden, unsupplied with springs or running water, being otherwise
deemed of the Kaith kind, and rateable accordingly. Kohrya
land is often comprehended in jaghires, but is not productive
94 DIVISION OF LAND.

to the jaghiredar, as it requires considerable labour, and yields,

after all, no very profitable grains. The principal are Muckhyt
(Indian corn), Kodo Murrova, some species of Ghya (a dry coarse
rice), and Toori: they also raise in these situations some barley,
wheat, cotton, Kagnos, or millet, Suma, and Phaphun. These articles
are chiefly consumed by the husbandmen themselves, and others
among the lower classes of the people. The cultivator pays the
jaghiredar, or government, not according to the produce of his
labour (which regularly would be the Buttye, or half), but a cess
proportionate to the number of his ploughs or spades : widows are
permitted to cultivate as much Kohrya land as they can, without
being cessed at all. Considering the difficulty of bringing lands of
this nature into cultivation, and the general scarcity of inhabitants
throughout these mountainous regions, it is probable the govern¬
ment draws but little revenue from them.
Fourth. The Kaith lands. The Kaith, or plantation lands, are
of the first quality, being well watered by springs and rivulets,
having a rich soil, and yielding, with moderate labour, all the su¬
perior kinds of grain; they are principally situated in the valleys,
the lowest of which are, generally speaking, the most fertile; but
they are not uncommon even in the higher lands, some of which
are abundantly supplied with water. The superficial contents of a
Kaith of a hundred Moories are equal to about four Biggahs, and
thirds of a Biggah.
The divisions of a Kaith are as follow :
 MEASURES AND WEIGHTS. 95

20 Pal hies 1 Moorie (ISfDhoors of Bengal).

20 Moories 1 Beeswa.
5 Beeswas I Kaith.
It is to be observed, however, that this is not properly land
measurement, the Pathie and Moori being strictly measures of ca¬
pacity ; nor are Kaiths universally of the same superficial area;
but being for the most part equal to about four Biggahs, and two-
thirds,* Bengal measurement, and estimated to produce one hun¬
dred Moories of grain in the husk, the term is used to convey a
fixed idea of superficial quantity, though in a restrained sense it
signifies merely a field or plantation.
The proper land-measure of the valley of Nepaul, or of the
Newars, is the Roopni, which is equivalent to three Cottahs and
three quarters of Bengal. Four Moories make one Roopni, and five
Roopnis are equal to a Beeswa, or twenty-five to a hundred Moo¬
ries, of which last, twenty-one, and rather better than a third, go to
one Biggah.
The Biggah is used in the measurement of plantations by the
Purbutties only, by which appellation the occupiers of the hilly
regions in general surrounding the valley of Nepaul are distin¬
guished from the Newars, or proper inhabitants of the latter,
though the term seems most appropriate to those of the western
Chaster. The subdivisions of the Biggah are as follows:
2 Hauts or cubits square 1 Renoo.
9 Renoos 1 Dhoor (of Bengal.)

* Or exactly to 4 Biggahs, 13 Cottahs, and 15 Dhoors.

96 MEASURES AND WEIGHTS.

18J- Dhoors 1 Moori.

4 Moories (or 75 Dhoors) 3^ Cottahs.

21j Moories nearly (or 20 Cottahs) 1 Biggah.

The Pathie contains eight Manas, and a Mana (which they rate
at ten Mooties, or handfuls) is equal in capacity to five Chuttacks
three Siccas, Bengal bazar weighi; the Pathie may therefore be
stated at two Seers, three quarters, and five Siccas, and the Moorie
of course at fifty-six Seers, or a Maund and sixteen Seers, Bengal
bazar weight, measuring (it is proper to observe) with Dhan or
Paddy, by which is meant rice in the husk.
The Dharni is a sort of steelyard, in use not only in Nepaul but
in Tibet; it is employed in weighing oil, lumber, ghee, salt, metals,
kc. but not grain, and is graduated in a very minute manner; the
principal divisions of the scale are the following:
the Dharni, or extreme degree, denoting a weight
equal to 2^- Seers, Bengal bazar weight,
the Hummali | of a Dharni (or 3 Seers of Nepaul,
each of sixteen Gundahs).
the Bessowli \ Dharni.
the Barchpul
the Authpul
the Charpul
The Seer of Nepaul, it may be right to notice, has lately*been raised,
in certain transactions, to 17 Gundahs.
The lowest price at which good Kaith Paddy (or rice in the
husk) sells, even in the most plentiful times, is a rupee the Moori.
 AGRICULTURE. 97

In seasons of calamity (occasioned by hail-storms or blights) it has

been known to rise as high as a rupee per quarter Moori; the
medium rate would appear to be three-quarters of a Moori, or fif¬
teen Pathies (that is forty-two Seers) the rupee. During our stay
in Nepaul, however, middling rice sold at four Pathies, or about
seven Seers and a quarter the rupee, which is equivalent to nearly
eight Pathies of Paddy the rupee, the ordinary product of a Moori
of Paddy being ten Pathies of rice properly so called, or rice sepa¬
rated from the husk. The Mana contains seven Chuttacks, the
Pathie, three Seers and a half, and the Moori seventy Seers, or a
Maund and three-quarters ; thus a Maund of rice, Bengal bazar
weight, is equal to eleven Pathies three Manas and a half.
The usual produce of a Kaith is, as has been already said, a
hundred Moories, or one hundred and forty Maunds of Paddy; but
taking it at 90, and supposing the price of grain in the ear to be at
what is considered the medium stage, or three-quarters of a Moori
the rupee, a Kaith, one year with another, does not yield in money
less than one hundred and thirty-three rupees.
The proprietor of the Kaith divides the produce of it equally
with the cultivator, who in return is at all the charges of tillage,
unless seed be excepted, of which the proprietor would appear, in
some instances, to contribute his share. In the generality of Kaiths
seed is reckoned to yield from twenty to thirty fold, “ Gherame
Mooti,” or a handful in a seed, being a proverbial expression in
this country, employed to denote the great fruitfulness of the soil.
O
98 AGRICULTURE.

Besides the Buttye, or half of the produce, it is very common for

the jaghiredar, or Tul Singh, as he is called by his renters, to re¬
ceive from the farmer with whom he engages, a fine or premium of
two rupees and a half per Kaith, or one hundred Moories; and
unless the soil be of a very inferior quality, this bargain is consi¬
dered to be extremely favourable to the cultivator.
Though one or two men might, if time allowed, plough a Kaith
very well, yet as several hands are required to sow and reap it,
there can be but a small proportion of it separately managed by
the jaghiredar, or occupier, however numerous his family may be.
He generally, therefore, satisfies himself with cultivating a few
Moories, in which he usually raises fruit or vegetables, leaving the
rest to the Mohi, or undertaker, with whom he engages. Many
Kaiths yield three harvests, one of rice, one of wheat, pulse, fcc. and
one (sometimes two) of Tori, an excellent vegetable so called.
There are some grounds which yield two crops of rice successively
(one fine, the other coarse), besides affording in the same year a
wheat crop. The sugar-cane is cultivated a good deal in the Kaiths
about Doona-baisi and Noakote, and is a profitable article; but as
the culture is expensive, the jaghiredars rarely raise more of it
than they require for their own consumption. The seed is sown
invariably by women.
The following detail of the charges attending the culture of a
Kaith of one hundred Moories may serve to throw some additional
light on the state of agriculture in this country.
 AGRICULTURE. 99

Ploughs. Rup. An.

55 ploughs, at 12 ploughs per rupee, (viz.) - - - 4 9}
For Purthi-joalit, or first turning up the soil 20
For Oakhlaouna, or second ploughing 15
For Heelo, or Kadokurna, or third ploughing 10
For Sehaoo, or fourth ploughing 10

00

82 labourers at 1 rupee per 24 labourers, (viz). 3 7

For seeding - 40
For conducting and distributing the water from the
adjacent springs or rivulets, called Ahree Chatna 10
For mounding or damming the Ahrees 10
For plucking and binding the first shoots of rice 12
For transplanting ditto 2
For levelling and clearing the field 5
For removing the first shoots for transplantation 3

82

For one day’s diet to labourers, 24 Pathies of coarse i ice at

10 Pathies per rupee - - 2 6i
For seed, viz. 5 Moories, at 15 Pathies per rupee - 6 10£
For Salami, or fine paid by the farmer or undertaker to the
jaghiredar, or proprietor - 2 8

Total Nepaul Rupees 19 9f

100 AGRICULTURE.

Some plantations of the more valuable productions of husbandry

are conducted at as high an expence as two rupees the Roapni, or
fifty rupees the Kaith. Kaiths of this description, however, are
cultivated under conditions different from others, the proprietor of
them usually receiving from the farmer, instead of Bettye, twenty-
five Moories (or a quarter) of the produce, and two Maunds and a
half of oil of Sissoo.
With regard to the plough, it is proper to notice, that it is
scarcely known among the Newars; it being only very recently
that a few of those occupying the lands about Thankote have been
prevailed on to employ this’instrument of tillage, their prejudice
against the use of which would seem to have originated in the ex¬
traordinary reverence they entertain for the bullock, since, though
they have no scruples with regard to buffaloes, they deem it the
highest sacrilege to approach even the image of the former animal,
except in a posture of adoration; insomuch, that a malicious per¬
son wishing to suspend the agricultural operations of his neighbour,
would be sure to effect his purpose by placing a stone or wooden
figure of a cow in the midst of his field.
The Newars prepare their ground for the rice-seed by digging
it to a certain depth with a sort of spade called Cham Koodali, or
Koo; turning up the soil in ridges, as in potatoe plantations, leav¬
ing the whole for some time to be well flooded, and finally levelling
the field. This mode, though very laborious, is said to be full as
productive to the farmer, as that of ploughing.
ftiMIuhtd ty fUkvtrn JtTrUfr. *Cbrm*rrlr'Jrreet,j4Vuuiy.jtI*j4n.
 PEASANTRY. 101

It is to be observed, that ihe foregoing operations are severally

performed, or supposed to be performed, in one day; the net profit
of the farmer or manager, agreeably to the preceding statement, and
taking the produce and price of grain as before, is therefore about
forty-seven rupees.
The Purbutties, or the peasantry of the mountainous country,
are divided into four classes, denominated Owal, Doem, Seoom,
and Chaurem, which are Persian terms, denoting first, second,
third, and fourth ; this is the more remarkable as no such division
of the order of husbandmen would appear to have been made at
any time by the Mogul government. The Owals are those pea¬
sants who possess five ploughs and upwards; the Doems such as
have from one to five; the Seooms are those who, without being
proprietors of ploughs, are considered to be at the head of a few or
more labourers; the Chaurems are the mere labourers, the price of
their labour, whether received in money or grain, being called
Nemiak. The lands of Nepaul proper are cultivated almost without
exception by Newars, those to the westward, as Noakote, See. by
the Purbutty tribe called Dhenwar.
The Ryots, or peasantry, are distinguished also into Kohrya and
Peijah; the former are those settled in Birtha proprietory, or other
rent-free lands, and are not liable to be called on by government
for any services except the repair of roads, and attendance on the
army upon particular occasions. Those Perjahs who occupy lands
actually belonging to the Prince, though, perhaps, in the immediate
102 MILITARY.

possession of jaghiredars, are, on the contrary, obliged to perform

various services, both at the call of the jaghiredar, and of the
Prince.
The expenses of the military establishments of this country are
for the most part discharged by assignments of land, though in
some instances the soldier receives his pay from the treasury, and
occasionally from the granary; others are paid partly in money,
and partly in land, but the most usual mode, and the one most
agreeable to the troops, is that of putting them in possession of
Kaiths, on which they very commonly settle their families, whom
they can maintain much better in this manner, than by the pecu¬
niary stipend to which they would be otherwise entitled.
There would not appear to be any fixed rate for determining
either the quantity or quality of the Kaiths of the several ranks,
much depending on the interest of the parties, and other inci¬
dental circumstances ; and as to the situation of these lands, it is
for the most part, as has already been noticed, constantly fluctuat¬
ing. Subahdars, or commanders of companies of sepoys (of whicli
they have between fifty and sixty of various strength, from 288 to
120 men), receive from fifteen to twenty, and even twenty-four
Kaiths, some of which comprehend villages. A jemadar has from
seven to twelve Kaiths; what the lower ranks receive in land, I
do not exactly know ; but in money and land together the pay
of the private sepoy amounts to about seventy-six rupees per
annum, exclusive of his coat, which is supplied by Government.
 MILITARY. 103

One of the jemadars of the Rajah’s company of guards informed

me that he held three Kailhs, which yielded him (after dividing
with the cultivator) about sixty rupees per Kaith, or one hundred
and eighty rupees; and that he further received from the
treasury two hundred and eighty rupees per annum. He added,
that he had been much better off when he belonged to a private
company, as he then, instead of receiving any portion of his pay
in money, enjoyed sometimes ten, and sometimes twelve tolerably
productive Kaiths. It is proper to be observed in this place,
that, generally speaking, the Government has so much consider¬
ation for its military and other public servants, as to apportion
their jaghires to the numbers of their families, being particularly
indulgent to the widows, orphans, and other destitute branches of
them. Many young men not yet capable of bearing arms hold
Kaiths; these indulgences, however, are not so common at pre¬
sent as they were under Purthi Nerain, or even during the reign of
his successor.
Some of the villages occasionally bestowed in jaghire, are
of considerable value, yielding from three to five thousand
rupees annual revenue ; they are managed by a Dooharia and
a Mizaria, the latter of which terms is evidently from the Arabic,
signifying a head husbandman, and being nearly equivalent to
the Mukkuddam of Hindostan. The revenues of a village, ex¬
clusive of what arises from the produce of such lands as may be
annexed to it, consist principally in the rent of houses, and the
104 CRIMES.

Sair, or duties charged on salt, tobacco, pepper, beetle-nut, and

similar articles of general consumption. The proprietor or
occupant of a village is also entitled to the fines levied on the
perpetration of certain crimes, among which the chief are those
denominated Punchuk-hut, the number whereof, as the name
implies, is five; being, 1. Ghow-hut, or mal-treatment of a Gow ;
2. Stub-hut, or ill-usage of a woman; 3. Atma-huttea, or
wounding one’s self (a violence not unfrequently committed by
particular descriptions of Hindoos for sinister purposes) ; 4.
Pur-huttea, or wounding another; and 5. Toona, or Kool.
Adultery (termed here, significantly enough, Chak-chukwye, in
allusion to the habits of the bird called by Europeans the Brah-
miny Goose), is likewise fineable in some cases; the injured party,
however, is at liberty to put the offenders to death, if he has
the power of reaching them immediately on the commission of
the crime. The woman often has her nose slit, or cut off, in
which case she becomes a slave, the property in her vesting in the
proprietor of the village.
 CHAPTER V.

ROUTE FROM DOONA TO KHATMANDA.

Mahaise River—Roghalia—Deoralli—Koolpoo River and Valley—Koomhara—

Bailkote-kola—Valley of Noakote—Tadi River—Temple and Town of Noakote—
Paloong-t&r Valley—Daiby Ghaut—Temple of Bhowani.—Gogimara—Brahminical
and Chetree Tribes—Mountains of Himma-leh and Jibjibia—Animal and Vegetable
Productions of the Valley of Noakote—Bheerbundy Mountain—View from its
Summit—Kowhilai-peak—Bishnmutty River—Dherirasilli—Temple of Mahadeo —
Sumboonath—Jeea Plant.
 t 'oi 3

CHAPTER V.

Peoceeding across the Doona valley,along the southern border

of which, and close by the north foot of the Doona-baisi mountain,

flows a small rivulet in a westerly direction, we reached, at the
distance of half a mile, a low hill, round the shoulder of which we
passed to the Mahaise river; this stream has its rise in Boorhadanga,
one of the hills that separate Nepaul from Doona-baisi; it has here
a west by south course, and probably preserves nearly the same
till it empties itself into the Tirsoolgunga, which it does very
soon; its banks are romantic, and its breadth about forty feet Im¬
mediately after fording it, we ascended a tolerably high hill lying
before us, the acclivity of which is rendered on the whole pretty
easy by being broken into steps, a small flat with a few huts oc¬
curring about midway up. This hill and village both bear the name
of Roghalia. From hence is a view of the road which leads from
Thankote to Doona-baisi, bearing nearly S E. by S.; from this situ¬
ation a sort of temples are also seen rising from an eminence bear¬
ing E. S. E. called Bheem-doka, of which we had another view
from the south end of Khatinanda, whence it bore about north-west
108 KOOLPOO VALLEY.

Directly east of Roghalia, about a mile and a half, is a handsome

village called Deoralli; this part of the hill is united to the adjacent
one by a kind of natural causeway seventy or eighty yards in extent,
on each side of which is a chasm some hundred feet in depth. The
breadth of this curious passage being in some places barely suffi¬
cient to admit of a hammock, it did not appear totally free from
danger. After crossing the causeway we began to descend; the
first part of the descent consists of several sharp turnings round the
west face of the hill, upon getting to the north side of which the
declivity is at first tolerably gentle, but towards the end extremely
abrupt. At the bottom passes the Koolpoo river, the bed of which
is here of a considerable breadth ; its course is nearly the same with
that of the Mahaise: its sources are in the summit of a hill called
Judpoor, which terminates the head of the Koolpoo valley. Jud-
poor is a sort of spur issuing from the south-east side of mount
Bheerbundy, in descending from which to the valley of Nepaul,
you pass very near the springs of the Koolpoo. The river dis¬
charges itself into theTirsoolgunga above, or to the eastward of the
confluence of the Mahaise with the same stream; several waters
issue from the south side of mount Koomhara, and uniting in their
course towards the valley below, rush together at a right angle into
the Koolpoo, just at the ford by which we crossed it.
The country between Doona-baisi and Koolpoo-baisi is exceeding
pleasant, being, in general, well cultivated, sprinkled with flower¬
ing and forest-trees of various sorts, and presenting a considerable
 DEORALLI. 109

diversity of picturesque views. The pine is among the spontaneous

productions of this space, and excels in size and straightness any
that we met with to the northward of Cheeriaghati. The turpen¬
tine adhering to those parts of the trees in which incisions had been
made for the purpose of obtaining it, exactly resembled icicles, not
only in transparency and colour, but also in its crystallized figure,
its fragrance at the same time being uncommonly agreeable. We
saw many pines, whose trunks had been set fire to with the view of
procuring the turpentine more readily.
This valley, which is called Koolpoo-baisi, stands rather higher
than that of Doona-baisi, but affords by no means such delightful
views. We encamped very near the south foot of Koomhara,
between two of the streams that flow from that mountain. Our
prospect was here rather limited, and the pleasant part of it was
that'which we had left behind. On the west we were enclosed by
hills, containing iron mines, the produce whereof is smelted in other
hills (better suited, it would seem, for that operation) lying to the
eastward of our station, not much further to the westward of which
it was pretended that a silver mine had been recently discovered,
though not opened. The beds of the streams which spring from
the south face of Koomhara mountain are strewed with huge blocks
of talc of two or three kinds; the most esteemed is the Koushno-
abruck, or black talc.
After quitting Koolpoo bottom, or valley, we ascended the south-
side of mount Koomhara by a road far the worst of any that occurred
110 KOOMHARA.

in the whole journey, being for the most part exceedingly steep,
and lying in many places along the edges of frightful precipices,
to say nothing of the great height of the mountain, and the number
of rocks necessary to be clambered over in the course of the ascent.
The fact is, that this route is scarcely at all in use, being quite out
of the way of all but the inhabitants of the valleys of Doona and
Koolpoo, whose intercourse with Noakote cannot be very consi¬
derable. Rugged, however, as this declivity is, great part of
it is laid out in Kaiths, or rice-fields, which are abundantly sup¬
plied with water by the numerous springs that issue from this
face of the mountain, on the top of which stands the village of
Koomhara, consisting of twenty or thirty houses. From this com¬
manding situation is a very noble prospect, comprehending, in
front, a continued chain, to a great distance, on each side of the
Kuchdr, or lower Tibet, and of all the uneven tract that stretches
from thence to the north foot of Koomhara, the whole forming a
sublime amphitheatre of hills gradually rising to mountains, and
mountains to alps, the latter being terminated by the stupendous
Himma-leh, of which, however, we had to lament that the view,
though extensive, was too often interrupted by the nature of the
interjacent country. This landscape likewise embraces broken
views, or occasional glimpses, of the Tirsoolgunga, the Tadi,
and various other streams of less note, beautifully serpentining
through the subjacent valleys. Below, in the same direction, are also
seen the ruined castle of Bailkote, and town of Noakote, which
 KOOMHARA. ill

though situated on hills of no contemptible height, scarcely appear,

from Koomhara, to be elevated above the level of the valley. To
the southward, the perspective, though not so magnificent, is not
less interesting.
The ascent of Koomhara mountain, by the road, is about three
miles and a half; the acclivity, however, is not continuous, passing
partly over a spur, or lower hill, projecting as it were in the man¬
ner of a wing or shoulder from the main one, and communicating
with it by a path not less than a mile and a quarter in extent, but,
however difficult in other respects, of no great steepness. The latter
part of the ascent (in which scarcely any other plant is met with
than the Bhang, or holly-leafed oak), is somewhat less than a mile;
but the most perpendicular of the whole. The descent, reckoning
from the summit, or village of Koomhara, to the actual termination
of the declivity on the Noakote side (which you cannot be said to
reach till you have passed beyond Railkote, a mile and a quarter),
is full five miles and a half; this declivity, however, is in the latter
part very gradual. For the first mile and a half, during which the
road Avinds but little, it is rather steep, but is pleasantly lined or shad¬
ed Avith wild fruit, and other forest-trees, many of them of a flower¬
ing kind ; you then come to a small flat at no great horizontal distance
from Bailkote; from Avhence there is another descent of two miles
and a half, at the termination of which is a grist-mill, turned by one
of the seven or eight torrents that issue from the north side of
mount Koomhara and form the Bailkote-kola, which after tumbling
112 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE.

for a short space over some huge rocks, mingles very soon with the
Tadi at Narain Ghar, a deep bottom or hollow situated near the
south skirt of Chundi-baisi hill. Tbe diameter of the mill-stone in
this mill did not exceed two feet and a half; and the whole of the
machine was on the simplest construction, as they every where are in
this country, in which, 1 understand, they are very common ; the
stream that turned it, though it descended rapidly,was not above two
feet broad ; it made in a day and night, during the driest weather,
about six Patna Maunds of meal. Close to the mill is a small cul¬
tivated level, on which we pitched our tents; but from hence the
descent continues better than a mile further, the road, or rather way
(for there was no beaten path), lying throughout over ploughed
fields constructed one lower than the other in the manner already
described, and called Ghoor Ghar, so that we literally descended
to the west point of Muddenpoor-hill, or within half a mile of the
Tadi, by an irregular flight of steps. After entering the bed of the
Tadi (which passes here about west and by south) we proceeded
two miles in a N. E. by N. direction, principally along its southern
margin, and crossed it just at the south foot of Noakote-hill, which
was the quarter assigned for our encampment during the residence
of the court in this valley. The town and temple of Noakote, situ¬
ated on the summit above us, bore from our tents north-west, dis¬
tance about a mile and a half.
The valley of Noakote is of very inconsiderable extent; its
greatest length, which stretches from about north-east to south-
 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE. 113

west, not exceeding four or five miles, and its breadth being no¬
where more than a mile and a half, or two miles. The Tadi, which
is here a broad stream, passes through the midst of it, and with
such rapidity as would entirely destroy the fields which it fertilizes,
if it were not here and there confined within its channel by
strong embankments of stone: the dread entertained of its ravages
is nevertheless very great, as it sometimes descends in such a body,
and with so much violence, as to surmount these artificial barriers,
on which occasions the autumnal crop, especially, is liable to be
swept away, just as it is ready to be reaped; nor does the mischief
stop here, for the land is in such cases cut into deep ravines, the
filling up of which the succeeding season is a work of immense
labour. To counterbalance these evils, the soil of this valley is
exceedingly fruitful, and notwithstanding its great vicinity and
exposure to the snowy mountains that enclose it to the northward,
is capable of bearing all the vegetable productions of Bahar, in
which, indeed there probably is not a single species of grain raised,
that may not be met with here. The rice of Noakote is in particular
estimation, the finest kind being called Jeera Serri, and selling,
on an average, at the rate of twelve Pathies per rupee, in the

husk.
This valley, besides being immediately surrounded by very stu¬
pendous mountains (exclusive of the Himma-leh and Kuchir
ranges), on the summits of which snow lies in the winter during
several days, is reckoned to be the lowest, if not of any in the
Nepaul territories, at least of all those in the vicinity of Nepaul
i# Q,
114 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE.

proper; and indeed the barometer denoted it to be but little ele¬

vated above Hettowra, the mean height of the mercury, for two or
three days in the middle of March, being 28.24 inches, which gives
no more than a difference of about sixty yards; whereas, in the
valley of Nepaul, separated from Noakote only by Bheerbundy
mountain, the mean height of the barometer during nine days to¬
wards the end of March was 25.75 inches, indicating a difference
in elevation of no less than 2205 feet in favour of Nepaul. This
fact will sufficiently account for the great height of the tempera¬
ture of Noakote valley, the mean of which, from the 3d to the 17 th
of March, was 70y degrees, the extreme heat, during this period,
having been 98 degrees, and the least 5 4 degrees: the observa¬
tions* were made between six in the morning, and nine at night,
chiefly in a tent, without a fly, but occasionally in a tent having
one, and with two or three thermometers by Dolland, graduated
according to Fahrenheit’s scale. The sun did not appear in this
valley on the 15 th March till near half after six o’clock.
The Tadi issues from a lake or bason called Soorey-koondeh,
which is embosomed by the lofty mountains lying immediately to
the north-east of Dhyboon,and just below Himma-leh. This lake is
not more than two or three miles from the springs of the Tirsool-
gunga, to the eastward of, and somewhat above which, it is situated.
The Tadi, called also the Soorey-mutty (after its parent waters),
runs, during the earlier part of its course, at a very inconsiderable
distance from the Tirsoolgunga, from which, however; it soon

# The number of which were one hundred and three.

 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE. U5

separates, turning off rather abruptly to the eastward. The first place

of any note by which it passes is Phalchoak, a Bhootia town about

nine miles south-east of Neel-khent, or the sources of the Tirsool-

gunga; hence it proceeds winding through the Kuchar ridge in a

south-west direction, to Kerumboo, which is about eleven miles

from Phalchoak, and three days’ journey from Khatmanda. Con¬

tinuing nearly the same course for nine or ten miles, it flows through

Sindhoo-baisi, after which it strikes off directly west towards Noa-

kote, on the south side of which it passes, while the Tirsoolgunga,

separated from it only by the hill on which Noakote stands, runs

along the opposite base. Here the Tadi, augmented by the waters

of the Sindoora and Bailkote rivulets, winds round the south point

of the Chundi-baisi hill (remarkable for its red soil, as is also that

of Noakote, of which it is indeed a sort of descending spit,) whence

it proceeds for about three miles in a W. S. W. direction, mingling

with, and yielding its name to, the Tirsoolgunga at Daiby Ghaut.

The eel of the Tadi is of the largest kind I ever met with, and

not inferior in taste to the best; it abounds also with a very

fine fish called Usla, which differs nothing in flavour, and very

little in appearance, from the Helsa, or sable fish of Bengal. The

Phaketa, another species of small fish found in the Tadi, is

remarkable both for the swiftness with which it glides through

the water, and the singular construction of its superior fins,

which resemble a fan both in point of figure and in the manner

in which they open and close.

116 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE.

The temple of Noakote is dedicated to Maha Mai, or Bhowani;

it stands on the brow of the hill, the ascent to which from our sta¬
tion below was for the greatest part of the way by a flight of steps
cut out of the side of it. The building is of brick, and has nothing
very striking in its appearance. The accumulated offerings to the
goddess suspended from the projecting roofs (which incline to the
pent-house form) appeared tolerably numerous, consisting, however,
almost entirely of brass vessels, and weapons of various sorts. Among
the latter were several trophies acquired during the recent con¬
test with the Chinese. I had been told, previous to my visit,
that this temple was also decorated by some arms lost by Captain
Kinloch’s detachment; but either my information was not cor¬
rect, or they had been removed in compliment to me. The
town of Noakote adjoins the temple, occupying a sort of ter¬
race that stretches northerly towards Maha-mundul, or the
highest peak of this mountain, immediately below which the
Tirsoolgunga passes. This town is not of any great extent, but it
contains some of the largest and best-looking houses to be seen in
Nepaul.
Noakote is the favourite residence of the regent Behadur Shah,
who was born here. It was also for a long while the station of
Purthi Nerain’s court, being one of the first places which that
prince wrested from the Newar sovereign of Khatmanda, and from
whence he prosecuted his invasion of Nepaul:* its situation is of

* See Chapter VIII.

 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE. 117

importance, as it commands the only entrance in this quarter from

upper as well as lower Tibet, standing immediately opposite, and
close to, mount Dhyboon, by which the Chinese army was obliged
to descend, when proceeding through the Kheroo pass; this army
penetrated almost to the foot of Maha-mundul. The several posts
occupied respectively by the Chinese and Ncpaul forces during
their conflict in the environs of this place, were pointed out to us
from the summit of Noakote.
The acclivity of Noakote hill was not so difficult as to prevent my
mounting almost to the summit in my palankeen, which I was not
obliged to quit till I had reached within a few yards of the foot of
the temple, where the ascent is exceeding steep. I was three quar¬
ters of an hour in descending, through a road pleasantly shaded
by the several varieties of trees which constitute the usual natural
growth of these mountains.
The valley of Noakote is not habitable after the middle of April,
on account of the excessive heats, which then begin to generate the
Owl. If the Regent, therefore, at any time happen to prolong his
stay here to that late period, he quits the valley, and repairs to the
town of Noakote. His visit, however, does not often exceed the
duration of the cold weather, which, though rather severe at Khat-
manda, is very mild in this valley. There are no buildings
here for the accommodation either of the Regent or his retinue, so
that during the residence of the court in the valley, the whole re¬
main under cover of tents or temporary huts, which last are of the
118 DAIBY GHAUT.

simplest construction, and easily and quickly raised in all situa¬

tions, since they consist of nothing more than a few boughs of trees
rudely disposed so as to afford a scanty shelter from the effects of
wind and weather. It is in felling small trees or shrubs, and lop¬
ping the branches of others for this purpose, that the dagger, or
knife worn by every Nepaulian, and called Khookheri, is chielly
employed; it is also of very great use, as I repeatedly expe¬
rienced, in clearing away the road when obstructed by the
low hanging boughs of trees, and other similar impediments.
There were not, I believe, more than two small Pauls, or tents,
among the whole of the deputation that escorted us from Patna,
although the brother of the Rajah, one of his principal minis¬
ters, the commander of his guards, and the governor of a pro¬
vince, were of the party; excepting those who lodged in the
tents, they all either halted every stage of our journey, in the
manner just described, or took up their quarters beneath the tree
nearest to them.
In proceeding from Noakote valley to Daiby Ghaut, or the con¬
fluence of the Tirsoolgunga and Tadi, we passed over Chundi-baisi
hill, which is a kind of narrow spit separating those rivers in this
place, and terminating by an easy descent just at the union of the
two streams. The top of it is tolerably level, and contains some
inclosed fruit gardens. The Tadi is not visible from it, being
concealed by a swelling of the hill on the west side: but the
Tirsoolgunga is seen meandering on the right, through a beautiful
 &yrj>'J by J Jnif .

Dr.nm by A *Drvis, EjfC

ivui Jr WWSmv. VMr.. Jn* .

 DAIBY GHAUT. 119

valley called Paloong-tar. Tar properly signifies a wild or uncul¬

tivated valley, in contradistinction to Baisi, or Biasi, which is ap¬
plied only to valleys in a state of improvement. It is necessary,
however, to notice here, that the appellation Tar does not suit the
present condition of this valley, which has of. late been brought
into very high cultivation.
Daiby Ghaut bears about W. S. W. of Noakote, from which
it is distant between three and four road miles. There is a rude
temple at this place, dedicated to Daiby, or the Goddess, as
Maha Mai, or Bhowani, is emphatically styled by way of pre-emi¬
nence. Here sacrifices are occasionally offered to her in her cha¬
racter of the universal mother, or, in other words, as Nature; the
officiating priests at which, are usually Newars, those people con¬
sidering Bhowani as the tutelar divinity or patroness of their tribe.
These oblations consist principally of buffaloes, on the flesh of
which the ministers of the goddess unscrupulously regale, a special
revelation of her divine will having some years ago rendered it
lawful for the Newars to feed at all times upon this animal. The
occasion of their obtaining so extraordinary a dispensation is
closely connected with their origin as a nation, and will be here¬
after mentioned in the sketch which I have given of their history.
It is sufficient in this place to notice, that, notwithstanding so re¬
volting a deviation from the Brahminical dogma, the Newars,
though certainly holding no high rank among the-various Hindoo
tribes at present occupying Nepaul, would not by any means appear
19
120 DAIBY GHAUT.

to be in a state of religious- degradation, whatever their civil or

political condition may be. There are many doctrinal opinions
common to them and the stricter or more respectable sects, who
occasionally assist at some of their rites; the Rajah and his court
immolating, for instance, during our stay at Noakote, a vast number
of buffaloes, and other perfect male animals, at the temple of Daiby
Ghaut. Indeed, though the Regent of Nepaul cannot possibly be
surpassed by any secular Hindoo, either in devoutness or supersti¬
tion, yet he would not seem to consider the inviolability even of
the type of Mahadeo himself in a very rigid light; since his army,
in the late expedition into Tibet, having been reduced to such cruel
straits as obliged them to feed upon the flesh of the Chouri bullock,
he ingeniously repelled the imputation of sacrilege, by logically
observing, that, as the cattle which they had slaughtered and eaten
were not of the kind distinguished by long dew-laps, and as this
was a necessary generic mark of the sacred bull of the Shaster, it
plainly followed, that they had not transgressed against the law.
It was somewhat in the same spirit of regulated zeal, that, upon
certain missionaries offering to instruct him in the most useful
branches of mineralogy and metallurgy (respecting which this
Prince is very curious), provided he would embrace the Christian
faith, he coolly replied, that his rank in the state made it inconve¬
nient for him to accede to the proposed terms, but that he was
teady to substitute two or three men who should make as good
proselytes as himself. The missionary rejecting this expedient,
 DAIBY GHAUT. 121

and the Regent not comprehending, or affecting not to comprehend,

>vhy three souls should be of less estimation than one, very gravely
inferred that the holy father could only be prevented from accept¬
ing so fair a proposal, by the desire of concealing his ignorance of
the arts which he had professed himself qualified to teach.
To return from this digression ; the sanctity of Daiby Ghaut is
of such high account, that the late Rajah, Singh Pertaub, chose it for
his last terrestrial stage; here too he was accompanied in death
by one of his wives, the mother of the present Bajoo Seer, a younger
brother of the reigning Prince, and a youth of no inconsiderable
promise. The mother of Run Behadur was far from imitating this
example of posthumous attachment; for deeming it pleasanter to
rule after, than die with her lord, she declined the honour of
ascending his funeral pile. She long directed the affairs of this
country on behalf of her infant son, with no less ability than suc¬
cess, the present Regent never being able, during her life, to obtain
the smallest participation in the government.*
The scenery around Daiby Ghaut is of the wildest and most
romantic kind, exhibiting hills of various elevations confusedly
heaped together, and for the most part thickly clothed with fo¬
rests. On one side rolls the Tadi over a stony bed, in the midst,
and along either margin of which, are strewed numerous huge rocks,
severed at different periods from the mountains which here con¬
stitute the stupendous banks of this sacred stream; on the other
hand rushes in a broader but rather less precipitous current, the

* See p. 273.

R
122 TIRSOOLGUNGA RIVER.

equally holy Tirsoolgunga. The waters of both rivers are perfectly

transparent; but their temperature varies at the point of their con¬
fluence, that of the Tirsoolgunga being many degrees colder than
the other. The fact was familiar to the natives, who accounted for
it by observing that the course of the Tadi, especially the lower
part of it, lying through a soil comparatively bare and open, while
the bed of the Tirsoolgunga was confined, for the most part, be¬
tween narrow bottoms formed by steep mountains covered to their
base with over-hanging forests, the latter river was necessarily
colder, because less exposed in its progress to the action of the
solar heat.
I shall have occasion to speak elsewhere of the source of the
Tirsoolgunga; with respect to its course, after its junction with the
Tadi, when it becomes so deep and considerable a stream as to be
impassable in the driest season of the year, excepting in canoes
(only one of which I saw plying at the Ghauts), my information
barely enables me to state generally, that it passes successively
through the valleys of Goojoore-tar, Seesa-baisi. and Jogimara, near
the last of which places, uniting with the Mursiangdi (a river that
rises from one of the snowy ridges of lower Tibet), it pursues a
westerly direction till it disembogues into the Gundi at Deo
Ghaut.* Throughout the whole of this space, which is described to

* Deo Ghaut is a place of considerable sanctity, the waters of the Tirsoolgunga,

the Gundi, the Mursiangdi, and the Saite, mingling at, or near it, with the Kali
Gunduck, or Salegr&tn.
 GHOORKHALI TRIBES. 123

be exceeding wild and mountainous, its navigation is said to

be utterly impracticable ; not so much, however, on account of
the rocky channel in which it runs, as owing to the rapidity of its
stream; because, though its descent is probably not a little abrupt
in some parts, yet the total declivity between Daiby Ghaut and
Deo Ghaut would not appear to be sufficient to authorize the idea
of its giving rise any where to considerable cataracts. The road
from Daiby Ghaut to Jogimara is carried along the east side of the
Tirsoolgunga ; the distance being five journies, or about a hundred
and twenty miles. Jogimara is usually mentioned with the adjunct
of Oopadroong, from a mountain of this name, which rises from the
opposite bank of the Tirsoolgunga.
The Tirsoolgunga, previous to the conquest of Nepaul by Purthi
Nerain, separated the territories of the Ghoorkhali and Newar
Princes, the western limit of Ghoorkha being marked by the Mur-
siangdi. This tract contains, besides a pretty numerous peasantry
of Dhenwars, several Rajepoot families, and some Newars ; but the
tribes by whom it is chiefly occupied, are of the Brahminical, and
Chetree orders ; and as these last constituted the principal strength
of Purthi Nerain’s government, and continue to form the main
support of the present one, they rank very high among its subjects,
no description of whom possesses such considerable credit and au¬
thority as their leaders enjoy. They consist, for the most part, of
the Khus and Mangur tribes of the Chetree class; and of the Paure
and some other casts of Brahmins; their chieftains are known by
the appellation ofThurgur(or one inhabiting a nest) among whom.
124 GOORKHALI TRIBES.

(with the exception of a few individuals deriving their descent from

the same stock as the reigning Prince, and who are consequently
Rajepoots), are to be found by far the greatest part of those who
conduct the affairs of this state. Their number, strictly speaking,
is limited to thirty-six, for though, in loose language, every indi¬
vidual of those clans is sometimes styled a Thurgur, yet the title
properly descends only to the heads of certain families. Nor are
all these of equal consideration, there being three gradations of this
order, of whom the pre-eminent one is denominated Chutter, on
account of its consisting of six chiefs. It is from the Chutters that
the Kajees or Dewans are usually selected, which does not, how¬
ever, prevent the other two inferior classes from being likewise
eligible to this office. It is impossible for me, with the slight infor¬
mation which my short visit to Nepaul enabled me to collect, to
describe this curious institution with all the accuracy that it would
appear to deserve ; I can only add to what has been said concern¬
ing it, that the leading members of this body, whether actually
employed or not, appear to possess such a high authority in the
state, as renders it nearly impossible for the executive government,
in whatever hands that may be, to pursue any measures of an im¬
portant nature, in opposition to their advice. 1 have even been
assured, that the throne of the Prince himself would be no longer
secure, should the principal Thurgurs concur in thinking that his
general conduct tended to endanger the sovereignty, which they
profess themselves bound, as far as rests with them, to transmit,
unimpaired, to the distant posterity of its founder, and the interests
 GOORKHALI TRIBES. 125

ol which they do not allow to be determined by the partial views,

or temporary policy of the ruling individual. The great ascendency
of this order is the more remarkable, as it would seem to rest
almost wholly on the respect they derive from their ancient ser¬
vices, and attachment to the Ghoorkha family, and not to arise in
the smallest degree from the ordinary sources of political influence,
since I do not understand them to be particularly distinguished
among their countrymen, either for their opulence, their extensive
possessions, or the number of their adherents. They occasionally
hold jaghires on similar terms with the soldiery, and, like them,
indifferently in all parts of the Nepaul territories; but their heri-
ditary fiefs, or estates, are situated entirely in the districts of
Goorkha and Sumjoong, which constituted the patrimonial i nhe-
ritance of Purthi Nerain. Besides the produce of these lands, and
the emoluments arising from the offices they happen to fill, they
receive an annual fine of four annas from every taxable Kaith, or
plantation of a hundred Moories, throughout the country, the
amount of which they would appear to distribute among their
respective clans, according to rules established for the purpose.
The only special immunity of a personal kind that they are said
to enjoy, consists in their being exempt from the final jurisdiction
of the Punjimni, or annual court of inquisition, and liable to be
disgraced or punished by a decree of the Rajah alone, They for¬
merly affected, like the Omrahs, a great simplicity of dress, justi¬
fying their practice in this point by observing, that it was with
126 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE.

their swords, and not with the aid of fine garments, that their an¬
cestors had raised the Goorkhali house to the respectable station
which itnowoccupies; but whatever risk theThurgurs might have
heretofore run of incurring censure or ridicule by appearing in
vestments of silk or muslin, it is pretty certain that they have lat¬
terly relaxed considerably in this point, and that there are at
present some among them who are far from manifesting any soli¬
citude to maintain inviolable this rustic characteristic of their
order.
The wind, during our stay in the valley of Noakote, was almost
constantly fixed between the west and south-west points ; it was
usually gentle till about one or two o’clock in the afternoon, when
it scarcely ever failed to rise gradually, blowing at intervals in
violent gusts, while the sun remained above the horizon. To what
distance below Daiby Ghaut this wind is prevalent, is uncertain,
but it is observable that its current corresponds exactly with the
course assigned to the Tirsoolgunga, which forming a sort of fun¬
nel by means of the mountains enclosing it, may possibly contribute
in some measure to its transmission. Though certainly not so hot
as the westerly monsoon of Bahar, yet it was sufficiently so to
render the use of Tatties very agreeable; unfortunately, it termi¬
nated but once in a wet squall, and that not till the evening before
our departure from Noakote. It was owing to the want of rain that
an almost perpetual mist enveloped the superior mountains to the
northward of us, while we remained in the valley, from whence,
 JIBJIBIA MOUNTAIN. 127

therefore, we never had a single opportunity of contemplating the

hither alps which constitute the Kuchar, or lower Tibet, either
with the uninterrupted attention, or in the comprehensive manner,
which was so highly desirable. With respect to the further range
of Himma-leh proper, the very low situation we were in would, in
the finest weather, have but barely admitted of our obtaining a
glimpse of a few of its peaks through the occasional opening of the
interposing mountains. Notwithstanding, however, all unfavour¬
able circumstances, our view of the Kuchar was by no means
uninteresting; it was at least very extensive, stretching to the east¬
ward especially, to a considerable distance, and though gradually
sinking in that direction to such a degree as to appear to subside
finally to the level of the subjacent hills, yet exhibiting throughout,
both on its shelving summit, and along its sides, abundant streaks
and patches of snow, some of which reaching in several places
from the top to the bottom of the ridge, presented the image of so
many streams of milk rushing into the valleys below. The most
striking amidst the points of view which this landscape afforded,
was mount Jibjibia, which towering over all the other peaks of the
Kuchar, forms a conspicuous object not only from hence, but from
Bheerbundy summit, and the valley of Nepaul. Its form is not
perhaps less beautiful than curious, which renders it easy to be
distinguished in all its aspects, as well as at a great distance. Hence
it conduced admirably towards ascertaining the relative position of
several mountains and places laid down in the accompanying map.
123 IIBJIBIA MOUNTAIN.

Jibjibia, as well as the rest of the range to which it belongs, is

by no means scantily provided with wood, though it is constantly
strewed with snow throughout the winter and spring, and is so
liable to frequent falls during the other half of the year, that it is
rarely, if ever, totally free from it.* It was too remote to allow of
our discerning clearly the species of trees which covered it, but
those which fringed its summit appeared through the telescope to
be of the pine kind. Regarding the probable elevation of this
remarkable mountain, I shall suspend my opinion till I come to
describe the route to Neel-khent, or the sacred source of the Tir-
sool-gunga, which is situated at the further or northern foot of
Jibjibia.'f- Its horizontal distance from Noakote does not exceed
twenty miles, though it took some country people who brought us
a present of frozen snow from its vicinity, two days and a night to
perform the journey. These men reported that the snow lay so
deep on the road, as to render it nearly impassable ; and indeed
none but the Tibetians themselves will undertake to traverse the
Kuchar, except in the height of summer; the Nepaulians never
venturing to set out on the pilgrimage to ^Neel-khent before the
month of Sauren, or July and August.
Besides rice, a good deal of sugar-cane is raised in the valley of

# The state of the snow on the sides and summit of Jibjibia, and the adjoining
mountains of the same range, varied almost daily while we remained at Noakote,
and these variations (occasioned by alternate thaws and falls) were usually so evident,
that we generally could determine in a morning whether or not it had snowed the
preceding night. + See Chapter IX.
 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE. 129

Noakote and its neighbourhood; the Goor or brown sugar brought

to market here is in small lumps, and in a much more refined state
than that which is usually met with in Bengal. They have the
largest garlic here I ever saw, each clove of it being of the size of
the ordinary garlic of Bengal. The pine-apple of Noakote is by no
means bad, but we did not meet with a single good plantain here,
or in any other part of Nepaul. The people of this country plume
themselves very much on their guavas, but they are, to say the
most of them, no better than those of our own gardens ; they have
infinitely more reason to be proud of their oranges, which appear
to me to be very superior to those of Silket, and, probably,
indeed are not surpassed by any in the world. They are here called
Santola, which I take to be a corruption of Singterrah, the name by
which a similar species of orange is known in the Upper Provinces
of India. Those of Noakote are highly esteemed, but are neverthe¬
less declared to be inferior to the Santola of Goorkha, Sumjoong,
and other more western situations. This fruit is most commonly
propagated from the seed, which is sown in earthen vessels filled
with a black loam, some time in the month of Assaur (July); if not
exposed to the weather, they are watered twice a day; and in
Kautic (November) are transplanted, a proper distance being pre¬
served between the young shoots; the third year they bear fruit,
which ripens thoroughly by the month of Aughun (November,
December). The Santola continues ordinarily in the highest per¬
fection for three months, and preserves much of its excellence
S
130 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE.

even to the end of six. Many gardens produce them throughout the

whole year, but in this case the trees are obliged to be secured against

the inclemencies of the weather. There is an orange-tree of a very

fine kind in an area before the Rajah’s palace at Khatmanda, which

was loaded with fruit to the end of March. They pretended that

this tree was not merely a perennial, but that if the oranges, which

w ere then mature, were permitted to remain ungathered, they would

not only become green once more, but ripen again in proper season;

they affirmed the same of another fruit called Kheep. The Santdla

may be raised entirely within doors, in which situation I am assured

it is often known to yield very good fruit.

The Jeera Serri of Noakote has been already mentioned. To

enumerate all the varieties of rice produced in this valley would

be endless; the superior kinds are sown in Jait and Assaur (June,

July), and reaped in Aughun (November, December). After reap¬

ing the Aughun harvest, they sow in some of the fields wheat and

barley, which they gather in towards the end of April.

The Kustoora, or musk-deer, is a native of the Kuchar, or lower

Tibet, but is met more commonly in some parts of that extensive

tract than in others. They would not appear, however, to be very

numerous any where; and though a considerable portion of the

Kuchar is subject to the Goorkhalis, the Nepaulians procure the

Kustoora principally from the vicinity of Neyat, Dhyboon, and

one or two other places. This animal is most usually caught by

means of a snare, made of a particular kind of mountain bamboo, of

Tub tubed JtuuLirv iflht.b} W Miller. Albemarle .'m et
 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE. 131

which it is reported that the whole species is occasionally blasted

at once not a single tree remaining that does not rapidly decay.
The blight, however, never happening till the annual seed has fal¬
len into the ground, the plant is abundantly renewed in due course
of production. Very little pure musk is to be obtained at Khat-
manda; and there is still less exported from Nepaul; indeed I
have been assured, that even the musk contained in the nafeh, or
bag, still attached to the body of the animal, is not always found
unadulterated, and that its purity can only be relied on when the
Kustoora is received directly as a present from some person on
whose lands it has recently been caught.*
The Chuckoar, Moonal, and Damphia are natives of the same
mountainous region; the two last belong to the genus of pheasants,
the Damphia being of the golden, and the Moonal of the argheer
or spotted sort*, they are both extremely beautiful birds; and
though the latter sometimes lays eggs in its captive state, it has
never been known, I am told, to hatch them. The Chuckoar is well
known to the Europeans in India by the name of the Fire-eater; it is
a species of partridge, and derives its latter name from its reputed
power of swallowing fire: the fact, according td the people of Ne¬
paul, is, that in the season of love this bird is remarkably fond of
red or chean-pepper; after eating two or three capsules of which,
it will bite at a red-hot coal if offered to it. The Chuckoar is

* The reader will find some curious particulars respecting this animal, and the musk
which is obtained from it, in Captain Turner’s Account of an Embassy to the Court of
the Teshoo Lama, p. 200.
132 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE.

caught by means of a decoy of its own species surrounded by nets

or springes, into which the wild ones, who are very fierce and quar¬
relsome, are betrayed by their eagerness to attack the captive
birds.
The Khalidge is met with in the thickets which over-run the
gorges of the mountains near Noakote; it resembles the common
pheasant in its appearance, but I cannot say much in commenda¬
tion of its flavour. Our party went out once or twice in quest of
these pheasants, but without the least success; so that I suspect
they are far from abounding in this quarter. In fact, we scarcely
ever saw or heard a bird of any kind after entering the mountains.
I may add, that this is as bad an angling as fowling country, for
though some of the rivers may almost be said to be animated, yet
they are at the same time so transparent and so rapid, that the fish
with which they swarm can by no means be brought to bite.
The Sirus, ortolan, wild-goose, wild-duck, and several other
species of the feathered tribe common to Bengal and the rest of
the countries lying to the southward of Nepaul, are occasionally
seen in this and the adjacent valleys, where, however, they appear
merely as birds of passage, making, as the people of these parts ex¬
pressed it, only a stage of Nepaul in their flight from Hindostan to
Tibet. They begin to migrate from their native plains towards
the middle of April, whither they return when the elevated regions
in the vicinity of Himma-leh become too inclement for their
abode.
 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE. 133

it may not be improper to notice here the Chowri and Chan-

gra of Tibet, as they are both met with in this neighbourhood,
though they never descend below the Kuchar. The Chowri, known
best in Hindoostan by the name of Soori-ghai, is the cow, the beau¬
tiful tail of which forms one of the exports from Ncpaul and Tibet,*
the natives of the latter eating the flesh of it without reserve, while
those of Nepaul, though they affect to class it among the deer kind,
on account of its having no dew-lap, do not consider it lawful food.
The Changra is the shawl goat, which I suspect to be rather scarce
even in Tibet, since it is not without the greatest difficulty that a
perfect male of this species can be procured, owing to the jealous
vigilance employed by the Tibetians to prevent their being con¬
veyed into foreign countries. This fact, which I derive entirely
from the report of the Nepaul people,-f agrees in some measure with
those accounts which state the Cashmerians to be supplied either
with the Changra itself, or its fleece, from Tibet, since we are pretty
certain that there are no shawl stuffs of any consequence manufac¬
tured by the Tibetians, whose solicitude, therefore, respecting this
animal it would not be easy to account for any other way than by
supposing it to constitute a material and beneficial article of their

* This animal, called also the Yak of Tartary, is particularly described in the Ac¬
count of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama, p. 186.
T This report appears to have been unfounded ; Captain Turner not only saw
“ multitudes” of these animals, to use his own expression, but also had several of them
brought from Tibet to Bengal, from whence he sent a few to England ; but they all
died soon after their arrival: nor was he more successful with those which remained
in Bengal. Vide ut supra, p. 356.
21
134 VALLEY OF NOAKOTE.

commerce. Both the Chowri and Changra are said to be wonder¬

fully sagacious in discovering the safest track through the deepest
snows, and on this account are sometimes employed as guides by
persons travelling in the depth of winter. The sheep of Tibet are
not less useful as beasts of burthen than the Changra, as guides, the
Bhootias transporting on them all the salt with which they supply
Nepaul; this animal, the fleece of which seems to be tolerably fine,
is about the size of the largest English sheep, and carries with ease
over the craggy mountains of the Kuchar and of Nepaul, a load of
twenty Seers, or nearly forty-two pounds avoirdupoise. There are
two or three species bred in Nepaul, and its adjacent dependencies,
the smallest of which (called Khagia) affords excellent wool: nei-,
ther the woollen manufactures, however, of Tibet nor of Nepaul
would appear to have attained even to mediocrity, and it is certain,
that the product of their looms is as inconsiderable in quantity as
it is insignificant in quality. The Joos, or flannel, procured from
the former, were it really a fabric of Tibet, would, perhaps, be ad¬
mitted as an exception to the latter part of this observation; but
the fact is, that it is made at Siling, a place situated on the western
borders of China. With respect to Nepaul, whatever its raw mate¬
rials may be, still less exception can be made; since, though a kind
of coarse warm serge is made here that is in some esteem in Hin-
dostan,yet it is very little superior to the Sooi of Serinugur, which
being considerably cheaper is in much more universal use.
The animal known in Bengal by the name of the Nepaul dog,
 VAIXEY OF NOAKOTE. 135

is, properly speaking, a native of the upper and lower Tibets, from
whence they are brought to Nepaul: it is a fierce, surly creature,
about the size of an English bull-dog, and covered with thick, long
hair. The circumstance of their being good watch-dogs has given
rise to the most extravagant stories concerning their vigilance, of
which it may suffice, as a sample, to notice, that the Chinese army,
in their late progress through Tibet, are affirmed to have employed
them as centinels on the picquets which surrounded their camp.
As to (he Tanguns or Tanyans, so much esteemed in India for
their hardiness, they come entirely from the upper Tibet, and not¬
withstanding their make, are so sure-footed that the people of Ne¬
paul ride them without fear over very steep mountains, and along
the brink of the deepest precipices.
Having thus described as well as I was able whatever appeared to
me worthy of notice in the valley of Noakote and its environs, I
shall next proceed to the illustration of the remaining part of our
actual track, comprehending the route from Noakote to Khatmanda.
After passing the Tadi, over a slight and rudely constructed
bridge, consisting of a few layers of hurdles covered with a little soil,
and supported by some piles of stones, we entered a gorge or recess
formed by certain low hills projecting in the manner of shelving
promontories from Bheerbundy. We advanced up this hollow for
about half a mile, over a very rugged road, till we came to the
Sindoora, a Smallstream which rises in Than-seen, and after a short
course through the valley of Neijah, turns olf rather abruptly to
136 MOUNT BHEERBUNDY.

the southward, to meet the Tadi, into which it throws itself a little
below the point where we fell in with it; after fording this rivulet,
we proceeded by a gentle acclivity about a mile and a quarter
along a deep bottom strewed with rocky fragments, when we
reached the foot of mount Bheerbundy, the distance of which from
our station under Noakote hill, I reckon to be somewhat more
than two miles. This stupendous mountain lying in the direct
road from Khatmanda to Noakote, Goorkha, and the other w estern
dominions of Nepaul, and being also the passage of a great part of
the commerce carried on between Nepaul and Tibet by the way of
Kheeroo, it is necessarily much frequented not only by the Court in
its occasional excursions, but by various other descriptions of
people. These circumstances, however, would not seem to have in¬
duced any material exertions for rendering it superior to the rest of
the miserable roads in this country; for though it be true that the
ascent by the west side of Bheerbundy is, notwithstanding its im¬
mense elevation, both easy and safe throughout, yet it owes this
advantage almost entirely to nature, as little or no pains appear
to have been taken to improve the path which traverses the
eastern declivity, or that leading directly into the valley of Ne¬
paul, and which is nearly as bad as any we met with in the course
of our journey, being in two or three places carried along the
brink of frightful precipices, and considerably obstructed both with
loose stones and large immoveable fragments of rock. At the dis¬
tance of about a mile and a half from the west foot of the mountain
 MOUNT BHEERBUNDY. 137

we passed a custom-house, where the merchandize proceeding to

and from Tibet by the Kheeroo route, as well as the trade with
the western territory, pays certain imposts. A little way above
the custom-house there stands a Bhootia temple, which had not the
appearance, however, of being much resorted to; it is a rude edi¬
fice, and in no respect deserving of further description.
The ascent of Bheerbundy from the westward is not only easy,
but delightful; being covered with a hanging grove of trees, vary¬
ing with the climate, to the very summit, and furnishing from cer¬
tain points some highly interesting views. On the right appeared
mount Koomhara, united towards its summit with Bheerbundy,
and therefore belonging in fact to the same ridge, but separated be¬
low by a deep narrow gorge or vale, the bottom and sides of which
afforded the most pleasing proofs of population and fertility, in
the hamlets scattered over them, and the corn-fields with which
they vrere chequered. To the westward the eye looked down
upon the valley of Noakote and its lively stream ; nor required
to be raised in order to contemplate the most elevated point inter¬
posing between the temple of Maha Mai and Daiby Ghaut. Turn¬
ing next a little to the northward, the lofty Dhyboon, recently
sprinkled with snow, engaged the attention, which, however, by an
attraction wholly irresistible, was presently drawn off from any
other object to the magnificent sight exhibited on the left, where
“ Ossa seemed heaped upon Pelion, and Olympus upon Ossa.”
1 am conscious, though, 1 confess, not ashamed, that I never have
T
138 MOUNT BHEERBUNDY.

occasion to mention the stupendous mountains which constitute

this most interesting picture, that I do not indulge in an enthusiasm
of expression, as well as of imagination, that may appear either
very affected, or very extravagant, both to those who have never
beheld, or those who are familiar with such alpine scenes. Possibly
much of the sensibility of myself and fellow travellers on this point
might be owing to the circumstance of our not being at any time
fortunate enough to enjoy so long or favourable a view of this sub¬
lime scenery as could sufficiently gratify even the coldest curiosity ;
this was the case in the present instance, for although we remained
a whole day on the summit of Bheerbundy, and purposely pro¬
tracted our departure till late the ensuing morning, yet the clouds
hung so heavily over the northern horizon, and the intervening
space was, besides, so much pervaded by a thick mist, that it was
only occasionally that we obtained even an imperfect glimpse of
either of the snowy ranges before us; such, nevertheless, as our
prospect was, it could not prevent our observing with astonishment,
that, notwithstanding the immense height towhich we had ascended
since quitting the valley of Noakote, the elevation of Jibjibia was
not, in the smallest degree, sensibly diminished. The picturesque
effect of this remarkable mountain was greatly encreased from our
present point of view by the striking circumstance of one of the
pyramidal peaks of Himma-leh just peeping over its towering
summit. I could discern also from the same situation, and imme¬
diately to the eastward of Jibjibia (in which this mountain has
 MOUNT BHEERBUNDY. 139

already been said to subside very rapidly), what seemed to be two

distinct ridges of enormous alps, the remoter rising considerably
above the nearer; but it is not difficult to conceive that such an
appearance might very well be produced by an irregular cluster
of mountains confusedly piled one upon another. This, however,
is a matter that must for the present remain undetermined, my
information on the subject by no means enabling me to clear it
up.
The spot occupied by our little encampment on mount Bheer
bundy is distinguished by the name of Rani Powah, which may
be rendered Rani Serai, or inn, the term being in this country ap¬
plied to a single building erected on a convenient situation for the
accommodation of travellers. This Powah, though standing on
the highest point of the pass, is much beneath the actual summit
of the mountain, which rose greatly above us to the southward in
a rotund peak, the sides of which were covered with brushwood,
and low trees. The nature of the ground obliging us to disperse,
some of the party spread themselves along a gentle acclivity that
stretched from the pass towards the bottom of the superior peak,
while others took possession of a small eminence on the opposite
side of the road over-hanging an immense deep valley to the
northward, through which the Lykhoo, after issuing from Sindoo-
bunjan, describes a meandering course in its way to join the Sin-
doora. Upon this eminence the barometer stood at 24.30 in. denoting
a perpendicular elevation of nearly twelve hundred yards above
140 KOWHILAI • PEAK.

the valley of Noakote. The air, however, was not so sharp as might
have been expected at such a great height, for though during the
night the cold was pretty severe, yet on the following morning the
mercury in the thermometer was not found to be lower than fifty-
three degrees. I reckon the ascent of Bheerbundy by the road to be
very little short of five miles, as I was about two hours and a half
in mounting from the west foot of it to the top ol the pass. 1 he
sun continued visible to us from this elevated station on the 16th
March till thirteen minutes after six, when it did not actually set,
but disappeared in a thick haze that enveloped one of the western
hills.
The descent from Rani Powah to Kowhilai-peak is for the most
part very gentle, the road being at the same time tolerably good,
and delightfully shady for very near two miles. Kowhilai-peak
overhangs from the right an angle of the declivity, on which sLood
formerly a castle, which was the first post occupied by Purthi Nerain,
when he advanced from Noakote towards Khatmanda. From hence
the road winds considerably, successively sinking and rising ; occa¬
sionally passing along the brink of tremendous gulfs; and gene¬
rally traversing the sides of steep and scantily wooded hills of lime¬
stone, whence several transparent brooks rush into the Koolpoo-
baisi, where they probably mingle with the stream already repre¬
sented as flowing through that valley, into which the traveller
looks down just as he is on the point of descending to the banks of
the Bishnmutty. The distance from Kowhilai to this river, on
 LITTLE NEEL-KHENT. 141

reaching which you may be said to have entered the valley of

Nepaul, is not less than five miles by the circuitous path we de¬
scribed, of which the four last are certainly in no respect deserving
of the encomiums passed by our Nepaul friends on the whole of
the road from Noakote to Khatmanda, which they affected to con¬
sider in the light of a royal highway, assuring me that I might pro¬
ceed by it in my palankeen with perfect ease and safety.
After fording the Bishnmutty, which passes here in a westerly
direction over a sandy but not very broad bed, and proceeding
about a mile and a half along the slopes of some waving lands, ex¬
hibiting plentiful traces of cultivation, we readied Dherimsilli, a
small town containing a few tolerable looking houses, but on the
whole of a mean appearance. Continuing our way a mile further,
over the same kind of swelling grounds, we again crossed the
Bishnmutty, at the distance of a mile from whence stands the
Arthan of Bala Neel-khent embosomed in a pleasant grove, and en¬
closed to the westward by a hill of moderate height, which being well
covered with trees, contributed both to the shadiness of the
temple and its precinct, and to the picturesque effect of the general

scenery.
Bala (or little) Neel-khent, is a place of great sanctity, boasting a
colossal image of Mahadeo, which appears in a supine position, in
the midst of an oblong bason of water, constructed of stone, and
supplied from springs rising in the overhanging hills. Part of the
waters issuing from the latter pass off through a conduit consisting
22
142 JEEA PLANT.

of one and twenty projecting stone pipes, fantastically carved, at

the fall of which pilgrims are obliged to perform certain ablutions
previous to their being admitted to worship at the shrine of the
incumbent deity Bala Neel-khent is so called to distinguish it from
Boora (or great) Neel-khent, which is situated a few miles to the
northward of Khatmanda, and exhibits an image of the god similar
in all respects to the other, excepting that its magnitude is said to
be four times greater. They are both representations, on a small
scale, of the Himma-leh Neel-khent, or source of the Tirsoolgunga,
described in another place.
As we proceeded to the place marked out for our encampment
in the valley of Nepaul, we observed some of the cultivated fields
to be skirted with the Jeea, or plant that yields the drug called
Cherris, for which Nepaul is so famous, though the truth is, that the
best kind is brought from Mullebum, a dependency of Nepaul lying
far to the north-west. This plant would appear to differ in no respect
from the hemp, excepting it be in the odour of its leaves, which is
of a most overpowering strength. I could not ascertain to my satis¬
faction in what manner the Cherris was procured from the shrub, all
the accounts I received of the matter varying more or less. It is ne¬
vertheless certain, that the operation is a manual one, requiring con¬
siderable nicety and attention both as to the period and the mode of
compressing the leaves. With respect to the former, the proper sea¬
son would seem to be when the plant is in flower, and its seeds on
the point of maturity, it being material to the purity of the extract,
 JEEA PLANT. 143

that the leaf should not be parched or dry, as in this state it would
not only yield less green, but a portion of its grosser parts would
be apt to enter into the product. In regard to the manual manage¬
ment, it consists principally in rubbing the leaves gently between
the two hands till these become sufficiently charged with the
juice, which adheres to the palms in the form of a dark, viscid,
and tolerably consistent substance ; this being removed with a
spatula, or knife, is made up into balls or lumps, which, while un¬
refined, are sold under the name ofCherris. The clarified Cherris
is called Momea (from its resemblance to wax), and burns with a
flame as bright as that of the purest resin. This gum is a most
potent narcotic, possessing, it is said, very valuable medical quali¬
ties. The grosser products of this plant are called Ganja and
Bhang, or Subje, the former being a preparation of flowers, and the
latter of the leaves. Both of these are obtained in the southern
parts of Hindostan from the shrub called Ganja, which, however,
though entirely corresponding in appearance with the Jeea of
Nepaul, does not yield any Cherris. From the hemp the Newars
of Nepaul fabricate some coarse linens, and also a very strong kind
of sack-cloth.
 CHAPTER VI

Valley of Nepaul—Temple of Sumbhoo-nath—Extent of the Valley of Nepaol—

Surrounding Mountains—Bh&gmulty and Bishnmutty Rivers—Khatmanda—Patn
—Bhatgong—Kirtepoor—Chobbar.
 [ U7 ]

CHAPTER VI.

Our camp, during the single week we resided in Nepaul, was

pitched on a rising but broken spot of ground, close to the east

foot of Sumbhoo-nath, and not quite a mile distance from Khat
manda. This situation would have been sufficiently favourable to
our viewing the whole extent of the valley, had the weather hap¬
pened to be less adverse than usual to our wishes. Not only, how¬
ever, all the mountains which encircle it, but almost every one of
the numerous villages with which it is dotted, were so perpetually
shrowded either by clouds, or a thick mist, that even the oppor¬
tunities which offered of using the compass were very few. But
before I describe the valley of Nepaul, I will here notice the curious
temple of Sumbhoo-nath.
This temple stands on the summit of an insulated hill,
which rises rather abruptly from the level of the subjacent
plain to the height of about three hundred feet; the ascent to
it is by a broad flight of steps out out of the rock, the sides of
which are pleasantly clothed with trees. At the foot of the steps
148 VALLEY OF NEPAUL.

is a colossal image in stone of the god Boudh, who is considered

by some to be the law-giver of the Bhoolias or Tibetians, and to
be the same as the Fo of the Chinese. The doctrines, however,
usually attributed to Boudh, would appear to be so much at vari¬
ance with many of the usages of the Bhootias, that this opinion is
by no means to be hastily admitted; a reference alone to the
Boudh Pouran itself can satisfactorily clear up this point, and hap¬
pily such a reference is now no longer impracticable to the learned,
as I have been fortunate enough to obtain from Nepaul a copy of
that rare and valuable manuscript.
Sumbhoo-nath is a very ancient edifice, having, it would seem,
been erected at a period when Nepaul was ruled by a race of Tibe¬
tians who being subsequently expelled by the Newars, obtained
the name of Khat Bhootias (or Bhootias of Khatmanda), which
they preserve to this day, occupying at present the mountains of
the Kuchar, but principally that part of the range situated in the
Koote quarter. The possession of this temple has been always
claimed by the Dalai Lama (or sovereign pontiff of Lehassa), on
the ground of its having been a dependency of his spirituality from
the earliest limes, and this pretension appears to have been usually
yielded to by the existing government of Nepaul. Upon the
rupture, however, which some years ago took place between the
Tibetians and people of Nepaul, the Lama’s vicar was obliged to
evacuate this sanctuary, which is now held by a legate on the part
of the Dewa Dhurma, whom we cal! the Deb T<aiah. and whom, in
4.(19

/%»& V/ h * WM* ■ *rM* 7/ jV»‘ ,^«r>. ■»

 SUMBHOO-NATH. 149

such a conjuncture, the government of Nepaul was naturally de¬

sirous of conciliating by every means in its power. It is scarcely
necessary to add, that this prince is among the followers of the
Tibetian idolatry.
The annexed sketch of Sumbhoo-nath will convey a much better
idea of its exterior figure and perspective, than any description I
am able to furnish. It is proper to notice, however, that this view
comprehends little more than that part of the sanctuary which
appears to be more particularly appropriated to the rites of the
Bhootia worship, and which is encompassed by a sort of quadran¬
gular edifice, containing a variety of small shrines and images.
The whole building rises from a terrace that occupies completely
the summit of the hill, but though it is pretty evident that
the several divisions of it have been erected at different
periods, yet its history being involved in the greatest obscurity,
there is no possibility of ascertaining any thing satisfactory con¬
cerning the origin, either of the middle and superior temple, or of
those which encircle it. Sumbhoo is one of the appellations of
Mahadeo, and the word, signifying self-existing, or self-created, is
applied to a stone image of the god, supposed to be the spontaneous
production of nature. But whatever may be the fact with regard
to the antiquity of Sumbhoo-nath, it is certain that this temple is
at present resorted to only by the Bhootias, and the Bahamas, the
latter of whom are a tribe of Newars who seem to have apostatized
in a certain degree from the religious creed of their countrymen at
150 VALLEY OF NEPAUL.

some period subsequent to their conquest of Nepaul, or at least to

have grafted upon it a considerable portion of the idolatry of
Tibet. After all, however, it is highly probable that the sanctity
of this spot might be safely referred to a period very anterior both
to the Newar and Khat Bhootia dynasties of Nepaul, since the
sacred books of the Hindoos scarcely leave any room to doubt that
the religion of Bramha has been established from the most remote
antiquity in this secluded valley, where, in truth, there are nearly
as many temples as houses, and as many idols as inhabitants, there
not being a fountain, a river, or a bill within its limits, that is not
consecrated to one or other of the Hindoo deities.
The first object that engages the attention on reaching the sum¬
mit of Sumbhoo, is a cylindrical structure of masonry, about breast-
high, and from two to three feet in diameter ; over this work is
placed a circular plate of brass, called Dhurmadhat Munsera, and
also Kinkoor, which is covered with various engraved figures and
characters, and serves to sustain a gilt Bejjerban, or thunder-bolt
of Indra, of immense size, but better corresponding to the figure of
a double sceptre.* This structure is not solid, being raised, it is
said, round a well ; but whether now dry or containing water, was
more than any person I saw, pretended to know, as it had never
been examined since the time of Puttar Mull, a Newar Rajah of
Khatmanda, who flourished about a hundred and fifteen years ago,
and by whom this singular fabric was erected to the Hindoo Jupiter.
 SUMBHOO-NATH. 151

The temple principally visited by the Bhootias and Bahauras

rises from the middle of the flat or terrace of the hill, and is dis¬
tinguished at a great distance by its spires or turrets, which are
covered with plates of copper very highly gilt. It is indebted for
this decoration to the Dalai Lama, by whose order the work had
been but recently finished, when his vicar was under the necessity
of relinquishing the charge to the Dewa Dhurma. I ascended by a
steep ladder to the entrance of this edifice, the interior of which
consisted of a single apartment, so fille d with smoke, and strewed
with various utensils, that it actually had infinitely more the ap¬
pearance of a miserable kitchen, than of the temple of a divinity.
But though my curiosity was far from being damped on this ac¬
count, yet it did not avail me much, as my ignorance of the Tibet
language made it impossible for me to hold any conversation with
the officiating priests, one of whom was seated on the floor between
two round deep vessels filled with Ghee, that served to feed a
considerable number of lamps, in trimming of which he seemed
earnestly employed. Sumbhoo-nath, indeed, is chiefly celebrated
for its perpetual fire, and I was assured that the flame of the two
largest wicks I saw, had been constantly preserved from time
immemorial. But though this altar is in a situation pretty well
defended from the external air, yet it is sufficiently exposed to it to
incline me to suspect that no small share of the great reputation
which the two superior lamps have acquired, ought, in fairness, to
be assigned to the lesser.
152 VALLEY OF NEPAUL.

In a corner to the right of the everlasting lights, stood a cylin¬

drical machine placed vertically on a stand ; round this machine
was curiously wrapped either some leaves, or a complete copy, I
could not ascertain which, of the Bhootia scriptures. The attend¬
ing priest was obliged to tear off part of its covering to shew me
this singularly disposed volume, the wriiing of which I could just
distinguish to be in the Tibet character. Upon my signifying a
desire to be informed of the title of the book, I repeatedly received
for answer, Mani; but whether this is the proper name of its author,
or no more than a general denomination by which they discrimi¬
nate sacred from prophane writings, I am unable to determine. I
observed that as often as those who entered the temple approached
and touched the holy volume (which action was always accompa¬
nied by certain gestures denoting profound respect), either the
priest who attended, or the worshipper himself, put the machine
in motion, every revolution of which occasioned a bell to str ike,
that was suspended over it. If it were not that this ringing, which,
it must be confessed, was by no means of a musical kind, doubt¬
lessly appeared to us in the valley to be much more unceasing than
it really was, I should have been disposed to conclude the Bhootias
and Bahauras to be the devoutest people on earth ; but in whatever
degree of reverence these nations hold Sumbhoo-nath, it is certain
that the Hindoos of Nepaul have no opinion of its sanctity, for
upon my putting a question to a Rajepoot of some distinction,
which implied that I entertained a contrary idea, he manifested no
 I
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To facr Tatp /,j£
<Y31F.

MT SHEOPOCtm

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 VALLEY OF NEPAUL. 153

small solicitude to undeceive me, and a good deal of eagerness

to convince me that those of his tribe never visited this temple.

The valley of Nepaul is nearly of an oval figure; its greatest

extent is from north to south, in which direction it may be com¬

puted at twelve horizontal miles. It stretches from east to west

about nine miles, and its circuit is roughly estimated by the inha¬

bitants at twenty-five coss, or from forty to fifty miles. It is

bounded on the north and south by very stupendous mountains,

near the foot of which rise several of those humbler eminences

called Collines in Switzerland: indeed the bottom of the valley,

besides being in general extremely uneven, and intersected by deep

ravines, occasioned by autumnal inundations, is speckled through¬

out at various distances with similar little hills. To the east and

west the enclosing mountains are much less lofty, the immediate

head of the valley to the westward being defined principally by a

low steep ridge covered with brush-wood, and anciently called

Maroor, but at present, most commonly, Naga-Arjoon, from the name

of an idol for which it is famous. This ridge passes close behind

Sumbhoo-nath, and is itself backed by a more considerable one,

named Dhbchoak, of which some mention has already been made

in describing the valley of Doona, and regarding which, I have

nothing further to add, than that it is said to contain a lake strongly

impregnated with mineral salt, and celebrated under the name of

Indra-pokhra. To the eastward, the most remarkable hills are those

of Ranichoak and Mahabut or Mahadeo-pokhra; but they by no

24
X
154 VALLEY OF NEPAUL.

means reach the elevation either of Phalchoak (which is the most

towering of the summits that illustrate the southern confine of the
valley) or of Sheopoori, which constitutes its principal barrier to
the northward, and is unquestionably by far the highest of all the
mountains that encircle it. The other chief links of this superb
chain are mount Kukunni, which stretches westerly from Sheopoori,
being united to Nagd-Arjoon by mount Bheerbundy, and Chumpa-
daibi, which, with one or two more inferior peaks, complete the
girdle by joining Chandraghiri to Phalchoak.
As it was not in our power to ascend to the top, either of
Sheopoori or of Phalchoak, and as the nature of the ground, no
less than considerations of prudence, opposed any attempt at the
actual measurement of a base, we had not the means of ascertaining
either by the barometer, or geometrically, the altitudes of those
mountains. I am inclined to think, however, on a comparison of
the result of a rough calculation, built upon their computed hori¬
zontal distance, and the angles of their summits with the heights
of some adjacent peaks, as denoted by the barometer, that mount
Sheopoori is not much less than fourteen hundred, and that
Phalchoak is nearly twelve hundred, yards above the level of
Sumbhoo-nath. Mount Jibjibia erects its aspiring head about a
point to the westward of Sheopoori, which, notwithstanding its
respectable elevation, sinks before its super-towering neighbour to
the rank of a moderate colline. But though Jibjibia rises probably
more than two thousand yards above the loftiest part of Sheopoori,
 VALLEY OF NEPAUL. 155

yet it yields in its turn to the amazing rampart of snow which

shoots up on its right, and, in spite of its vicinity and the immense
height of the interposing mountains, is easily descried from the foot
of Sumbhoo-nath. Indeed this magnificent object is said to be
visible at Khatmanda, in clear weather, from between the points
of N. N. W. and E. N. E. It will hardly be supposed, however,
that such a spacious prospect can be unbroken throughout. To
enjoy so august a sight, one must ascend, perhaps, to the top of
Chandraghiri, though I am inclined to think that the landscape is
not less entire from the inferior height of Cheesapany, whence the
sides and summits of this stupendous chain stand, to a very great
extent, completely revealed to the eye. The eastern extremity of
this interesting view is marked by a pile of snowy mountains, which
I imagine to be that part of Himma-leh lying just above Koote,
the horizontal distance of which from Khatmanda, is forty-eight
miles.
Sheopoori gives rise to the Bhagmutty and Bishnmutty rivers ;
the sources of the former, (which also bears the name of the
Bremha-serassutti,) are situated on the north side of the mountain,
round the east foot of which, this river winds, and soon enters
the valley of Nepaul, traversing it in a meandering course, the
general direction of which is southerly. It is a very incon¬
siderable brook at Pussputty-nath, close under which it flows, but
receiving in its progress from thence, several tributary currents, its
channel gradually widens, till it assumes, in passing between Patn
156 VALLEY OF NEPAUL.

and Khatmanda, the appearance of a respectable stream. Upon the

Bishnmutty’s yielding its waters and name to it a little way below
the south end of Khatmanda, it hastens towards Gunnaish-than,
and some other low hills standing at the foot of mount Chandra-
ghiri, along the bottom of which it rushes precipitately, as if impa¬
tient to force a passage through the superior ridge, and at length es¬
capes from the valley by an opening that presents itself between
Phalchoak and Chumpa-daibi, after which 1 know nothing certain
concerning it, till it re-appears at Hurrihurpoor, from whence its
continuation to Munniary has been probably laid down with suffi¬
cient accuracy by Major Rennell. I have been generally informed,
however, that its course between the valley of Nepaul and Hurri¬
hurpoor lies through an immensely wild and rugged country, that
its channel is choaked with huge rocks, and overhung by impene¬
trable woods, and that it falls, in two or three points, in very
considerable cataracts, the most remarkable of which is said to
occur at a place called Bysia. Its descent also immediately from
Hurrihurpoor is represented as exceeding rapid; but it would ap¬
pear to resume a tolerably gentle current almost immediately
after precipitating itself from thence into the valley below, as boats
from the Turrye occasionally ascend to within an easy distance of
that town.
The Bishnmutty, called likewise the Dhurma-nuddi and Brem-
habode, issues from the south side of Sheopoori, entering the valley
of Nepaul not far to the northward of Bala Neel-khent; and, after
 VALLEY OF NEPAUL. 157

washing the west face of Khatmanda, empties itself into the

Bhagmutty. The water of this river is not in equal estimation w ith
that of the Bhagmutty, which is said to be much lighter and whole-
somer; indeed the people of this country pretend, that all the
streams which descend along the north faces of mountains, are pre¬
ferable to such as spring from a southern aspect; but perhaps the
inferiority of the Bishnmutty in this respect may partly be owing
to the circumstance of its receiving no accession of water through¬
out its course, and of its being every where a very shallow, and,
comparatively with the other, rather a sluggish stream. With
regard to the nature of the soil over which it passes, it would not
appear to differ from that which constitutes the bed of the
Bh&gmutty.
Besides the rivers just described, there are several other streams
which flow through the valley of Nepaul, and contribute greatly
to its fertilization. The principal of these are Dhobee-kola, the
Munnokra, the Hunnumunta, and the Kushen-kooshen, the Bhag-
mutty finally receiving the waters of the whole. Dhobee-kola (or
Roodurmutty of antiquity) rises, as well as the Bishnmutty, from
the south side of mount Sheopoori, and passing at the distance of
about a mile and a half to the eastward of Khatmanda, pursues a
course nearly south till it falls into the Bhagmutty, which it does
a little way above the junction of that stream with the Bishnmutty.
The Munnokra, called also the Munmutty, issues from a small lake
near Bujjur-joogni, a place of considerable sanctity in the vicinity
158 VALLEY OF NEPAUL.

of Sanku. It runs, like the generality of the streams which intersect

this valley, in a southerly direction, passing, at the distance of
about a mile, to the eastward of the Bhagmutty, into which it
discharges itself, after a very short course, near Patn. TheHunnu-
munta, or Bhuddermutty of the sacred writings, springs from Ma-
hadeo-pokhra, and after winding round the south-west angle of
Bhatgong, hastens to meet the Kushen-kooshen (or Kansabutti),
which it does about half a mile to the westward of that city. This
last rivulet has its rise from Changoo-nerain; and after passing
along the north-east side of Bhatgong, soon yields its waters and its
name to the Hunnumunta, which proceeds but a short way before
it disembogues itself into the Bhagmutty.
It will not be expected that I should be able to describe, or even
to enumerate, all the towns and villages of this valley, nor are
there, indeed, many of them that merit any particular notice. I
shall content myself, therefore, with a slight review of the most
remarkable among them.
Of these Khatmanda is entitled to the first rank, not so much,
indeed, on account of its superior size or population, as because it is
at present reckoned the capital of Nepaul, from being the residence
of the Rajah. It stands on the east bank of the Bishnmutty, along
which it stretches in length about a mile : its breadth is inconsi-
derable, no where exceeding half, and seldom extending beyond a
quarter ot a mile, its figure being said by the natives to resemble
the Koln a or scimetar of Daibv. The entrance to it from the
/'/ hits..J ■' tf.uuiy jJ'-• • #' M'Jci- Alh- >'-'V U
 KHATMANDU. 159

westward, near which extremity of' the valley it is situated, is by

two slight bridges thrown over the Bishnmutty, one of them at the
north, the other neat” the south end. of the town. The name by
which it is distinguished in ancient books is Gongool-putten: the
Newars call it Yindaise, whilst among the Purbutties, or moun¬
taineers, it is styled Kathipoor, an appellation which seems to pro¬
ceed from the same source with Khatmandu, the present popular
appellation of this city, and derived, as it is said, from its numerous
wooden temples, which are, indeed, among the most striking ob¬
jects it offers to the eye. These edifices are not confined to the body
of the town, but are scattered over its environs, and particularly
along the sides of a quadrangular tank or reservoir of wrater, situ¬
ated a short way beyond the north-east quarter of the town, and
called Rani-pokhra. They appear to differ nothing in their figure
or construction from the wooden Mundubs occasionally met with in
other parts of India, and are principally remarkable for their num¬
ber and size, some of them being of considerable elevation and pro¬
portionate bulk. Besides these, Khatmandu contains several other
temples on a large scale, and constructed of brick, with two, three,
and four sloping roofs, diminishing gradually as they ascend, and
terminating pretty generally in pinnacles, which, as well as some
of the superior roofs, are splendidly gilt, and produce a very
picturesque and agreeable effect.
The houses are of brick and tile, with pitched or pent-roofs;
towards the street, they have frequently enclosed w'ooden bal-
25
160 KHATMANDU.

conies of open carved work, and of a singular fashion, the front piece,
instead of rising perpendicularly, projecting in a sloping direction
towards the eaves of the roof. They are of two, three, and four
stories, and almost without a single exception, of a mean appear¬
ance; even the Rajah’s house being but a sorry building, and
claiming no particular notice. The streets are excessively narrow,
and nearly as filthy as those of Benares.
Khatm&ndu was reckoned, during the time of Jye Purkaush, to
contain about twenty-two thousand houses; but this amount is
affirmed to have been very much augmented since that period,
though not without some consequent decrease in the numbers of
Patn and Bhatgong. This statement, however, must of necessity
be understood as comprehending not only the population of the
town itself, but of its dependent villages, it being manifest that
there cannot stand, at the most, above five thousand houses on
the ground occupied by this city; and, indeed, though all those
I discoursed with on this point, appeared desirous of magnifying
the number of its inhabitants, yet some of them pretty clearly
admitted that the specified statement was meant to include most of
its subordinate towns or hamlets, which are not less than from
twenty to thirty, of which Sanku, Changoo-nerain, Ghokurna,
Deopatun, Hanrigong, Papigong.Chuprigong, and some others, rank
as considerable places. Allowing then ten persons to a house or
family, which is probably rather a low standard for the houses of
Khalmandu, its population will amount to about fifty thousand
 p-
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 P A T N. 161

souls, which I should take to be its full complement.* At the

same rate the numbers occupying the remaining seventeen thousand

houses formerly included within the jurisdiction of Khatmanda,

would be one hundred and seventy thousand; but as the buildings

of the inferior towns are, generally speaking, on a much smaller

scale than those of the metropolis, I should judge eight to a house,

on an average, to be an ample allowance, which wrould reduce the

population of the subordinates to one hundred and thirty-six thou¬

sand, giving one hundred and eighty-six thousand for the total

population of the capital and its districts, in which last, however,

it is not intended to include Doona-baise, Noakote, Nerjah, or any

other of the dependencies of the Khatmanda sovereignty lying be¬

yond the valley. I confess that this calculation is exceeding vague,

and that, with respect to the canton or principality at large, I think

it likely to be under the truth, though, perhaps, not in any consi¬

derable degree. It is proper, however, to notice here, that the

most reasonable of my informants would not admit Sanku to have

ever been comprehended in the population attributed to Khat¬

manda. Sanku was formerly a place of great magnitude, but does

not contain at present above a thousand families.

The city of next importance in the valley of Nepaul is Patn,

which occupies a rising spot of ground situated about two miles to

the south-east of Khatmanda, and close to the confluence of the

Munnokra.Fookacha, andBhagmutty rivers. While an independent

* Perhaps 4000 houses, at twelve inhabitants eaeii, would be nearer the mark.

Y
162 VALLEY OF NEPAUL.

capital, it would seem to have been of much greater extent than

the present metropolis, being said to have contained, during that
period, twenty-four thousand houses; which number, however, as
in the case of Khatmanda, must be understood to comprize also most
of its dependencies within the valley ; and though my information
does not enable me to describe the exact limits of each of the three
states, into which the valley of Nepaul was divided at the time of
Purthi Nerain’s conquest, yet there is good reason to believe that
the sovereign of Patn possessed the greatest portion of it, since,
among the various towns enumerated as belonging to that canton,
we meet with the names of Kirthipoor, Chobbar, Thankote, Pheer-
phing, and a few others, which, besides continuing to be still of
principal note, include a wider tract of territory than the depen¬
dencies either of Khatmanda or Bhatgong. The dominions of Patn
beyond the valley stretched southerly, comprehending, Chitlong,
Tambeh-kan, Cheesapany, and some other places in the same
direction.
Patn is called Yulloo-daisi by the Newars, and it is likewise
occasionally distinguished from Deopatun (celebrated for its
temple of Pussputnath), by the appellations ofLuttit-Patn and Loll-
Patn, both of which, it is supposed to have derived from the
name of its founder, who was a favourite, and Purdhan,or minister,
of one of the ancient princes of this country. It is a neater town
than Khatmanda, and boasts also of containing some very hand¬
some edifices.
 BHATGONG. 163

Bhatgong is, perhaps, still more superior to Khatmanda; for

though doubtlessly the least considerable of the three, in point of
size, being rated only at twelve thousand houses, yet its palace and
buildings, in general, are of more striking appearance, and its streets,
if not much wider, are at all events much cleaner than those of the
metropolis. It owes this last advantage to its admirable brick pave¬
ment, which has not received, or indeed required, the least repair
for thirty years past. Nepaul in general is remarkable for the ex¬
cellence of its bricks and tiles, but those of Bhatgong are commonly
allowed to be very far preferable to the rest. Certain it is, they
surpass any I ever met with in India, but it is. not equally certain
from whence their excellence proceeds. Some of those whom I
questioned on the subject, referred it to the nature of the earth
used in making them, and some to the water employed in tem¬
pering them; while others affirmed it to arise purely from a par¬
ticular mode of burning them. I had no opportunity of seeing this
operation, the success of which, I was told, depended materially on
the manner of laying the bricks and fuel, at the time of forming the
clump or kiln.
Bhatgong lies about east and by south of Khatmanda, from whence
it is distant nearly eight road miles. Its ancient name was Dhur-
maputten, and it is called by the Newars Khopodaise, by whom it
is also described to resemble in its figure the Dumbroo, or guitar,
of Mahadeo. It appears to be the favourite residence of the Brah¬
mans of Nepaul, containing many more families of that order than
104 VALLEY OF NEPAUL.

Khatmanda and Patn together, all those of the Chetree tribe (to

which the reigning prince belongs) flocking on the other hand to

the capital, while Patn is principally inhabited by Newars.

With respect to what may be termed the ultramontane dominions

of Bhatgong, there is reason to believe, that though the sovereigns

of this state seem to have possessed the smallest of the three divi¬

sions of the valley, they nevertheless established their authority to

a greater distance beyond it, than either of their neighbours. I

am not acquainted with the exact limits of the Bhatgong princi¬

pality to the eastward, in which direction it chiefly extended itself;

but I fancy they no where fell short of the banks of the Kousi.near

which, and at the distance of five journies from Khatmanda, there

still stands an ancient Newar town of considerable eminence, called

Dhoalka.
Kirthipoor occupies the summit of a low hill, about three miles

west of Patn; it was at one time the seat of an independent prince,

though at the period of Purthi Nerain’s invasion, it was included

in the territory of Patn. The reduction of this place cost the

Ghoorkhali so much trouble, that in resentment of the resistance

made by the inhabitants, he barbarously caused all the males he

captured in it, to be deprived of their noses. We came to the

knowledge of this fact in consequence of observing among the

porters who transported our baggage over the hills, a remarkable

number of noseless men, the singularity of the circumstance lead¬

ing us to inquire into the cause of it.

 CHOBBAR. 165

Chobbar is also situated on an eminence, which, with that of Kir-

thipoor, forms a kind of saddle hill. The latter is said to repre¬

sent the body, and the former the head of Mahadeo. Kirthipoor

is said to have reckoned, at one period, no less than six thousand

houses or families within its jurisdiction. It is at present a place

of no great extent or consideration.

Having in the preceding pages illustrated, as well as I could, the

particular topography of the tract actually traversed by us in our

route, I shall now proceed to offer a few brief observations on the

country of Nepaul in general, which will necessarily, however, be

principally confined to that part of it properly so called, and strictly

comprehending no more than the valley just described. I shall

afterwards finally close the present Memoir, with as accurate an

account of the boundaries, extent, and subdivisions of the Goor-

khali territories collectively, as the scanty information I have been

able to obtain on the subject will admit of.

 CHAPTER VII

Name, Climate, Season, Soil, and general face of the Country of Nepaul—Metals and
Minerals—Animal and Vegetable Productions—Population and Classes of Inhabi¬
tants—Customs and Manners—Religion, Temples, and religious Festivals—
Government—Laws—Administration of Justice—Commerce, Arts, and Manufac¬
tures—Revenues, and Military Force—Coins—Learning—Languages.
’
 C 169 3

CHAPTER VII.

Nbp.u l, or more correctly, Nypaul, is said to have been distin¬

guished during theSulheo-joog, when the dynasty of Bhujjer-joogni

are reported to have ruled over it, by the name of Siddoo-buttipoor.

It is also called in some ancient books Decarie Tapoo, or the South¬

ern Isle, in reference to its situation with respect to Himma-leh. It

derives its present appellation, it is pretended, from the founder of

the Nymuni dynasty, in whose possession this country is supposed

to have remained during the Treta and Dwaper. The fables on

which this etymology is built merit no attention; but it may be

worth noticing that all the records of Hindoo antiquity concerning

the Himma-leh mountains, and the northern regions adjacent

thereto, are affirmed to represent the present valley of Nepaul as

having been originally an immense lake, which, in the progress of

ages, gradually retired between the banks of the Bhagmutty. Other

accounts state, that the Bhagmutty remained without any outlet

from the valley during three centuries, when Sree-kima, the last of

the Nymunians, opened its present passage through the southern

Z
170 CLIMATE OF NEPAUL.

ridge of mountains. Major Rennell informs us, on occasion of a

similar tradition regarding Cashmere, “ that appearances have im-
“ pressed a conviction of its truth on the minds of all those who
“ have visited the scene, and contemplated the different parts of
“ it;” and he afterwards reasons at some length, and with much
ingenuity, in its support; nor is there a single argument advanced
by our illustrious geographer on the subject, that does not apply
with conclusive force to the valley of Nepaul. The waving or
broken nature of the ground, which resembles, in a striking degree,
the bed of a large body of water, and the soil consisting to a con¬
siderable depth of a black, fat earth, manifestly the product of
deposited mud, are particularly circumstances of the most de¬
monstrative kind. In short, if any difficulty be here opposed to the
theory in question, it presents itself solely in the character of the
strata that form the base of the mountains through which the
Bhagmutty has forced a passage, it being perhaps doubtful whether
these be of a hardness capable,of resisting the attrition of the waters
for any great length of time.
The northernmost part of Nepaul scarcely lies in a higher
parallel of latitude than twenty-seven degrees and a half; yet this
valley enjoys, in certain respects, the climate of some of the south¬
ern countries of Europe. My knowledge on this point is, of course,
almost entirely confined to the narrow limits of oral enquiry, our
residence here having been too short to admit of our acquiring more
satisfactory information. It is not to be doubted, however, that not
 CLIMATE OF NEPAUL. 171

only the tops of the surrounding mountains are sprinkled with

snow for several days together during winter, but that it even
sometimes falls in the valley below: a hoar frost, too, at this
season, very commonly covers the ground; but though the cold is
occasionally, for three or four months, severe enough to freeze the
tanks and pools of standing water, yet the rivers are never frozen.
Nepaul would seem to be indebted for its favourable climate en¬
tirely to its great elevation ; for though lying in the vicinity of a
region eternally buried in snow, yet its temperature is probably
little or nothing affected by this local circumstance, since, besides
the shelter it derives from the interjacent mountains, it is affirmed
that a north, or Himma-lehan wind never blows in this valley, except
now and then in transient gusts. The height of Nepaul above the
level of the sea, if we may rely on the indication of the barometer,
cannot be much under four thousand feet; but this elevation did
not prevent the thermometer from rising once during our stay in
this valley to eighty-seven degrees. Its usual height about noon
varied from eighty-one to eighty-four degrees; a little after sunrise
it commonly stood between fifty and fifty-four, but was once so low
as forty-seven, and at nine in the evening generally fluctuated
from sixty-two to sixty-six degrees, the mean temperature, from the
17th to the 25th of March inclusive, on an average of fifty-one
observations, was sixty-seven degrees.
The seasons of Nepaul are pretty nearly the same with those of
Upper Hindostan ; the rains commence a little earlier, and set in
172 CLIMATE OF NEPAUL.

from the south-east quarter: they are usually very copious, and
break up towards the middle of October. The torrents from the
mountains being often extremely violent during this period, while
the descent of the rivers through the valley is not so precipitate as
to carry off the waters with much rapidity, the consequence is,
that their banks, wherever they happen to be low, are very liable
to be overflowed. The effect of these occasional inundations
is sometimes very injurious to the husbandman ; and is exhibited
also, in the great number of ravines into which the plain is
cut.
In describing the climate of Nepaul, we ought not to confine
ourselves to the valley, since a few hours journey enable its inha¬
bitants to pass at pleasure, by ascending the sides and summits of
the enclosing mountains, through a considerable variety of tempe¬
ratures, and in three or four days one may actually exchange a
heat equal to that of Bengal for the cold of Russia, by barely moving
from Noakote to Kheroo, or even to Ramika ; nor are, perhaps, the
numerous gradations and quick succession of climates attainable
from hence the least of the advantages to be derived from an un¬
restrained intercourse with this charming country, a short residence
in which would, in most disorders arising from relaxation, proba¬
bly answer every purpose of a voyage to Europe, by enabling a
patient to remove, as circumstances might demand, from one tem¬
perature to another, though I am inlined to think that there are
few cases of the nature in question that would require his seeking
 CLIMATE OF NEPAUL. 173

a higher one in winter than that of the valley of Chitlong, or, in

summer, a more elastic and sharper air than he might breathe on
the summit of Chandraghiri. Here, too, if we may judge by the
spontaneous productions of the spot, among which are the peach,
the raspberry, the walnut, the mulberry, and others, all the fruits
and esculent vegetables of England might, with proper attention,
be successfully raised. With respect to the salubrity of the more
elevated valleys and situations, it would seem to be abundantly
proved in the general looks of the inhabitants, among whom, if the
Newar peasantry take the lead in point of robustness, it is to be at¬
tributed to their laborious, but invigorating occupations. The fever
called the Owl has already been said to be confined to the very
lowest vallies, and to the Turrye; but this is not the case with re¬
gard to the guttural tumours known in Hindostan by the name of
Ghaigha, and in Nepaul by that of G&noo; this malady appearing
both at Deopitun and Kaurigong, within a few miles of Khatmanda,
and being very prevalent, indeed, at a place called \lungultai,
which is about three journies eastward from thence. The natives
have no clear ideas concerning the cause ofthis distemper, though
they attempt to treat it medically ; some of them conceive that it
is produced by a certain insect generated in the water usually drank
by the inhabitants of goitrous places ; others suppose that it is owing
to some mineral impregnation, but without suspectihg particularly
the influence of the calcareous matter called Tuf in Switzerland,
and supposed by Mr. Coxe to be the cause of this malady. The
27
174 MINES OF NEPAUL.

water, however, commonly drank by the people of Kaurigong and

Deopatun, being that of the Bhagmutty, which is equally used
in several other places unaffected with this endemial deformity,
the goitres of those two towns are gravely believed by many of
the inhabitants to be an effect of imagination in their pregnant
women, who, it seems, are constantly exposed to the disgusting
sight presented in the protuberant pouches of the innumerable
monkies with which the adjacent sacred grove of Gorja-sirre
swarms ; sallying thence, these animals take possession at pleasure
of the neighbouring houses, from which it would be an act of the
greatest impiety to dislodge them forcibly.
It was formerly a very prevalent idea among the people of Hin-
dostan, from whom it would appear to have passed to the
Europeans, that Nepaul contained gold mines, and it was probably
this notion (corroborated from time to time by the exaggerated re¬
ports of obscure travellers concerning the opulence and splendour
of its cities) that stimulated Cossim Ali Khan to his unsuccessful
attempt against this country. As to the enterprise embarked in by
the English during Mr. Verelst’s administration, whether under¬
taken on better grounds or not, it was equally unfortunate. It may
appear difficult to conceive how the neighbouring nations could so
Jong abide by a persuasion originating in no stronger a circumstance
than the gold of Tibet passing into Bengal and Bahar through
Nepaul, for it would not seem that much stress has been laid on the
occasional separation of a few gold grains either from the sand, or
 MINES OP NEPAUL. 175

from those consecrated pebbles of the Gunduck, known by the

name of Salegrams. Our surprize, however, on this occasion, will
be diminished, if it does not entirely vanish, on corisidering, that
while the unremitted jealousy with which the administration of the
country had at all times discouraged the free ingress of strangers
deprived us of the means of acquiring accurate information, it was
also calculated in some degree to confirm the impression which
had been received of its natural riches, and which the government
of Nepaul itself has, though most probably not intentionally, con¬
tributed to keep up by occasionally sending specimens of gold ore
to the Governor General of India, by way of presents, or curiosities. It
is now pretty clear, however, that, except the small quantity sifted
out of the sands of certain rivulets, which pass through, without
rising in the Nepaul territories, these latter produce not a grain of
gold. It is true I have heard of a gold mine in the neighbourhood
of Listie, but if any thing more be meant by the account than the
scanty particles of gold dust sometimes discovered in the beds of
the torrents which rush through the Kuchar in that quarter, I am
inclined to believe it is not situated within the Nepaul limits. It
it also true that Summerpa (the fugitive LamaofTeeshoo Loomboo,
or Diggercheh), who, by taking refuge with the Goorkhali, occa¬
sioned the late war between Nepaul and China, and who appears
to have been a person of considerable science, gave the government
of Khatmanda reason to hope that the precious metals might be
discovered in its dominions. It is equally certain, however, that
176 MINES OF NEPAUL.

his researches proved fruitless, as I have been assured that the

produce of his various experiments did not defray the expenses
attending them.
But though Nepaul can boast of no gold mines, yet it doubtlessly
contains most of the other metals. Its copper and iron mines have
already been noticed ; excepting those in the vicinity of Tambeh-
kan and Koomhara valley, I am not acquainted either with the
precise situation, or history of any of them. The iron of Nepaul is
not, perhaps, surpassed by that of any other country, and among its
copper ores, of which there would seem to be several varieties,
some are said to be rich, and of an excellent kind. Oude was for¬
merly supplied with this metal from Nepaul, but of late years the
European copper, without appearing to be in any respect of a su¬
perior quality, has, by actually underselling, driven that of Nepaul
out of the western markets, a phsenomenon in commerce which
ought not, probably, to be attributed entirely to the difficulty and
expense of transportation through a mountainous tract, having no
navigable rivers, since it is likely to arise in a great degree from
the backwardness of the natives in the arts of mineralogy and metal¬
lurgy. In short, copper, the produce of Nepaul, has been known to
bear so high a price as a rupee and a half the Seer, at the same
time that European copper was procurable in Calcutta for a rupee
the Seer.
With regard to silver, l n«tve been miormed that some veins of
it have been discovered to the westward of Noakote ; but I doubt
 MINES OF NEPAUL. 177

the truth of the account, and suspect it to have no other foundation

than the fact of certain ores of lead, supposed to contain a consi¬
derable proportion of the precious metal, having been recently met
with. I have seen several specimens of these ores, some of which
were very rich in lead, while others appeared to be a species of
galena well worth the working for the sake of its silver; and
indeed, I found some attempts, with this view, had been made pre¬
vious to our arrival in Nepaul; but as in all their endeavours to
obtain the nobler metal, they had, owing to their ignorance of the
proper process, lost most part of the baser one, the result of their
experiments had been very discouraging. In fine, they have
hitherto so little known how to avail themselves of their natural
treasures, that they are still obliged to supply themselves with lead
from Patna.
There is no better authority at present than vague information
for believing that the Nepaul territories contain either the ores of
antimony or mercury. It is pretty certain, however, that the western
parts in particular abound both in arsenic and pyrites, though it is
also true that the government has been obliged to desist from
working the sulphurous ores on account of the deleterious effects
produced by the operation. With regard to volcanoes, although I
met with no traces of any in our route, yet it is certain that there
are some eruptions to the westward; but whether these arise merely
from bituminous or other inflammable substances, or are actually
volcanic, I am unable to determine.
Aa
178 MINES OF NEPAUL.

The houses in Nepaul are universally built of brick, because the

use of stone, though every where procurable within an easy dis¬
tance, would be intolerably expensive in a country not admitting
either of wheel carriages, or of water transportation; hence, not¬
withstanding the great plenty and variety of stones adapted to the
purposes of building, which are to be met with in this country,
among which are some kinds both of marble and of jasper, the sight
of a stone edifice or structure of any sort, if we except their idols,
and some of the ornamental parts of their temples, is more uncom¬
mon in Nepaul, than even in Bengal. There is said to be a very
considerable mass of rock crystal near Goorkha, and lime-stone,
as well as slate, seems to abound every where. There are, however,
no lime-kilns in this country, the cement commonly employed
being mud, which, the natives pretend, answers in their humid
climate better than lime mortar. The small quantity of the latter
which they use, is procured from the incrustations and crystals of
lime that are found in some of the natural grottos or caves scattered
over this romantic region. 1 lament exceedingly that none of these
happened to lie in our route, as the description 1 have received of
them appears to render them very well worth the attention of
all who receive any delight in contemplating the beauties or wonders
of nature.

The foregoing, it must be owned, is a very superficial account of

the mineral or fossil productions of Nepaul; but 1 trust it will be
indulgently received, as the best that I am enabled to furnish
 CATTLE OF NEPAUL. 179

either by my sources of information, or my acquaintance with such

subjects. It is to be hoped, indeed, that the period is not very
remote when every chasm in our knowledge concerning this country
will be completely filled up; for as it is not to be doubted that it
presents a noble field for the most interesting researches, both of
the mineralogist and botanist, so it may safely be presumed that no
favourable opportunity which may hereafter offer for prosecuting
useful enquiry in departments of science so intimately connected
with the improvement of commerce and manufactures, will be
suffered to escape.
I have already occasionally enumerated some of the animal and
vegetable productions of this country, and have therefore but little
to add here under these heads, which indeed can only be satisfac¬
torily treated of by a professed naturalist.
The cattle of Nepaul, generally speaking, do not seem much
superior to those ordinarily met with in Bengal, and the upper pro¬
vinces ; but it is otherwise with regard to the herds which enjoy
the double advantage of browsing amidst the delicious herbage of
the less cultivated valleys, and of watering at the pure, wholesome
brooks which every where intersect them. It is true that even these
are but little distinguished in respect to size; yet they appear
sleek and plump, and exhibit a greater variety in point of colour
than is usually seen in the lower parts of India. I was particularly
struck with the good appearance of some cows which we fell in
180 VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS OF NEPAUL.

with in passing from Bailkole; but, after all, it must be confessed

that the best of them would suffer considerably in a comparison
with English cattle. Their milk, however, is not Surpassed, perhaps,
for sweetness or richness, by any in the world, though I am obliged
to acknowledge that the inhabitants did not seem to have any to
spare.
It will be readily conceived that a country so over-run as this is
with aromatic and sweet flowering shrubs, must necessarily produce
honey of the finest quality: but though its excellence is accordingly
very well known and acknowledged, yet it is a fact that I had some
difficulty in procuring a single comb ; this scarcity is owing to
there being no more made or stored than is requisite for domes¬
tic consumption, bees being reared here principally with a view'
to the preparation of wax, which forms one of the exports of
Nepaul.
I had heard, before my visit to Nepaul, that our most esteemed
kitchen vegetables did not only grow there in much higher per¬
fection than in Bengal, but that the propagation of them was
annually continued from their own seed, whereas the short duration
of our cold season admits but of a scanty and degenerate produce
not to be depended upon. My disappointment, therefore, was very
great on finding the fact otherwise, and on being assured that they
could not raise even potatoes, without procuring every year from
Patna fresh roots for sowing ; I think it extremely probable, how-
 VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS OF NEPAUL. 181

ever, that their failure in this respect has been occasioned solely by
want of attention or skill, having no doubt, for my own part, that
with proper management, there are fewofourhortulan productions,
whether fruit, flower, or herb, which might not be successfully
reared, and abundantly multiplied, either in the valley of Nepaul
itself, or in one or other of the numerous situations adjacent to it.
The only kitchen vegetables we met with here were cabbages and
peas, both of which were of the worst kind. They have the Tibet
turnip, but cannot raise it, any more than the potatoe, without
renewing the seed annually.
I have elsewhere, in the course of this Memoir, given as full an
account of the several species of grain cultivated in this country, as
my limited opportunities of obtaining any knowledge of them
would allow; there doubtlessly remains much information to be
supplied on this, and other interesting subjects of Nepaul agricul¬
ture ; and in particular it seems highly desirable that we should
thoroughly ascertain the nature and history of the various dry riees
cultivated by these people under the general name of Ghya, because
some of them being actually raised in situations very much exposed
to falls of snow, it is extremely probable that they would succeed
in England, while others which do not require being flooded, but
flourish in the loftiest and driest spots, would be no less likely to an¬
swer in the Rajemahl hills.* There are also among the spontaneous

• An experiment has since been successfully made here with four or five species of
Ghya.

28
182 VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS OF NEPAUL.

productions of this luxurious soil, several edible roots and herbs,

as the Tooral, a species of yam, the Kurraila, a kind of wild
asparagus, and others, well deserving of examination and descrip¬
tion, as forming a considerable part of the sustenance of the poorer
inhabitants. The medicinal plants, as well as the dying drugs
which rank among the natural growth of this country, are likewise
very numerous, and some of them very valuable; of the former
the Teetea-pSt, Juttha, or Jaitamasi, the Kootka, the Bikmah, the
Cheraita, and the Roopmenger (all of them bitter or aromatic
woods) are in the most estimation.* Of the colouring plants, I
should decline, for the present, even a partial enumeration, as well
on account of the subject being too important, in a commercial
view, to be slightly discussed, as because measures have been taken
by Government for obtaining the fullest information regarding
them. I need only observe in this place, that, besides the well-
known creeper called Munjheet, some shoots of which I left in a
thriving condition at Boglepore, on my return to Bengal, there is
good reason to suppose, that the Nepaul territories produce a rich
variety of dying materials, and among the rest, two or three sorts
of vegetable black. The Kuchar is known to contain many, and
probably, indeed, yields most of the alpine plants.
Adverting to the very wild and rugged nature of the country,
we shall see no great room for imagining its population to be

f The Teetea-p&t is a species of worm-wood ; the Jaitam&si is supposed to be the

spikenard of the ancients, and the Bickmah is a kind of gentian
 CLASSES OF INHABITANTS. 183

considerable; the valleys only are of any account in estimating the

numbers of the inhabitants, and they are, with the exception of
Nepaul itself, and perhaps two or three others, little better than so
many mountainous cavities. Even the Turrye,orTurryani, gene¬
rally speaking, would seem to be but indifferently peopled, the
villages throughout it being, as far as I can learn, very thinly scat¬
tered, and in most places of a mean rank in point of magnitude, as
well as appearance. But whatever the fact in this respect may be,
it is certain that we are altogether unfurnished with any documents
that would warrant our hazarding even a conjecture on the subject,
the materials we possess forjudging of the population of the valley
of Nepaul itself being at the best extremely vague, and enabling
us only to slate it loosely at about half a million.
The inhabitants consist principally of the two superior classes of
Hindoos (or Brahmins andChetrees with their various subdivisions)^
of Newars, of Dhenwars, of Mhanjees, of Bhootias, and of BhanrSs.
The former of these, who compose the army of the state, and en¬
gross all situations of trust, whether civil or nylitary, are found dis¬
persed promiscuously throughout the country; the Newars are con¬
fined almost to the valley of Nepaul, the Dhenwars and Mhanjees are
the husbandmen and fishers of the western districts; and the Bhoo¬
tias, though some families of them are planted in the lower lands,
occupy, generally speaking, such parts of the Kuchar as are included
in the Nepaul territories. With respect to the Bhanras, they have
already been mentioned, as being a sort of separatists from the
 184 CLASSES OF INHABITANTS.

Newars; they are supposed to amount to about five thousand ; they

shave their heads like the Bhootias, observe many of the religious
rites, as well as civil customs, of these idolaters, in a dialect of
whose language they are also said to preserve their sacred writ¬
ings. To the eastward again, some districts of the Nepaul domi¬
nions are inhabited by tribes, such as the Limbooas, Nuggerkoo-
tees, and others, of whom we know at this time little more than
the names.
The Newars are divided into several casts or orders, most of
which derive their origin, like those among the more ancient Hin¬
doos, from a primitive classification according to trades and occu¬
pations : I reserve an enumeration of these, as well as a full account
of the history, religion, government, customs, and manners of the
Newars, for a future period, when my information on these points
shall be more complete and satisfactory than it is at present: in
the mean time, although I have not thought it necessary to refrain
altogether from noticing occasionally some particulars concerning
this interesting people, yet these sketches are to be considered as a
mere outline arising incidentally, and, as it were, unavoidably, out
of the nature of our immediate enquiry, and by no means as pro¬
ceeding from a puerile desire of anticipating a subject, which I am of
opinion is well entitled to a very full and deliberate discussion.
Nepaul having been ruled for many centuries past by Raje-
poot princes, and the various classes of Hindoos appearing, in
.ill periods, to have composed a great proportion of its population,
hibLiheJ .hnuay 1S10 by TP"MiUar. jflii
 CLASSES OF INHABITANTS. 185

we are naturally prepared to find a general resemblance in man¬

ners and customs between this part of its inhabitants, and the kin¬
dred sects established in the adjacent countries; accordingly, the
characteristics which separate them, whether in point of manners,
usages, or dress, are so faint as to be scarcely discernable in a single
instance, insomuch that I own the agreement greatly exceeded what
I could have expected upon adverting to the peculiarity, in many
respects, of the local circumstances in which the Hindoos of this
valley are placed, to the little fraternity they have ever entertained
with the neighbouring nations, to their political union or inter¬
mixture, during several centuries, with the Newars, and above all,
to the very important consideration presented in the remarkable,
and indeed (if I am not mistaken) solitary fact, of Nepaul being
the only Hindoo country that has never been disturbed, far less
subdued, by any Mussulman power. In one essential particular,
nevertheless, these mountaineers appear to me to be very promi¬
nently discriminated, and that is by a simplicity of character uni¬
versally observable amongst them. I am aware that this is a fea¬
ture, which, with a few exceptions, more or less strikingly marks
the Hindoo character throughout India, but whether it be owing
to the secluded situation of Nepaul, or to some cause still more
operati ve, the simplicity which distinguishes the inhabitants of this
rugged region is manifested no less in the superior than the lower
ranks of people, appears in all their modes of life, whether public
or domestic, little of ostentation or parade ever entering into either,
B b
186 CLASSES OF INHABITANTS.

and is very generally accompanied by an innocency and suavity

of deportment, by an ease and frankness in conversation, and I am
disposed to think too, by an integrity of conduct not so commonly
to be met with among their more polished or opulent brethren.
Between the Newars, however, and the other Hindoo inhabitants
of Nepaul, there subsist, as well in character, customs, manners,
and features, as in religious rites and language, very essential dif¬
ferences, all of them abundantly proving that they are an insulated
race of men, whose origin is not to be traced to any of the nations
immediately surrounding them. They are a peaceable, industrious,
and even ingenious people, very much attached to the superstition
they profess, and tolerably reconciled to the chains imposed on
them by their Goorkhali conquerors, although these have not hi¬
therto condescended to conciliate them by the means which their
former sovereigns, who were Rajepoots of the Soorej-bunsi race,
adopted, and who, among other compliances with the usages of
the Newars, made no scruple, it seems, of feeding on the flesh of
buffaloes.
I doubt whether this nation have been at any period of a war¬
like disposition; be this as it may, it is certain that their courage is
at present spoken of very slightingly by the Purbutties, or Hindoo
mountaineers, and that the instances of their being employed in
the armies of the state are exceeding rare. Their occupations are
chiefly those of agriculture, besides which they almost exclusively
execute all the arts and manufactures known in this country.
 r&ma

Tub Iu fieri . ftnuuuy lSlo by VMUler jilbenuirle. J-treee

 CLASSES OF INHABITANTS. 187

Their modes of husbandry prove them to be capable of immense

labour, no less than the burthens which they carry shew that they
possess great corporal strength, while many of their mechanical
operations equally evince that they are tolerably well skilled in
some of the most useful arts. They are in general of a middle size,
with broad shoulders and chest, very stout limbs, round and rather
flat faces, small eyes, low and somewhat spreading noses, and,
finally, open and cheerful countenances; yet I cannot agree with
those who affirm that there is in the general physiognomy of these
people, any striking resemblance to the Chinese features. Many
of the women we saw, especially at Bhatgong, had a remarkable
florid tint about their cheeks; for the most part, however, their com¬
plexion, like that of the men, is somewhat between a sallow and
copper colour; the ordinary cast of their features corresponds
with that of the males, notwithstanding which, there are said to be
many handsome women among them. The illicit progeny of a
Newar female and a Chetree, or other Purbutti (for they cannot
intermarry) might almost be taken for Malays, at least, that is the
physiognomy by which it appears to rne the features of this mixed
race may, on the whole, be best illustrated ; though, perhaps, the
faces both of Bajoo Sheer and Rodur Beer (who are the issue of
Rajepoots, by Newar women) approach still nearer to the Tartar
or Chinese. It is remarkable enough that the Newar women, like
those among the Nairs, may, in fact, have as many husbands as
they please, being at liberty to divorce them continually on the
slighest pretences.
in TEMPLES.

As I am not without hopes of being able, at no very remote

period, not only to explain at large the superstitious dogmas, rites,
and ceremonies of the Newars, but also to be instrumental, at least,
in throwing some light on the Boudhite system of theology, at
present so little understood, I shall not touch in this place on either
of those subjects. With regard to the popular religion of Nepaul,
in general, seeing that it differs nothing from the Hinduism es¬
tablished in Bengal and other parts of India, excepting so far as the
secluded nature of the country may have conduced to preserve it
in a state of superior orthodoxy and purity, it would be altogether
superfluous to enter into any details concerning it; I shall there¬
fore content myself with naming here the temples of most con¬
sideration in the valley of Nepaul, and with subjoining an account
of the most remarkable festivals annually celebrated by its
inhabitants.
1. Pusput-nath, situated on the west bank of the Bh^gmutty,
and contiguous to the eastern extremity of the town of Deopatun.
This edifice is said to have been erected by the fourth prince of
the Soorej-bunsi dynasty, named Pussoopush Deo, and to have been
dedicated by him to Puspulty Mahadeo. It is esteemed the holiest
temple of Nepaul, and is of such great sanctity, that a pilgrimage
to it is deemed here an act of purer devotion than the observance
of any of her similar rites prescribed by the Hindoo law. Pusput-
nath consists of several courts or squares filled with numerous
images and shrines consecrated at different periods, and by various
princes. In the centre of the interior court stands the principal
 TEMPLES. 189

sanctuary, before the gate or entrance of which, is a figure of a

kneeling bull, well executed in copper, and superbly gilt; this
was an offering of Dhurrum Deo, the twentieth successor of Pussoo-
push Deo, and the reputed founder also (according to some accounts)
of Sumbhoo-nath. It was this last prince (a very considerable
personage in the annals of Nepaul) who is said to have first divided
the general mass of his people into the four grand and well known
Hindoo tribes of the present day.
2- Changoo-nerain. This is a temple dedicated to Nerain Bishen,
or Vishnou ; it is situated at Changoo, a small town lying about
eight miles to the eastward of Khatmanda, and not uncommonly
called (after the temple, for which it is celebrated) Changoo-nerain.
The interior of this temple is only accessible by means of an offering
of atolah of gold to the god, though the individual thus propitiating
his priests, is at liberty to introduce to the interior, along with
himself, as many other persons as he pleases. Poorer, or less
profuse zealots, are obliged to content themselves with a distant
adoration of the deity, by making the circuit of the exterior
enclosure.
3. Bhuddur-joogni.or Bhujjur-joogni. This temple stands in the

town of Sdnkti, which lies about twelve miles north-east of Khat¬

manda. It is dedicated to Bhowani.
4. Tillijejoo, or Tullijoo-mai. No one but the reigning Rajah
is permitted to enter the interior of this temple, which is dedicated
to Bhowani, and stands in the middle of the city of Bhatgong. The
190 TEMPLES.

image of the goddess now erected here was removed from Semroun
Ghur to Bhatgong by Hur Singh Deo.
5. Dukhen Kali. This temple, which is also consecrated to
Bhowani in her destructive character, is situated in the hollow of
the Pheerphing mountains.
6. Jagaisher. This is a temple dedicated to Mahadeo, and
standing in the town of Tannohi, which lies near twenty miles by
the road to the eastward of Khatmanda.
7. Seker-nerain. This temple has already been noticed in
the account of Pheerphing, near which town it stands. It was
erected by Hurry Dutt Burmah, who ruled over Nepaul a few
generations before Bukh Deo.
8. Mutchendernath. This temple is situated in the city of Patn,
and is called by the Newars Bhoogadeo, written in Father Giuseppe’s
account of Nepaul (as published in the second volume of the Asiatic
Researches) Baghero. It is pretended to have been erected by
NurrenderDeo of the Soorej-bunsi dynasty, on the following occa¬
sion: Goorkhnath, a disciple of Mutchendernath (who was himself
a votary of the sun), visiting Nepaul, and not receiving from its
inhabitants those marks of reverence to which he considered his
sacred character entitled, resented this treatment by fixing himself
in a particular spot, where he remained immoveable during a period
of twelve years. The consequence of this holy person’s stationary
posture appeared in Nepaul being visited by a dreadful drought,
which could only be terminated by obliging the offended minister
 TEMPLES. 191

of the sun to quit his fatal position. To effect so essential a point,

Mutchendernath, by means of a certain form of incantation, was
prevailed upon to proceed fromKamroof* to Nepaul, where, upon
presenting himself before Goorkhnath, the latter was necessarily
compelled, through respect for his Gooroo (or ghostly father), to
rise; this movement happily restored the country to its wonted
prosperity, by occasioning an abundant and immediate fall of rain;
and it was in requital and commemoration of the services thus de¬
rived from the beneficent interposition of Mutchendernath, that
the grateful prince erected the present temple to him, and esta¬
blished the festival in his honour, still annually.celebrated in the
month of Bysack, or latter end of April.
9. Toolaja Bhowani. This temple stands close to the palace
of the present Rajah, in the city of Khatmanda. The interior part
of it is accessible to none but the reigning prince; the people at
large, however, have an opportunity, annually, of worshipping the
goddess, her image being carried in procession every year in the
month of Aughun.
10. Bishen-nath. This is a temple erected by Bishn Gupt, an
Asheer of the race of the first sovereigns of Nepaul, who deprived
the successors of Dhurrum Deo of their kingdom, which, however,
was soon recovered by them. It is dedicated to Bishen,or Vishnou,
and is situated about eight miles to the northward of Kh trdanda,

and near the west bank of the Bhagmutty.

11. Gooshja Kali. This is a temple dedicated to Kali, or

* Part of modern Assam.

192 TEMPLES.

Bhowani, and is situated about half a mile to the eastward of

Pusputty-nath.
12. Goorukh-nath. This temple stands at the distance of a
musket-shot to the eastward of Pusput. It is consecrated to Goo-
rukhnath, whom the Goorkhalis consider as their patriarch, and
from whom they derive their national appellation.
13. Chundais-sere, is a temple near Bunnipa, or Punnipa, a
town situated about eight miles to the eastward of Bhatgong. It is
dedicated to Bhowani.
14. Bhugowty. This is a temple at Phallanchoak (a day’s journey
to the north-east of Bhatgong), dedicated also to Bhowani.
15. Unnunt-ling. This is a temple consecrated to Mahadeo in
his generative character, and situated about four miles south-west
of Bhatgong.
16. Sheeba-dhol is a temple of Mahadeo standing four miles
south of Bhatgong.
17. Bheem Seen. This is a very famous temple at Dhoalka, a
considerable Newar town, already mentioned. Bheem Seen is one
of the demi-gods celebrated in the Mahabharat.
18. Khcinda. This is a temple dedicated to Bhowani. It stands
on mount Kalia-choak, where the Soona Kousi has its rise.
19. Doomja Koossaiseer. This is a temple of Mahadeo erected
at Doomja, which is three journies east of Khatmanda.
20. Goorkha Munkamana. This temple, consecrated to Bhowani,
is situated five journies to the westward of Khatmanda.
The following are the principal festivals celebrated in Nepaul,
 RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS. 193

1. Chownsuthi-jalra. This is preparatory to the Pusputty-pooja,

or worship of Pusputtynath: it is performed in the month of
Aughun (November, December), and consists in visiting all the
shrines and temples situated on the borders of the valley, some of
which are at the distance of two journies from Khatmandu. They
are sixty-four in number, whence this jatra has obtained the name
of Chownsuthi.
2 . Koond-jatra. This occurs in Bysack (April, May), when such
devout persons as purpose celebrating the festival of Goojesseri
(the consort of Pusputtynath) are previously obliged to perform
their ablutions at the eighty-four sacred reservoirs, situated in the
environs of Pusputtynath.
3. Bhagmutty-jatra. This is a sort of religious progress, or
procession, commencing atChucker-teerut (which is a ghaut or ford
of the Bhagmutty, about a musket-shot to the southward of Pusput),
and terminating at Bhagdw&r, where the Bh&gmutty, quitting mount
Sheopoori, enters the valley of Nepaul. Bhagdwar is from nine to
ten miles to the northward of Pussputtynath. This jatra occurs in
the month of Chyte (or March, April).
4. Bishnmutty-jatra. It is celebrated in Bysack, and consists
in a progress similar to the former, commencing at Puchli Bhyroo
(a temple consecrated to one of the votaries of Mahadeo, and situ¬
ated about a mile to the southward of Khatmandu, and ending at
Bishen-nath, near which (I believe) the Bishnmutty enters the
valley.

30 Cc
194 RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS.

5. Munmutty-jitra. This festival is also observed in Bysack.

It consists in proceeding from Sunkhmool (which is a ford of the
Bhagmutty about a musket-shot to the northward of Patn) to
Buddur-joogni.
.
6 Roodermully-jdtra. This is another holy progress, beginning
atSheooka Bhal, or the Car of Sheoo, or Siva, whence the pilgrims,
passing by Boora Neel khent (where they bathe), and Hunnamunt-
teerut in Bhatgong, proceed to Mahadeo-pokhra, which is about six
miles east of Bhatgong. This jatra occurs in Jait (or May, June.)
7. Gunnaish-jatra. This procession takes place in Kaurlic
(October, November), beginning at Chowbhal (a mile to the south¬
west of Patn), and ending at Soorej-bunaik, a temple dedicated to
Gunnaish, and standing a mile to the southward of Bhatgong.
8. Bhugowty-jatra. This is a similar ceremony, which occurs
also in Kaurtic, commencing at Chowbhal, and continuing as far as
Phallanchoak, a place situated about a day’s journey to the north¬
west of Bhatgong, and celebrated for its eighteen Daibies.
9. Pokhra-jatra. This festival is observed as well as the two
last, in the month of Kaurtic, when the pilgrims proceed from
kherkoluck to Munnichoor, a sacred mountain that defines the
north-east extremity of the valley of Nepaul. This jatra obtains
its name from the numerous reservoirs at Munnichoor, which are
said to be not less than three hundred. Here the pilgrims perform
the prescribed ablutions, worshipping at the same time the Deotas
or deities of the environs.
 RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS. 195

10. Indra-j&tra, takes place in Srawren (July, August); it is a

holy progress from Deh-choak (one of the mountains forming the
western limits of the valley) to the temple consecrated to Bhowani
by the name of Balkoomari, and situated in Tumi; in the course
of the procession, the shrines of many Deotas occur, at some of which
the pilgrims stop to worship. Tumi is a town of considerable note
lying between Khatmanda and Bhatgong, and at present annexed
to the fief of Behadur Shah.
11 Seesutty-jatra. This festival is observed in Bysack. It con¬
sists in a progress from Munjessury (which lies about a bow-shot
to the westward of Sumbhoo-nath) to Buddur-joogni. Several Deotas
are visited in the way.
12. Mutchender-jatra. The origin of this festival has been
mentioned above. It takes place in Bysack, when the idol is
transported in an immense car, or moveable shrine, from Patn to
the village of Bhagmutty, where there is another temple consecra¬
ted to Bhoogadeo, or Mutchendernath. This appears to be the
ceremony alluded to by Pere Giuseppe, under the name of Yatra.
13. Bhoagnath-jatra. This festival is observed in Chyte, con¬
sisting in a procession from Jummal (a temple in the suburbs of
Khatmanda) to Sugguntoal, within the city.
14. Bhyroo-jatra; a procession, in the month of Chyte, from
Sogal-dhoka in Bhatgong to Chopingal (about a bow shot to
the south of that city), where Bhyroo is more particularly wor¬
shipped.
196 GOVERNMENT OF NEPAUL.

15. Pustair mookh. This jatra occurs also in Chyle ; it consists

in a progress from Deopatun to Toondikheel. At Toondikheel (by
which name the* call the plain immediately beyond the south-east
extremity of Khatmanda), the pilgrims worship theLoomri Bhowani,
surnamed Mehenkal.
16. Besides the foregoing, and some others not particularized,
there is a grand festival occasionally observed, which lasts four
months, commencing in Bysack, and ending in Srawren. It consists
in visiting the shrines of all the gods in Nepaul, which are said to
be two thousand seven hundred and thirty-three.
The genius of a government unacquainted alike with the positive
and implied restraints imposed by a precise, not to say immutable
law or constitution, and taking its colour, for the most part, from
the character and temporary views of the ruling individual, must
necessarily be of too fugitive a nature to admit of any delineation
equally applicable to all periods and circumstances. Of this un¬
settled kind is the government not only of Nepaul, but perhaps of
all the Asiatic countries. It is formally, and in a great degree es¬
sentially despotic ; but its despotism is, on the one hand, modified
and in some measure meliorated by certain observances enjoined
by immemorial usage, and not to be disregarded with impunity
even by the most powerful prince ; while, on the other, it is con¬
trolled by the active influence enjoyed and occasionally exerted by
the aristocratic order already mentioned, under the appellation of
Tiiurgurs. But at the same time that it may reasonably be doubted
 GOVERNMENT OF NEPAUL. 197

whether the body of the people ever derive the least advantage from
the political struggles of these chieftains, it is also obvious that the
extent of the authority possessed by the latter, must always materi¬
ally depend on a variety of contingencies liable to constant fluctua¬
tion : hence it would not be safe to deduce the general spirit of the
government from its present condition, especially since it is certain
that although the administration of Behadur Shah, during the mino¬
rity of his nephew, has on the whole been tolerably agreeable, yet
considerations of expediency, suggested by a solicitude to maintain
himself in his situation, have often compelled him to conciliate his
colleagues, by compliances, which, according to the declaration of
an intelligent person who communicated with me very freely on
this subject, have reduced the strength and energy of theGoorkhali
dominion to the mere shadow of what it was under the more vi¬
gorous, or, properly speaking, the more arbitrary sway of Purtjii
Nerain. Without attempting, therefore, to determine the actual
force of the machine of government, we must be content to illus¬
trate its construction as well as we are able, by adding to an enu¬
meration of the principal officers of staie, a brief account of the
ostensible nature of their respective employments.
These officers are, in order of importance, as follows:
1. The Choutra.
2- The Kajees.

3. The Sirdars.

4. The Khurdars.
lgs GOVERNMENT OF NEPAUL.

5. The Kupperdars.
6. The Khuzanohee.
7. The Ticksali.
8. The Dhurma-Udhikar.
9. The Bicharies.
10. The Dittha.
11. The Jaithha-Boora.
12- The Soubahs.
13. The Omrahs.
1. The Choutra is considered as the prime-minister of the Rajah,
to whom he is invariably akin. The office has sometimes been
executed jointly by two commissioners, but is usually, as at pre¬
sent, administered by a single person. Behadur Shall once Riled
this station, and 1 believe still enjoys some of the emoluments an¬
nexed to it. Srikishen Shah, however, is at this time nominally
sole Choutra, the Regent being distinguished simply by the appel¬
lation of Saheb, which I understand to be a title appropriated to
the nearest legitimate relation of the reigning prince, in the man¬
ner that Monsieur, applied absolutely, is restrained to the second
son of France.
The business of the Choutra consists chiefly in receiving and
examining all written and verbal communications regarding, in
any way, the conduct of those filling public employments, whether
civil or military. He appears to be a sort of comptroller general
over the various inferior departments of administration; submit-
 GOVERNMENT OF NEPAUL. 199

ting his statements, in the first instance, to the Rajah, or Regent,

who, if he sees reason, refers the further investigation of such re¬
ports to the Punjunni, or court of inspection, already cursorily de¬
scribed, or otherwise decides upon them immediately. The Chou-
tra is annually liable to be removed from his station, as well as all
the other principal officers of government. The predecessor of the
present Choutra was his elder brother, Bulbhudder Shah, whom
the Regent found it expedient to supersede on account of his in¬
tractable spirit. At the late Punjunni, (which was held in July,)
the partisans of Bulbhudder attempted to obtain his restoration to
his place in the administration, but he w’as again obliged to yield
to the less embarrassing pretensions of Srikishen Shah, who, after
all, however, is not quite so pliant a minister as is necessary to the
views of the Regent. The Choutra, besides the fiefs or jaghires he pos¬
sesses, in virtue of his office, appears to be entitled to a commission,
or fine of eight annas on every Kaith, or rice plantation, throughout
the kingdom, those of the Thurgurs and military excepted.
2. The Kajees resemble the superior Dewan of the Mogul
government. The term imports a performer of service, or a man
of business : there are generally four of them in commission; such
as are actually in employ being called Pugruwallas, in contradis¬
tinction to the Dakhra, by which appellation those out of office are
known. The Kajees superintend, generally, all civil and military
affairs. On particular occasions, indeed, a Kajee is placed at the
head of the army, but for the most part these officers are employed
£00 GOVERNMENT OF NEPAUL

in the management of the revenue, and the direction of thejaghire

lands, in the latter of which functions they exercise considerable
military authority. The red seal of the Rajah is usually deposited
with one of the Kdjees, who,by virtue of this trust (to which also
the office of public treasurer is commonly annexed), is considered
as the first efficient officer next to the Choutra. The four Ojees
♦ *■

divide equally among them a commission of one rupee per Kaith,

on all taxable lands.
3. The Sirdars resemble in some degree the Bukshies of the
Mogul empire. They generally command the armies of the state,
in the management of the civil affairs of which, however, they like¬
wise participate; there are four of them, each of whom receives
two annas from every Kaith of a taxable description.
4. The Khurdars. There are two of these, who act as secretaries,
preparing all the Hindoo dispatches from the Rajah, whether to
foreign states and princes, or to the officers of government: they
also attend the Cuchum, or council, in the deliberations of which,
they commonly take part. They each receive a commission of two
annas, or four annas jointly, on every taxable Kaith in the country.
5. The Khupperdar. This officer has the charge of the Rajah’s
particular or private wardrobe, jewels, and kitchen.
6. The Khuzanchee. This officer, besides making all disburse¬
ments as treasurer, superintends what may be called the public
wardrobe, whence honorary dresses, 8cc. are issued.
The foregoing six officers being esteemed the principal adminis-
 GOVERNMENT OF NEPAUL. 201

trators of the government, are, on that account, denominated Bhar-

ddrs, a term denoting “ bearers of burthens.”
7. The Ticksali, or superinlendant of the mint; his profits con¬
sist in a commission on the duties levied on imports from Tibet,
and in a certain share of a tax payable by all merchants, natives
of Nepaul, on returning thither after a residence for any time at
Lehassa, Diggercheh, or other parts of Tibet. This tax or fine is said
to be fixed at seven tolahs of gold, and to be usually exacted with
a good deal of rigour.
8. The Dhurma-Udhikar is the chief criminal judge, whose busi¬
ness it is to pronounce sentence in all cases cognizable by the tri¬
bunal, in which he presides on the part of the Rajah, by whom,
however, such sentence must be approved before it can be carried
into execution. The under judges, in every part of the kingdom
excepting the farmed districts, hold their appointments from him,
and in most cases they require the seal of his confirmation to ren¬
der the judgments they pass valid. The Dhurma-dhun, or fees of
this department, are said to be very great, and I have reason to
think, that it is principally on this account, that the farming go¬
vernors usually stipulate for the privilege of commissioning their
own officers of justice. Most offences, according to the Dhurma
Shaster (which is the foundation of the civil code of Nepaul), being
punishable by amercement, and the catalogue of crimes of this

description being extremely long, it is easy to conceive that such

penalties constitute a considerable source of emolument.

31 Dd
202 GOVERNMENT OF NEPAUL.

9. The Bichiries, of whom there are four, compose the tribunal

which investigates and reports on (as the term implies) all civil
questions, and the members of which are usually Brahmins. Two
of them are commonly appointed to take cognizance of such dis¬
putes as relate to personal property, cases concerning real or landed
possessions being referred to two others. The Dhurma-Udhikar
occasionally presides in this tribunal, the decrees of which must
receive the sanction of the Rajah before they can operate. Intricate
cases are sometimes decided by the water ordeal, which is con¬
ducted here much in the same manner as in other countries of
India.
10. TJie Dittha. This officer, as the name implies, is an over¬
seer, or superintendant, whose business it is to regulate the police;
Le answers to the Cutwal of Hindostan. He participates, as well as
the Ticksali, in the produce of the duties and tax mentioned in the
article describing that officer.
11. The Jaithha-Boora. This word signifies senior, or ancient.
The minister who bears this title is occasionally employed in em¬
bassies of a temporary or complimentary kind; is sometimes charged
with the delivery of orders of a particular nature to the governors
of districts and other public officers, and in certain cases is deputed
into the country for the purposes of local investigation. His ordi¬
nary station, however, is about the person of the Rajah.
12. The Soubahs are governors of districts, and the appellation
is indifferently bestowed on farmers and government collectors.
 COMMERCE OF NEPAUL. 203

13. The Omrahs are commanders of Tharrehs, or military posts,

and have already been spoken of.
Having said above that the Dhurma Shaster forms the basis of
the civil and criminal jurisprudence of Nepaul (as it does of most
other Hindoo states), it would not be necessary, were I able, to
enter, in this place, into any detail concerning its laws. Of their
general spirit and defects, a reference to the publication of Mr.
Halhed will enable us to judge with sufficient accuracy, while,
with regard to their execution, it will be fair to conclude that the
criminal branch, at least, is administered with as much energy and
probity, as in other eastern countries; the more especially as there
is good reason to believe that theft, in particular, is an offence very
little known in Nepaul. Whether, however, on the other hand,
we consider the general scope, in a judicial light, of the Dhurma
Shaster itself, or the suspicious nature of the courts established for
giving effect to its institutes, there is not perhaps the same ground
for drawing so favourable an inference with respect to the civil
department of their law; and it was probably, indeed, a consci¬
ousness of some glaring imperfection in the latter, that suggested at
one time to Behadur Shah the design of applying to our Govern¬
ment for a code of laws, with a view to the better regulation of his
country.
The trade of Nepaul is by no means so extensive nor, conse¬
quently, so beneficial to its government and inhabitants as it
might soon be, under proper regulations. Some of the restraints
204 COMMERCE OF NEPAUL.

by which it was formerly shackled have, it is true, been removed

by the treaty concluded with the Company in 1792, but it still
languishes under several impolitic restrictions, originating partly in
the jealousy, and partly in the ignorance of the Nepaul adminis¬
tration, but attributable also, in a great degree, to the monopolies
which certain Uluts or mercantile Gosains, and a few other mer¬
chants, have been long in possession of. and which they labour to
preserve by every insidious and corrupt means in their power. If
it were not for these obstacles, there is reason to believe that an ex¬
tensive trade might be carried on between Tibet and the Company’s
dominions, by the channel of Nepaul, highly beneficial both to the
government of the latter, and to the commercial interests of the
English nation. A full discussion of this subject, however, must
be reserved lor a fitter occasion and place than the present. It is
proper nevertheless to observe here, that notwithstanding the nar¬
row spirit which directs the commercial concerns of this people,
the government affords, on the whole, considerable protection to
foreign merchants, rendering them in all cases, it would appear, as
strict and as prompt justice as the imperfect nature of its general
polity will admit.
The following are the principal imports and exports of Nepaul,
the duties on which, as far as relate to the British trade, are
regulated by the treaty before referred to. The case, how¬
ever, is unfortunately different with regard to the commerce
carried on directly between the Tibetians and Nepaulians, the
 COMMERCE OF NEPAUL. 205

imposts on which are ordinarily very enormous, and at all times

arbitrary.

Exports from Nepaul to the Company’s and Vizier’s dominions.

Elephants.
Elephants’ teeth.
Rice of kinds.
Timber of sorts.
Hides of sorts.
Ginger.
Kuth, or Terra japonica, white or black.
Turmeric.
Wax.
Honey.
Behroza (or pure resin of the pine)
Walnuts.
Oranges.
Long pepper.
Long pepper root.
Ghee
Teigh (or aromatic bark of the root of the bastard cinnamon)
Taiz pat (dried leaf of ditto).
Large cardamums.
Roal or Dammer.
Lamp-oil.
206 COMMERCE OF NEPAUL.

Cotton (of the Simul-tree).

The above articles are the produce of the Moruny and other
parts of the Turryani, and of Nepaul.
The following articles are the produce either of Tibet proper or
of the Kuchar.
Tanyans, and small Turki horses of Luddakh, and other
northern parts of Tibet.
Sheep.
Shawl goats.
Chowri bullocks.
Musk-deer.
Dogs.
Falcons.
Pheasants.
Chuckoars, or fire-eaters.
Gold in dust, grains, and small lumps.
Borax.
Salt.
Sulphur.
Antimony.
Arsenic
Orpiment.
Musk.

Chowris, or cow-tails.
Rugs, or coarse blankets.
 COMMERCE OF NEPAUL. 307

Munjheet.
Raw Sai.
Cherris.
Bikmah.
Jaitham^si, and various other medicinal drugs.
With respect to the Munjheet, which is chiefly produced in the
lower parts of the Kuchar, it would appear to be in great demand
among the Tibetians, who use it in dying their coarse cloths and
stuffs. The Nepaulians most commonly barter it for the rock salt
and borax of Tibet, which, I was assured by several intelligent per¬
sons, were invariably found in the same situations, in proof of which,
it may be observed, that there is scarcely ever a bag of salt imported
into Nepaul in which numerous lumps of crude borax are not met
with. There are small quantities of both salt and salt-petre made
in the eastern parts of the valley of Nepaul, but the former is not
so much esteemed by the natives as that of Tibet.
The following are the principal commodities exported from the
Company's dominions to Nepaul, either for the consumption of that
country, or for the Tibet market.
Doputtahs.
Saries (worn by women)
Dhoties.
Kenkhabs.
Goolbudduns.
Bhoolams.
208 COMMERCE OF NEPAUL.

Mushroos.
Oornies (or veils), and various other stuffs the manufacture
of Benares.
Taffetas.
Baftas.
Cossahs.
Dooreas.
Chintz.
Mulmuts.
Broad cloth.
Shawls.
Jamawar pieces of shawl.
Shawl Reejais.
Raw' silk.
Gold and silver laces.
Carpets.
English cutlery of sorts.
Saffron.
Cloves.
Mace.
Nutmegs.
Guzerat cardamurhs.
Black pepper.
Betle-nut.
Red sandal wood.
 MANUFACTURES OF NEPAUL. 209

White sandal wood.

Allum.
Vermilion.
Quicksilver.
Shell Lack.
Red wood.
Cotton in the pod (Kuppas).
Tin.
Zinc.
Lead.
Soap.
Camphire.
Red pepper Chilly.
Conch shells.
Oud Billa.
Tobacco.
Coral.
With respect to the state of arts and manufactures in Nepaul,
interesting as the subject doubtlessly is, it will scarcely be ex¬
pected that I should be able to say much. The Newars, who, as
1 have elsewhere observed, are almost the sole artizans, appear to
be acquainted with and exercise most of the handicraft occupations
of their Behar neighbours. Of cloths, however, they fabricate only
a very coarse kind, partly for home use and partly for exportation
to the Tibels; the cotton employed in which, is the produce either
32 Ee
210 REVENUE OF NEPAUL.

of Noakote or of ihe Muddaise, by which last name they commonly

distinguish the Company’s territories. They work very well in
iron, copper, brass, 8cc. and are particularly ingenious in carpentry,
though it is remarkable that they never use a saw, dividing their
wood, of whatever size, by chissel and mallet. They export to the
southward some of their brazen utensils; and their cutlery (as
swords, daggers, &c.) is by no means contemptible. They have
latterly manufactured some fire-arms, but not successfully. They
gild exceedingly well, and among the bells they construct lor the
use of their temples and other religious purposes, some are of a
considerable size; one at Bhatgong in particular being five feet in
diameter. The paper w hich they make from the bark of the Seid-
burrooa, or Kaghazi-pat, has already been noticed. They distil
spirits from rice, and other grains, and also prepare a fermented
licpior from wheat, Munooa, rice, &:c. which they call Jhaur; it is
made somewhat in the manner of our malt-liquors, which it would
appear to resemble, though I fancy, from the accounts I have re¬
ceived of it, it is rather more intoxicating; the Newar peasants
consider it as much in the light of a necessary of life, as our hard-
labouring people do porter.
The Nepaul territories being for the most part parcelled out in
jaghires, the proportion of their produce received into the treasury
of Khatmanda is by no means considerable. It was not possible,
however, during the short stay I made in this country, to ascertain
w ill) much exactness or minuteness the amount of the annual
 REVENUE OF NEPAUL. ill

revenue realized by the government; I have notwithstanding tole¬

rable good grounds for believing that it never exceeds thirty lacks
of rupees, fluctuating at all times, between that sum, and twenty-
five lacks. It arises from the following sources:
Lacks.
Sair, including profits on elephants and duties on the
export trade, from * - 3 to 4

Mint, including imports levied on the import trade from

Tibet. (The reason of these duties being received at the
mint, is that the returns from that country consist chiefly
in gold and silver bullion,) from - - 7 to 8
Formerly the profits on the silver coinage alone yielded
a lack of rupees annually; but since the war with Tibet,
this branch of the revenue has been much less pro¬
ductive. Should the Tibetians, conformably to ancient
custom and treaties, continue to supply themselves with
a silver currency from Nepaul, it is probable that the
mint revenue will soon be restored to the standard it
was usually at anterior to the war.
Mah, including duties on salt, profits on salt-petre (which
appears to be a monopoly), profits on copper and iron
mines, and land-tax, from - - 15 to 18

Lacks of rupees 25 to 30

It is to be observed, that all the silver brought into Nepaul from

Tibet, in the way of commerce, must be carried to the mint at
212 REVENUE OF NEPAUL.

Khatmanda, no silver bullion being allowed to pass into Hindostan.

In exchange for his bullion, the merchant receives Nepaul rupees,
the government deriving a profit of twelve per cent, from the
transaction ; four per cent, being charged on account of coinage,
and eight arising from the alloy of the rupee.
With respect to gold, it has usually been a monopoly in the
hands of government, who oblige the traders from Tibet to sell it
at the mint, at the rate of eight rupees per tolah, whence the
TicksSli retails it sometimes at the advanced price of fourteen
rupees the tolah.
The copper mines of Nepaul formerly yielded an annual revenue
or from three to four lacks of rupees; but owing to the causes no¬
ticed at page 176, this profit does not now exceed eighty thousand,
or, at the most, a lack, of rupees. The lead mines have not yet pro¬
duced any advantage to the government, that article still continuing
to be exported from Patna to Khatmanda.
Considering how generally the charges of the government, civil
as well as military, are defrayed by jaghires, or assignments of land,
that the personal estates both of the Rajah and Regent are numer¬
ous and productive, and that this court affects on no occasion
either splendor or munificence, it is easy to conceive that the re¬
ceipts of the treasury are fully adequate to the discharge of all
demands not provided for in the ordinary manner; and which
consist chiefly in the provision of fire-arms and military stores ; of
broad cloth for the clothing of the regular troops; of jewels ; and
 MILITARY OF NEPAUL. 213

of silk and cotton stuffs, the manufacture of Benares and Bengal.

I have no notion what these several items amount to; but there
is reason to believe from the economical, not to say parsimonious
habits of the Regent (who, by the bye, is far from being liberal in
his pecuniary grants to the Rajah), that the idea pretty generally
entertained of his having accumulated considerable treasures, is
not altogether without foundation.
Regarding the military force of this kingdom, I have very little to
add here to what has been elsewhere occasionally stated on the sub¬
ject. It was a point, indeed, on which it would not have been prudent
to have appeared inquisitive, and perhaps not easy, at any rate, to
have obtained accurate information. I confess, therefore, in the first
place, my total ignorance of the number and state of their ordnance,
which, however, I suspect to be rather contemptible in both re¬
spects, although the solicitude of the Regent to augment and improve
it, has induced him once or twice to entertain some European ad¬
venturers in his service, who would seem to have promised much,
but to have performed nothing. After all, I do not see bow artillery
could be advantageously employed in such a rugged country as
that in which the military operations of the Goorkhali, with the
exception of the late inroad into Tibet, have hitherto been confined ,
for even in a defensive view, they would appear to be totally
useless, where nature presents almost at every step, impregnable
positions; hence, should this government persevere in its endea¬
vours to increase its ordnance, it will be fair to conclude that it
214 MILITARY OF NEPAUL.

bas not relinquished its views upon Tibet, notwithstanding the en¬
gagements it has recently entered into with the Chinese court, to
which that country, before virtually, is now actually and completely
subject.
I can form no precise judgment of the amount of the irregular
militia enrolled under the Omrahs ; but considering the immense
tract of country over which these officers are distributed, the great
number of Kotes, or castles, that they occupy, and the very recent
subjugation of the ancient proprietors of these posts, it is reasonable
to suppose that they must be pretty numerous. Besides matchlocks,
they are generally armed with bows and arrows ; and Kohras, or
hatchet swords; of the two last weapons, drawings are annexed.
The regular troops, as they may be called, for the sake of dis¬
tinction, rather than on account of their superior discipline, are
clothed somewhat in the slovenly manner of the Purgunnah
Sepoys, formerly in the Company’s service, with the difference that
none of the corps would appear to have any general uniform or
appropriate colour ; some among the company of guards which
escorted me, appearing, for example, in red, some in blue, and
others in green coats. They are all armed with muskets, but of
those we saw, few appeared to be ht for service.
This regular force consists, at present, I understand, of from
fifty to sixty companies of unequal strength, but containing, on
an average, not less than 140 fire-locks ; each being commanded by
a Subadar with an undeterminate number of Jemadars, and other
jwmv. •r~''
'
 MILITARY OF NEPAUL. 215

inferior officers under him. The Rajah of Nepaul has at present no

corps in his service bearing the denomination of battalions. His
guards are distinguished from the other companies by little else
besides their having rather more officers, and their carrying the
Jung-nishan, or war-standard, the ground of which is yellow, and
exhibits an embroidered figure of Hunniman.
It is certain that the Nepaul regulars (if a fair judgment can be
formed of the whole from the appearance of the guards) neither
march nor carry their arms in a style any thing superior to that of
the rabble ordinarily dignified with the title of Sepoys in the
service of the generality of the Hindostan Powers, nor would their
discipline appear to be much stricter, it being no uncommon
practice among the officers (as I learned from two of them who
were themselves examples of it) to throw aside their military
garb, and even to absent themselves without ceremony from their
corps, on any temporary disgust they may happen to conceive;
but, w ith all their defects, I am disposed to think that they are on
the whole no bad soldiers. They are brave, sufficiently tractable,
and capable of sustaining great hardships, as was abundantly ma*
nifested in the return of the Nepaul army from Diggercheh, or
Teshoo Loomboo, in the year 1790,* when, encumbered with the
spoils of that city, they were induced by various considerations,
though the winter was considerably advanced, to take the Khartah
and Huttea route, instead of the ordinary one by Koote, at the
J»qer of which passes, the commanders, it seems, were aware they
216 MILITARY OF NEPAUL.

stationed there, in order to take an account of the booty they had

acquired. The perils to which they were exposed on this occasion
were of a kind which it would be little imagined in Europe an
Eastern army was either capable of supporting, or liable to en¬
counter on the very borders, as it were, of Bengal. In short, it is an
unquestionable fact, that in crossing that ridge of mountains which
stretches in a south-east direction from the vicinity of Koote to the
country of the Limbooas and of the Dewa Durmah, it was with
the utmost difficulty and danger that they penetrated through the
snow, with which their track was covered to a depth that proved
fatal in several instances in the slightest false step. They were in
this dreadful situation for five or six days, during which they were
obliged to pass the night on the bare snow, after hardening it for
that purpose, as well as they could, though their labour was
sometimes scarcely over when a fresh fall would nearly bury them.
The Joss of the army in this retreat, which was conducted by Da-
moodur Paurdi and Bern Shah, is said to have amounted to upwards
of 2000 men, great numbers of whom appear to have been frozen
to death; the remedy so common and so effectual in the northern
parts ofEurope and America, in frost-bitten cases, was unfortunately
unknown to these people,who,onour mentioning it to them, lament¬
ed bitterly that they had not been acquainted with it at this period,
when many of their companions were daily obliged to be abandoned
in this wretched condition, while others deemed themselves happy
to escape with the loss of their fingers and toes.
The currency of Nepaul consists, principally, of silver pieces of
 CURRENCY OF NEPAUL. *17

eight annas, there are also some struck of sixteen annas; but the
circulation of this last coin, which is called a Sicca, is confined to
Nepaul proper, and is far from being common even there. The
Sicca, indeed, has been known in this country only since the time of
Purthi Nerain.
Besides the silver coins above-mentioned, they have one of so low
a value as the two hundred and eighty-eighth part of a sicca, which
is called a Cheedum. It may be easily conceived, however, that the
pieces of this denomination are not in ordinary or general use, any
more than the very minute gold coins which are sometimes struck
at the mint of Khatmanda, and occasionally sent as presents by the
Rajah to foreign powers. Even the ushrupee, or gold rupee, of Ne¬
paul is to be considered rather in the light of a medal than of
current coin.
The silver eight-anna piece, now called Mohr, and Addheeda,was
formerly denominated Mehnder-mulie, after the Prince who first
struck it, and by treaty established its currency in the neighbour¬
ing kingdom of Tibet; this prince would appear to have been one
of the successors of Hur Sing Deo, and of the dynasty of Khatmanda,
which city is said to have exclusively enjoyed for some time the
privilege of supplying Tibet with coin, a privilege, the more sin¬
gular as it was from this very country that Nepaul obtained her

silver bullion. The origin of this practice is ordinarily referred to

the superstitious reverence in which the valley of Nepaul, and more
especially the north-west parts of it, (highly celebrated for their
F f
218 CURRENCY OF NEPAUL.

sanctity) has been wont to be held by the spiritual sovereigns of

Tibet; but what ever may have been the cause of it, there is not a
doubt that the present Nepaul government made the departure of
the Tibetians from ancient usage in this respect the pretext for the
war which it waged about four years ago against the confederated
Lamas; as evidently appears from a memorial transmitted to me
from Nepaul on this subject, an extract of which is given in Ap¬
pendix No. II.
Besides the gold and silver coins enumerated above, they
have a copper currency in Nepaul of two or three denominations,
such as Chard&ms, Dodums, &c. thirty-six of the former usually
going io the mohr, or eight-anna piece.
The Mehnder-mulie exhibited anciently a representation of Lehas-
sa, on one side, and on the reverse the name, titles, and emblems
of the reigning sovereign of Khatmanda. Since the conquest of
Nepaul by Purthi Nerain, no allusion to Lehassa has been pre¬
served, the mohr bearing on one side the following inscription:
Sri Sri Sri
Run Behauder Shah
Dewa;
And on the other
Sri Sri Sri
Goorkhnath
Sri Bhowani,
with the year of the Soka, and certain emblems allusive to the
Hindoo superstition, as the sun, moon, Trisool of Mahadeo, See.
 LEARNING OF THE NEPAULIANS. 219

The weight and standard of the Nepaul sicca, mohr, four-anna

piece, and gold rupee, appear severally in the following result of an
assay made at my request by the mint-master at Calcutta:
Weight of 5 siccas, or whole rupees, 76 annas, sicca weight, that
is, 151 annas each.
Weight of 5 mohrs, or addheedas, 37 annas pice, Calcutta
sicca weight, that is, 7 annas 6j pice each.
Weight of 5 quarter mohrs, or 2-anna pieces, 9 annas 3 pice,
that is, 1 anna 10j pice each.
Weight of a gold rupee, or ushrupee, 15 annas.
The standard of the silver coins is 7 rupees 13 annas per cent,
worse than Calcutta sicca standard.
The standard of the gold coin is 2 per cent, worse than that of
the Calcutta mohur.
Time did not admit of my attending much to the state of learn¬
ing among these people, yet the little information that it was in my
power to acquire on the subject disposes me to think that the Pun¬
dits of Nepaul are not behind hand, in the branches of science
usually cultivated by their fraternity, with those of any other Hin¬
doo country whatever. Astronomy, or rather its degenerate off¬
spring, and ordinary companion among superstitious nations, judi¬
cial astrology, appears to be their favourite study, and has so deeply,
as well as undistinguishedly, infected every rank among them, that

a stranger might be tempted to conclude that here the horoscope

and ephemeris determined in most cases the line both of civil and
220 LANGUAGES OF NEPAUL.

moral conduct, and that the people, in short, were universally di¬
rected by their soothsayers. In fine, it is extremely probable that
there is no place in India where a search after ancient and valuable
Sanscrit manuscripts in every department of Brahminical learning
would be more successful than in the valley of Nepaul, and parti¬
cularly at Bhatgong, which would seem to be the Benares of the
Ghoorkhali territories. In support of this opinion I may observe,
that I was credibly informed of a single private library in that city
containing upwards of fifteen thousand volumes.
Besides the Sanscrit, which would appear to be considerably
cultivated by the Brahmins of Nepaul, the principal vernacular
languages of this country are,
The Purbutti.
The Newar.
The Dhenwar.
The Muggur.
The Kurraute.
The Howoo, or Hyoo
The Limbooa, and
The Bhootia.
The Pundits of Bhatgong date the introduction of the first San
scrit grammar into Nepaul, from the time of Unghoo Burmah, of
the posterity of Pussoopush Deo; but it is not easy to ascertain with
any exactness at what period this prince flourished.
The Purbutti and Newar characters, as also that in use among
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 VOCABULARY. 221

the Koiths of Nepaul, are exhibited in the annexed Plate. The

character employed by the Purbutties, or mountaineers, (the re¬
strained sense of which appellation has been already explained,) is,
it will be seen, the Deonagur, from which the alphabet of the
Newars is obviously derived, differing materially from it only in
a few letters. The Koith character of Nepaul is almost exactly the
same that is used in various parts of Hindostan.
The Purbutti dialect is evidently a derivative from the Sanscrit,
agreeing very closely with the various idioms of Behar, Oude,
&c.; but it is by no means so clear, that the Newar is a branch of
the same stem, though it is certain that it contains several words
of Sanscrit origin. I shall not, however, enter at present into any
philological discussion concerning the origin and antiquity of the
Newar or any of the other languages enumerated above, but con¬
tent myself with presenting as copious specimens of each as circum¬
stances have enabled me to collect.

Vocabulary of the Purbutti and Newar Languages.

Purbutti. Newar.

Mankind Manis Munnoo

A man Loagnia Mujun.

A woman Sutisni Musa.

A hermaphrodite Singharoo Unnharam.

A child Mocha, or Mucha.

An infant Balik Ngni mocha.

A boy Chhora Kay-mocha.

34
222 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Newar.

A girl Chhori Mhiau-mocha.

An elder brother Dhajoo Dhajoo.
A younger brother, a
brother generally Bhoe KheeTija.
An elder sister Deede
A younger sister, or
sister generally Bhyne Khehe.
A father Baba Boba.
A paternal or maternal
grand-father Brerajoo Ajhajhoo.
A great-grandfather Jujoo Tapa Ajhaihoo.
A great great-grandfa-
tlier Chabjoo Iya Ajhajhoo.
A mother Ama Mang.
A paternal grandmother Bhajoo 1|

A maternal grandmo- < Ujema.

ther Bhajoo J
A paternal uncle Kanchow Kukhajhoo.
An aunt by ditto Kanchama Ma-manjhoo.
A maternal uncle Mama Pajhoo.
An aunt by ditto Moomani Mullijoo.
An aunt (maternal) Sani-ma Chemanjhoo.
An aunt (paternal; Phoophoo Nuni-manjhoo.
An uncle by a mater¬
nal aunt Sana-baboo Chu-bhajhoo.
 VOCABULARY. 22S

Purbutti. Newar.

The husband of one’s

sister-in-law,or wife’s Khunja bhuta, Duda

sister Sarhoo bhuta.
The sister of one’s wife Sale Kehi bhuttoo, or bhutta
The brother of one’s
wife Said Kunja bhuta, or bhuttiL
The husband of one’s
sister Bhunajoo Jeleha dhaz-jhoo.
A son Belah Raij.
A son-in-law Jooari Jeleha.
A daughter Bite Mhean.
The mother of one’s
wife Sasoo Sussa mang.
The father of one’s
wife Surooroo. Sussa bhang.
A brother’s wife Bhujoo Bhoucha.
A son's wife Bhooari Bhoumucha.
An old man Bhoorha Jheat.
A young man Tendheau Leamho.
A full brother, sister,
See. Sak Tho.
A half brother, sister,
See. Soutaila Chumina-myakai.
One’s own akin Apnoa | une.
224 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Newar.

Another’s, a stranger Beranoa Keeteekea.

The head Kuppal Chhun
The hair Row Sir, or Sin.
The brains Goode Nyepoo.
The face. Mookh Khua.
The eyes. Aukha Mekha.
The eye-brow Pemaila Mipu Sou.
The sight of the eye Pooteele Mekha-deo (or the
Deoty of the eye).
The eye-lash Ankhebhown Mekha-poose.
The temples Keenseere Nyramoo, or Nyamoo.
The nose Nak Nyeka.
The nostrils Natheera Nhypwal.
The cheek Gala Nyukho.
The forehead Neendhar Mhohesa.
The whiskers Koongar Gwya.
The beard Dharie Chaker-gwya.
The lips Oath Mhutushe,
The mouth Mookh Mhoojoo.
The chin Choondea Munnha.
The tongue Jebre Mye.
The palate Taroo Thanko
The teeth Danth Wah.
i lie gums Dheenesa Wahdhe.
 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti, Newar.

The windpipe Lub-lubea Kathoo.

The throat Ghanthe Keekoo.
The ear Kan Nhypeen.
The tip of the ear Lote Nhypeen pooal.
The back Kundhoo Mhee.
The neck Gurdun Ghupa.
The back of the neck Mekagha (or the
of the eyes).
The shoulder Koombh Bboto
The waist Kumr Shaule.
The chest Chhate Noonggha.
The ribs Kurren Bhapee.
The nipples of the
breast. Doodth Doodhoo

The belly (generally) Paith Pooa.

The upper belly — Pooat.

The abdomen Nylho Chepooat

The navel Nabe Tarphoo.

The rump Phela Peumpa.

The arm Pakhura Ludda.

The arm-pit Kakhi Yako.

The hand Kath Laha.

The fis Moothe Mooth.

The finger Ownla Puching.

226 VOCABULARY.

Puibutti. Newar.

The thumb Boore-owntho Mala.

The nail Mung Looshe.
The thigh Tegra Kheepa.
The knee Ghoanda Poole.
The leg Pasoola Che*chepate.
The ancle bone Gole-ghantho Goocha.
The foot Ghora-paoom Pole,
The sole of the foot Pytalo Paleto.
The heel Kurkocha. Gwale.
The heart Moottoo Nyoogosheing.
The kidney Mugowla Jhulausche.
The liver Kullaijo Sheing.
The lungs Phoakso Soo-o.
The stomach Bhoondre Bhugga.
The gut Andra Ale-poote.
The body Sureer Mha.
A member Joame Saha.
Tears Ansoo Khobhe.
Blood Ruggut Khee.
Sweat Pusseria Chhoke.
A mole Kohte Teeh.
A wrinkle Chhoure Keykoong.
A wart Mooso Khye
The skin Chhala Chaingoo
 VOCABULARY. <207

Purbutti. Newar.

The flesh Mashoo Lahh.

A bone Har Khooen.
A vein Neessa Set.
The marrow Mashe Sheet.
The fat Boso Dak.
A disease Roag Loe.
A sick person Roage Loage.
A doctor Bhyde Bhyde.
Medicine Oukhud Waso.
The earth (the planet) Bhoome Bhoome.
The sky Surug Akas.
The moon Chunduma Looi-mella Deo, or the
white Deoty.
The sun Soorjeh Soorjeh-deo.
A star Fareh Nugoo.
A cloud Badul Kheesoo.
Sun-shine Ghana Nebha.
A storm Burra-butas Dhakoo.
A water Pane Leekh (Calenaudee-lua
(Bhatgong),Luha,or
Leha (Patn).
Fire Ago Mee.
Air Butlas Phye.
Earth (the elements) Mate Chat.
228 VOCABULARY.

Purbutli. Newar.

Below Ghuro Kane.

Above Ulgo Thane.
A tree Rookh Sheema
A leaf Pit Sheeho.
A bough Hanga Sheema-dan.
A root Pura Ha.
The root of a tree -- Sheema-ha.
A bud Koampla Sooan-mukkoo.
A flower Phool Sooan
Fruit Phul Seesa-boosa.
Raw Kacho Kuche.
Ripe Pakko Nunggo.
Drvness
J
Sookheako Gungga.
Moisture Gulo Dhoo-gego.
Heat Tato Tano.
Cold Cheesa Shucho.
An animal Pussoo Pushoo-hunga.
A horse Gliora Synha.
An elephant Hati Kushi.
A tiger Bliag Dhun.
An ass Gudda Gudda.
A jackal •Seal Dhoon.

A cal Beralo Bho.

A fox Khukherea
 VOCABULARY. 229

Purbutti. Newar.

A hc-goat Boka Doogo.

A she-goat Bakre Chole,
A wether-goat Budria.
A sheep Bhcr Phy.
A ram Toombha Bhea.
An ewe Bhere Ma-phy.
A cow Gao Sa.
A bull, or bullock Ghoroo Dhoho
A calf Bhacha Sa-cha, (or little bull).
A buffalo Bhynsi Mea.
A male buffalo Rangho Toomea.
A calf buffalo Pakea Mea-cha.
A dog Kookhur Kucha.
A bitch Kookhurtie Ma-kucha.
A whelp or pup Chownra Kucha-cha.
A hog Soor Pha-
A sow Mapha.
A boar — Bapha.
A pig —
Pha-cha.
A fish Macha Gna.
A snake Sap Be, or Bey.
An ant Kemula Yaren.
A fowl Kookhura Goong-goo.

A pigeon Purewa. Busk-hoon.

35
230 VOCABULARY,

Purbutti. Newar.

An egg Phool Khan.

A sparrow Bhunggaina Chukoocha.
A crow Kowa. Koakh.

A bee Mahou Ha.

A bald head Shaplea Tealo.
A blind person Kana Kan.
A squint-eyed person Deno Ya.
A deaf person Bhyro Kenia.
A dumb person Latoo Lata.
A stutterer Bhukbhukea Khako.
Delicate Patio Chukkbo.
Robust Mota Lohh.
Thin Dooblo Gy hi.
Tall Uglo. Taka.
Short Pulkhea Bawut.
Hump-backed Koobor6 Dhooshe.
Lame Khorundo Khoo.
Sleep Sootno Dame.
Wakefulness Jajno. Dunne.
Hunger Bhook Petialb.
Thirst Tukha Peachalo.
Milk Dood Doodoo.
Sour-curd Dhye Dhow.
Butter-milk Mhye Kooatur.
Cream Turs Keheh.
 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Newar.

A sort of clouted cream Udhoutea Tak6 doodoo.

Sweet curd Khooroune Kh6a.
Butter Noune Loun.
Ghee, or clarified but-
ter Gheoo Ghi6.
Oil Tail Chekun.
Honey Maha Kushte.
Salt Noon Ch6
Salt-petre Shoreh Khache
Sugar Khand Sakhoo.
Sugar-candy Mesre Neweak.
Molasses Ghoor Chako.
Pepper (black) Murruch Mulley.
Pepper (red) Khoorsane Mulley-bhata.
Garlick Lishen Labha.
Ginger Udwa Paloo.
Cardamum Ullache Yala.
Clove Loang Loang.
Nutmeg Jaiphul Jepho.
Cinnamon Darcheeni Lowntwai.
Saffron Keysur

Woad Darooa Sheen.

Charcoal Ungar Yhanga.
A chest Sundok Dhansheta.
S3 2 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Neivar.

A river Nuddi, Kola Koushi.

A shop Dooka Pussul.
A street Gully Chow.
A road or path Bato Lan.
Straight Soojho Tapeka
Crooked Banggo Baiko.
Hard Sacho Bulla.

Soft Kownlo Yato.

Fine Putalo Cheekdhah.
Coarse Moto Towdhan.
The morning Bholee Kunnij-sootha.
Noon Dooepehr Bane.
Evening Sanjh Sundhiaka.
Night Rate Chane.
Day Diu Nine.
A sensible person Bhoodheman Geane.
A blockhead Moorukli Ugeane.
Asleep Soleakhochha Dene.
Awake Jagchha Phetnachine
Reason Ootho Dunni.
Sealed Byseb Sornukachone.
A friend Mel lap Usia.
An enemy Sutrb Sutur,
Joy Hui ka Luslaya.
 VOCABULARY. 233

Purbutli. Newar.

Sadness Bermad Tungehaya.

A servant Chakur Sawruk.
A master Saheb Purman.
A cook Bhansea Sooa.
A horsekeeper, or
groom Chuwadan Chulwada.
A dance Naleh Peakun.
A beggar Cheehuck Phogin.
A musician Banadar Phanda.
A long drum Khing.

A crucible Hundeolo Bhuncha.

A mould Sancho Palling.
Colour Runga Rungah.
Warp Tan Y6nka.
Woof Bunnoo Taika.
A loom Loogabunne khawl Taika.
A spinning-wheel Chaka Yant.
A distaff Soorjuo Naioo.

A gelding Nukhus Sone-walajan.

Glew Sennish Besum.

The new moon Dootia. Dootia.
The day following a
new moon Punewa Purthe-putta.

A stage or day’s journey Bas Bas.

Hh
234 VOCABULARY.

Purbotti, Newar.

Snow Heeon Ch&wapoo.

Hail Asaina Poon.
Ice Toosaro P6.
Thunder Genjo Nugaloo.
Lightning Bayole Purpeessa.
Rain Panepurcha Wahgato.
Scales Tol 6 Turazoo.
A quarter Choutai Chukunche.
A half Adebha Buche.
A third Tessarahessa Loanch Reen.
The whole Poora Chukoat.
Cotton Rouroo Keeppye.
Cloth Keepra Kapoo
Thread Dhagoo Ka,

Silk Reeshum Paka.

A needle Jooyd Moolo.

Paper Kageet Bhouout

A pen Kulm Lekheeu

An inkstand Mushaiene Musma.

Ink Mushee Muss.

Red Rato Yhaoun.

White Seto Tooyee.

Black Kalb Hakb.

Green Huryo Waooii.

 VOCABULARY. 235

Purbutti. Newar.

Yellow Phaijeelo Mhas6.

Blue Neelo Waneho.
A house Ghur Chhen.
A wall Bhuto Lokha.
A door Dylo Khapa.
A roof Chano Poo.
A floor cloth Pechona Lasa.
A garden Phoolware Kaimba.
A wild, or forest Bun Goon
A plantation Khait Booh.
Spring Bussunt Bussunt.
Autumn Toala.
Winter Jaro Chella.
Summer Gurme Tanno.
Rainy season Burkha Burkha.
A mountain or hill Purbut Purbut.
A plain Mydan Kh6o.
Stone Dhoonga Lohon.
Lead Sheeso Mhan.
Gold Soon Loon.
Silvei Roopoo Wohd.

Copper Lambo Shuja

Brass Peetul Ley.

Tin Justa Justa.

23f> VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Newar.

Iron Phullam Neek.

Ore Dhaow
Bread Roto Madrie.
Wheal Ghoaho Chho.
Barley Jow Tuchho.
Rice (out of the ear) Chovvle Jakhi.
Rice (in the ear, or
Paddy) Dlian Wah.
Mash (a sort of pulse) Mas Mas, or ma*
Moong (ditto) Moonghe Mooh.
Jooar or Jenora (a sort
of grain) Joonealo
Mussoor (or lentil) Mussooroo Moossoo.
Sanwa (a coarse species
of grain) Sam a
Lobea, or Bhora (a spe-
cies of pulse) Bhbra Bhoote.
Peas Keravv Kygoo.
Koolthe (a species of
pulse) Gaput Khola.
Munroon (a coarse
grain) Kodo Doosee.
Kungne (ditto) Kagnoo
Sugar-cane Ookhoo Too.
 VOCABULARY. 237

Purbutii. Newar.

A plantain Kaira Kaira.

A guava Umba Umbasi.
An orange Suntola, or Kownla Suntarrashi.
A walnut Okher Khoseng
A pine-apple Kable Kuthan Keethurr.
A mango Amh Amh.
A fig Unjar Doobushe.
A mulberry Toot
A grape Dakh Mushi.
A cocoa nut Narewul Nunkea.
A water-melon Khurbooza Khubuza.
The egg-plant Bhua Bhunta.
Fenugreek Maithee Maichor.
Spinage Palunkhoo Pullan.
Toorye (a sort of pot-
herb) Tdrea Poloo.

A pumpkin Lowka Jashe.

A vow Bhobe H&loo.

Speech Koora Kha.

Death Mu moo Shee.

Madness Bhoulaha

Pain Betha Sheato.

An itching Looto Kyn.

Weakness Nubuttyee Pecoo.

36
238 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Newar.

A wound Ghad Ghad.

A pimple Phouka Poo.
A sear, or stain Dogli Ghakoo.
Pus (matter) Peep Whee.
An imposthume Soonchd Manoo.
A blister Phouka Yayato.
A rash Ghunmora.
A gangrene Syne katero Sheephur.
Piles Hursa Ulla Rye.
Fain tins Moore hapurrea Sutphaloo.
A cough Khoke Mooshd-vvoolo.
A defluxion from cold Roogha Shukkuncholo.
Cosliveness Mireend Goombeylo.
A looseness Pukhala Puta jool maid.
Indigestion Upuch Ujerna.
A fever Jarrd Koampdlo.
The venereal disease Beyrunge Musaha.
A scalding Sozauk Meheydlo.
Small-pox Bephcn Tou Rye.
Vomiting O.ochal Than woola.
A purge Joolab Kothewaseu.
A trade Seep Goon.
A tradesman Seepa loo Sean.
A workshop Karkarch Jeasa.
 VOCABULARY. 239

Purbutti. Newar.

A goldsmith. Sunar Sunar.

A brazier Katuee Lumboat.

An ironsmith Kamee Kow.

A carpenter Kurwee Koune

A tailor Dirmyn Shoojekar.

A ropemaker Juhobatne Khepanelema.

A confectioner Hul wan Mache kowme.

A butcher Kussau Nou.

A fisherman, or boat¬
man Manjhee Hoorkia.

A shop-keeper Puslea Puslea.

A builderor bricklayer Uwala Weekeunni.

A washerman Doby Doby.

A carrier Sarkee Sarkee.

A potter Koomhalea Koomhal.

A barber Naw Nowu.

A painter Chetterkar Poon.

A dver Rungraiz Chheepa.

A shoemaker Chummar Chummar.

A dealer, or merchant Bypari Bypari.

A stone-cutter Lohkurni Lohkurni.

A seller of spirituous

liquors Shoondhy Soling.

A ploughman Halle

A porter Bhurrea Bhalea.

 240 VOCABULARY.

Purbulti. Newar.

A thief Choor Chooli.

A banker Mahajun- Mahajun.
A speaker of truth Sancho Suttea.
A liar Dhauff Asucha, or Usucho.
Good Ramro Baula.
Bad Nunacko Bamala.
A water jar Gagro Dhaupo.
An earthen juglate Bhougona Lota.
A pot Bhanra Thala.
A cup Bhuttuko Bhatcha.
A dish That Bhoo.
*
A bucket Dhoal Kumdal.
Rope Jheeroo Lackeput.
A well Indar Toon.
Grass Ghas Ghas.
Bamboo Banse Puff.
A knife or dagger Kookheri Chope.
A buckler Dhaul Suhen.
An arrow Teer Bala.
A bow Gholell Lepa.
A matchlock Bundook Toopiu.

A book Pooteu Sanpoo.

An account, or calcu¬
lation Lekha Leakha.
Balance Baki Lepee.
 VOCABULARY. 241

Purbutti. Newar.

Surplus, excess Urkhialo Oopur.

Peace Melno Mellejood.

War Jooddkea Hutt&i.

Question Koora

Answer Khunne

The foot of a hill Phed, or Pehedo Thanko.

A round peak Thoomko Tooapul.

A pointed peak Choolhe

The ascent, or accli-

Ookalo Tan-
vity of a hill
The descent, or decli-
Oorhalb Pak.
vity
Bhulkhando Gal.
A precipice
Chhango Jhoalla.
A cataract, or cascade
Chhehuro Chhowah.
A rapid
A depth, or pit of a
rivulet Ruhha, or Duhha
Junghar,orJoonghar Khoo-ghaut
A ford, or passage
Bhunjang Bhunjang.
The flat of a summit
Mas Luchie.
A month
Maugh Maugh.
January
Phagun Phagun.
February
Cheyte Chyte.
March
I i
542 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Newar.

April Bysack Bysack.

May Jeet Jeeth.
June Assar Asar.
July Sawun Goonla.
August Bhadun Yen la.
September Asin Asen.
October Karteek Kateck.
November Ughun Mungsur.
December Poos Poos.
A week Ek satho Wa.
Saturday Suneebar Seneeber.
Sunday Etwar Adetliewar.
Monday Soombar Soomwar.
Tuesday Mungulbar Mungul.
Wednesday Boodhbar Boodh.
Thursday Beesabar Sookhwar.
Friday Sukabar Sookhwar.
Intelligence Summachar Summachar.
A rich or opulent per¬
son Dhunne Towme.
A beggar, or indigent
person Cheekuk Phoongen.
A chief, or commander Thoolomanus Punuan.
Sweet Goolys Chakd.
 VOCABULARY. 243

Purbutti. Newar.

Bitter Teeto Khayd.

Salt Nomelo Chayunago.
Sour Amelo Paoon.
Insipid, tasteless Uluuoo Nealo.
A rupee Roopea Sahi.
A pice, or copper pice Dhebooa Dhiba.
Numerals
One* — Sehee or Chee.
Two — Nuschee, or Nuchee.
Three — Soo-on.
Four — Pee.
Five — Nga.
Six — Khoo.
Seven — Nhy.
Eight — Chea.
Nine — Goo.
Ten — Sanuh.
Eleven — Surm-sehee.
Twelve — Surm-nuschee.
Thirteen — Surm-soo-on.
Fourteen — Surm-pee.
Fifteen — Surm-ga.
Sixteen —
Surm-khoo.

* In the Purbutti dialect these numbers are the same as in the Hindooee.
244 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Newar.
Seventeen — Surm-oha.
Eighteen — Surm-cha.

Nineteen — Surm-goo.

Twenty — Ngu-e.

Twenty-one — Ngu-nuchee.
Thirty — Sevee-e.
Thirty-one — Swee-sehee.

Forty — Pee-e-e.
Forty-one — Pee-e-chee,

Fifty — Nga-e.
Sixty — Khoo-e-e.
Seventy — Nhy-e-e.
Eighty — Chy-e-e.
Ninety — Goo-e-e.
A hundred — Suchee.
Two hundred — Nesul, or Ne-asul.
Three hundred — So-a-sul.
Four hundred — Pe-a-sul.
Five hundred. — Nga-sul.
A thousand — Do-eschee, or Douhee.
Ten thousand — Jee dol.
A hundred thousand — Lak-sehee, or Lakchee.
 VOCABULARY. 245

Purbutti. Newar.

Ordinals.
Phelo Nappa.
First
Doorsao Won leppa.
Second
Terno Somama.
Third
Choutho Peamana.
Fourth
Chhynoo Dy6.
To be
Ounoo Woe.
To come
Jan6 Wane, Wdne.
Togo
Gurnoo Yae.
To do
Bumo Chon6.
To sit
Ootho Dhunni.
To rise
Khana Nye.
To eat
Peen6 Toone.
To drink.
Soot no Dene.
To sleep
Jaynd Nhelmchaku hune.
To wake
Hasno While.
To laugh
Roonoo Khoe.
To cry
Deenoo Leu.
To give
Leenoo Ka6.
To take
Joonoo Mooun.
To live
Murnoo Sh6.
To die
Kaihlaoo Mhet6.
To play
Dhumoo Munul6.
To learn
Dhurounoo Munahachooe.
To set fire to
37
246 VOCABULARY.

Purbutti. Newar.

To see Daichhnoo Sooe.

To show Dikhaunoo Kine.
To bring Beaunoo Hruke.
To take away Lejanoo Jrouahoan.
To send Pathnownoo Beach hooe.
To learn Seikhnoo Shene.
To teach Seihanoo Shunabi.
To talk Boalnoo, Kooragut
noo Khanally.
To flee Bhagnoo Beushe doone.
To wash Dhoonoo Shele.
To rub Mulnoo That.
To grind Pusnoo Kile.
To hear Soonnoo Nine.
To lie Bandnoo Chee.
To draw or drag Juhhnoo Sate.
To break Bhanchnoo Tothuwe.
To hang or suspend Joundshounoo -Khayane.
To fear Durnoo Gyana.
To open (v. a.) Khoalnoo Khune.
To walk Phurnoo Ooshe, Heneliv6.
To write Laicknoo Ukha, Chue.
To fix or affix Low noo Tai.
To fall Khumoo Dooloo.
 VOCABULARY. 247

Purbutti. Newar.

Millounoo Paihya.
To mix
To blossom (v. n.) Phooknoo Wayato.

Purnoo Wagato.
To rain
Choapnoo Bhoosunachuwa.
To hide
Chalea gurnoo Muttink.
To wish, desire
To pick (up) together Teepnoo Le.
Nelambato.
To move, stir
Phal-palnoo Tehe newe.
To leap
Nachnoo Piakhanhwe.
To dance
Gounoo Maihalc.
To sing
To play on an instru-
Bujanoo Thue.
ment
Hurrownoo Tano.
To lose
Jharnoo Tha thoe.
To sprinkle, diffuse
Churnoo Pie.
To sow
Oong-garnoo Linachewe.
To grow, to sprout out
Choottnoo Tobello.
To escape
Summownoo Joon6.
To seize hold
Dugoornoo Booiay.
To run
Pharnoo Phaey.
To tear
Shewoonoo Sooe.
To sew
Harnoo Joolumboote.
To lose (at play)
Jeetnoo Tiato.
To >vin
Marnoo Dai.
To beat
*4* VOCABULARY.

Purbutli. Newar.

To taste Chahhnoo. Manasue.

To smell Soong-gnoo Natuvd

To sell Baichnoo Mu-e.
To buy Kinnoo Ing-gia.
To count Gunnoo Nin.
To cut Katnoo Dhind
To scrape Tachnoo Chhayajhoo^,
To strike Toahhnoo
To send for, to call to Bullownoo Soute.
To explain Sumjhowna Loomunkd
To make Bunnounoo Dykd
To squeeze Nichoarnoo Taishd
To dry Sookhownoo Gano.
To want Mangnoo Ph6nd
To commit to, to con-
sign Soampnoo Biate.
To fight Burnoo Ldae.
To tremble Kampnoo Thu-thu-nuyan
To kiss Moeye kanoo Chupanyd
To rot Gulnoo Geetfl.
To tumble Lootnoo Gdtuli.
To light Ooja loo gurnoo Muttoochia.
To know Chinnoo Shike.
To search Khoajhnoo. Maid
 VOCABULARY. 249

Purbutti. Newar.

To glitter, shine, spar-

tie Julkhnoo Hulla pulla chea.
To swim Pourhnoo Tola wai.

To sink Burnoo Lokoombe.

To touch, feel Choonoo Shee-ee.

Specimens of the Limbooa and Muhgur dialects.

Limbooa. Mungur,

Fire Mee Mhie.

Water Chooa Die.
Rice (raus) Seea Jharoo.
Boiled rice Jatt
Meat Sa Sia.
Wind Summi Ramsd.
Sun Nuin Namkhan.
Moon Laba Giahoot.
Star Kheseeba Tooga.
Day Lendik Nams-in.
Night Sendek Nabhe.
House Him Yem.
Sword Moodamphe

One Chee, or Tehee Katt.

Two Nyaich Nis.
Kk
£50 VOCABULARY.

Limbooa. Mungur.

Three Loomchee Seem.

Four Besi Buli.
Five Ngachie Banga.
Six Tookehi _*

Seven Noochi —

Eight Yetche —
Nine Phungse —

Ten Thibo —

Twenty Niboang —

Man Nammi Lainzha.

Woman Mainchema Mahaza.
Child Hinja Lainzazhu
Goat Mailloo Rahh
Sheep Maindha Look
Dog Khiaba Cheoo.
Cow Nait.
Bird Poo Bhoorchiee.
Deer Pew a Kissi.
Tiger Thirrmgba Ranghoo.
Bear Manghipa Bholoo.
Wood, or forest Lih, Thap Nam.
Tree Sing Singaitoo.
Eye Mikh Nukb.
Nose Nibo Nha.

The same as in the Purbutti.

 VOCABULARY, 251

Limbooa. Mungur.

Ear Nikho Nakeep.

Mouth Moola Neeur.
Teeth Hebb6 Shiak.
Hand, arm Hookh Hoot.
Fingers Hookhijoo Hoochhung,
Feet Langy Hil.
Head Atakhi Taloo.
Turban Paya Pugree.
Snow Uha Heoon.
F rost Phoan Tosaroo.
Rain Washi Namas.
Lamp oil Sude.
Image, idol Mangee Moorthi.
Hill, a mountain Koaknia Purbut.
River Chooa Gunduck.

Fish Nga Daisa.

Horse Paisia.
Iron Phenje Phullam.
Copper Tambah Tambah.
Silver Yoopa Roopa.
Gold Sumyung
Stone Loony Loony.
Earth Khum Dhurte.
Cloth Burhin.
252 VOCABULARY.

Limbooa. Newar.

Get up Sooki.
Sleep Miski.
Laugh Raitki.
Road Tam.
To-day Chinning.
To-morrow Puh in.
Bring Rakni
Go Hooki
Come Rakki
Mankind Bhoormi
Bow Meean.
Arrow Be-e.
The Kerraute, Hyoo, and Dhenwar words that I have been able
to collect are too few to be worth inserting; besides which, I
cannot confidently answer for their correctness. I had hoped to
have been able to present a copious specimen of the language
spoken by the Kath Bhootias of that part of the Kuchar, or lower
Tibet, lying directly to the northward of Nepaul, but have been
unfortunately disappointed. It differs considerably, I understand,
from the vernacular idiom of Lehassa and other parts of the upper
Tibet.
It is proper to notice here, that in the preceding Vocabulary, the
a is to be pronounced long as in all; the g invariably hard, as in
gun; the e sharp as the French accented e; and that tiie n with a
mark thus (-) over it, is to have the French nasal sound.
 CHAPTER VIII.

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPALIL.

 [ 255 ]

CHAPTER VIII.

The ancient history of the Nepaulians, like that of all other na¬
tions which affect to trace their origin beyond the date of authentic
records, is clouded by mythological fables; the popular tradition
that the valley of Nepaul was once an immense lake has already
been noticed, and the probability of the fact maintained ; nor is it,
perhaps, necessary, on any physical grounds, to refer its subsequent
conversion to a very remote period of antiquity. Their Pourans,
especially those entitled Hurrumunt-khund and Ooter-khund, con¬
tain, I understand, copious details concerning this secluded region,

during the time that it continued one of the favourite haunts of the
Hindoo deities. At what aera to fix the commencement of its real
history can only be determined after a close review of its annals at
large, and with these I am as yet but superficially acquainted. F6r
the present, therefore, we must be content with a bare chronologi¬
cal series of the princes who are said to have ruled over Nepaul
since the epoch of Nymuni; from whom, it has been already ob¬
served, this country is supposed to have received its present name.
256 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL.

The term of the reign of the founder of this dynasty does not ap-
pear in my notes; but his son and successors are,
Years Months

Bhoorhnahagah, who ruled 48 On

Jye Gupt 73 3
Perma Gupt 91 0

Sree Hurkh 67 0

Bheem Gupt 38 0

Munni Gupt 37 0

Bishen Gupt 66 0

Jye Gupt (2d) 71 1

491 4

The Raw of the Nymuni had not swayed the sceptre quite five
hundred years, when Bhid Singh of the Rajepoot tribe, and one of
the posterity of Mehip Gopaul, putting himself at the head of an
army, levied in the country situated between Semroun Ghur
and Janmukpore, invaded and subdued Nepaul, over which he
ruled - * 49 0
When he was succeeded by his son, Jye
Singh, who reigned '2,1 7
And was succeeded by Bhowany Singh 41 ()

111 7
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. *57

The kingdom ofNepaul, under the descendants of MehipGopaul,

was bounded on the west by the Tirsoolgunga, and on the east by
the Dhoodh-Kousi, to the north by the mountains of Neel-kheut, and
to the south by the valley of Chitlong. This dynasty, however,
was put an end to, in the person of Bhowany Singh, by Yellung
Kerraut, who invaded and conquered Nepaul with an army of
Kerrauts, a tribe then occupying the country stretching from the
Dhoodh-Kousi to the confines of Dewa Durrnah, and the remains of
which arc now scattered over the mountainous tract lying between
that river and the eastern extremity of the valley of Nepaul. The
reign of Yellung, it is pretended, lasted 90 years 3 months.
His successors were,
Reigned Years Months
Duskham 37 0

Ballaneha 31 6

Kingly 41 1
Hunnanter 5C 0

Tuskhah 41 8
Sroopust 38 6

Purb 56 0

JetydasLry 60 0

Punehein 71 0

King-king-kiug 56 0

Soonuud 50 8
Thoomoo 58 0
258 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL.

Reigned Years Month

Jaighree 60 1
Jenneo 73 o

Suenkeh 60 1
Thoor 71 0
Thamoo 83 0
Burmah 73 6

Gunjeh 7 2 7

Kush Koon not known

Teeshoo 56 0
Soogmeea 59 0
Joosha 63 0
Gontho 74 0
Khembhoom 74 0
Gully Jung 81 0

1581 I

or 1630 years, allowing forty-eight for the reign of Kush Koon,

which is considerably below the average of the reigns assigned to
this dynasty: perhaps, however, it would be doing no violence to
the probability of their history, to reduce the term of this dynasty
of twenty-seven princes to half the period, or eight centuries,
since it is evident that most of the reigns have twice, and some of
them three times, the number of years assigned to them that the
ordinary course of nature will suffer us to admit.
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 259

Reigned Years Months

The Kerrauts were dispossessed of their kingdom

by Nevesit, a Chetree of the Soorej-bunsi race,
who after conquering Nepaul reigned 50 0
Mutta Ratio 91 0
Kaickburmah 76 0

Pussoopush Deo (formerly mentioned as the

founder of Pusput-nath) 56 0

Bhosker Burmah (who extended his conquests

southerly as far as Sagur) 74 0

Bhoomy Burmah - 41 0

Chunder Burmah 21 0

Jay Burmah - 62 0

Breesh Burmah - - 57 0

Surbo Burmah 49 0

Puthi Burmah 56 o
Jeest Burmah 48 0

Koober Burmah 76 0

Hurry Burmah 76 6

Sid he Burmah 61 0

Hurry Dutt Burmah (the founder of the temple

of Seker-nerain) 39 0

Basso Dutt Bhurmah S3 0

Sreeputtry 3 0

Seobreddy 77 0
260 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPALIL.

Reigned Years Months

Bussunt Deo - - - 610

Deo - - - 57 0
Brikh Deo - - - 57 0
Sunker Deo - - - 50 0
Bhurma Deo - - - 51 0
Maun Deo (who is said to have had an interview
with the god Sumbhoo, to whom he erected a
temple) - 39 0
Malic Deo - - - 51 0
Bussunt Deo - - 56 0
Oodey Deo - - 47 0
Maun Deo (the 2d), in whose reign Nepaul
was afflicted during three years with a severe
drought, which ceased on the Rajah’s propiti¬
ating the god Pusputty hy an oblation of all
his riches - - 45 0
Sookaum - - 50 0
Seo Deo - - 416
Nurrcnder Deo - - 34 0
Bhem Deo Burmah - - 16 0
In his reign the Aheers, who were originally

the sovereigns of Nepaul, recovered their do¬

minions ;
Bishen Gupt, the conqueror, reigning 74 0
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 261

Reigned Years Months

Kishnoo Gupt - - 610

Bhoomy Gupt - - 40 0

1877 0

Seo Deo Burmah, of the posterity of Nevesit, again

subduing Nepaul, and expelling the Guptees,
reigned - - 410
Unghoo Burmah - - 42 0
Kirtoo Burmah - - 18 0
Bheem Arjoon Deo - - 39 0
Nund Deo - - - 13 0
Seo Deo - - - 16 0
Nurrender Deo (who, as already noticed, esta¬
blished the Mutchender-j&tra) - 37 0
Bui Deo - - 17 0
Sunkcr Deo - - 12 0
Bhern Arjoon Deo (the 2d) - 16 0
Jye Deo 19 0
Sree Bull Deo - - 16 0
Condur Deo - - - 27 0
Jye Deo (the 2d) - - 42 7
Bui Deo (the 3d) - - 11 0
Ballunjoon Deo - - 36 7
262 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL.

Reigned Years Months

Ragheeb Deo - - - 63 0
This prince introduced the Tambul aera, or sera of
Bitkermajeet, into Nepaul, where, however, the
epoch most in use at present among the Purbut-
ties is the Saka. The Newars,on the other hand,
have a style of their own, regarding the origin
of which 1 know nothing certain, except that it
appears to have been instituted about nine cen¬
turies ago; the year 914 of their reckoning be¬
ginning the 15 th of Karteek, or 28th of October,
1 793. Possibly, its commencement may bear
some relation to the period of the first establish¬
ment of the Semroun dynasty in Nepaul, men¬
tioned in the note in page 265.
Seeker Deo - - 88 6
Soho Deo - - - 33 9
Bickrum Deo - - 10
Nurrender Deo - - 16
Goonakam Deo - - 85 6
Oodoy Deo - - 6 0
Nurbhoy Deo - 7 0
Bhaj Deo Budro - - 9 7
Letchmi Camdeo Dutt - 21 0
Jve Deb - 20 0
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 263

Reigned Years Months

(This last prince completely reduced the refrac¬

tory tributary of Patn, Bhaskur Deo,) and
Oodoy Deo - - 7 1

Bui Deo - - - 12 0
Puddiem Deo - - 6 0
This prince revived the custom of wearing
crowns, which, it seems, had fallen into disuse
since the time of Ballunjoon Deo
Naug Arjoon - - 3 0
Sunker Deo - - 17 0
This prince erected an image to Mahadeo, to
which he gave his own name of Sunker Deo
Bam Deo - - 3 0
Sree Hurkh Deo - - 16 0
Seo Deo - - 27 7
Indro Deo - - - 12 0
Maun Deo - - 4 7

Nurrender Deo - - 6 4
It is pretended that there fell no snow in Nepaul
before the time of this prince, who effected this
change in the climate by certain religious rites.
80 1

Omret Deo, (a great dearth) - 3 11

Soomeesui Deo - - 6 3
264 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL.

Reigned Years Months

Buz Caum Deo (the period of his reign unknown)

Any Mull (a great dearth) - 31 9
Obhay Mull, (a great dearth, frequent earth¬
quakes, and throughout an inauspicious
reign) - - 48 2
Jye Deb - - 2 7
Unwunt Mull Deo - - 33 10
In this prince s reign, and in the Newar year 408,
or Sumbuth 1344, many Khassias (a western
tribe) emigrated to Nepaul and settled there;
and three years after, or in the Newar year
411, a considerable number of Tirhoot families
also planted themselves there.

2869 1

The names of Unwunt Mull’s successors, but not the periods of

their respective reigns, are specified in the notes at present in my
possession. They are as follows :
Jye Nund Deo
Jye Singh Mull, and
Jye Ruero Mull, sons of Unwunt Mull.
These princes reigned successively after their father, but the\
all died without leaving any male issue. One of them, however
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 265

had a daughter, named Sutty Naik Deby, who was crowned Ranee,
and afterwards married to Harrir Chunder Deo, the Rajah of Be¬
nares, by whom she had a daughter, named Raj Letchmi, afterwards
distinguished by the lofty title of Debul Daiby Raj. Letchmi
succeeded to the throne of her ancestors, but was soon deposed by
a kinsman of the name of Jye Dub, who, however, had not reigned
many days, when, in the month of Poos, in the year of the Saka
1245, (corresponding with the Newar year 444, or about the month
of December, A. D. 1323), Hurr Singh Deo, Rajah ofSemroun Ghur,
and of the posterity of Bamdeb of the Soorej-bunsi princes of Oude,
entered Nepaul, and completely subduing it, put an end to the dy¬
nasty of the Burmahs. Hurr Singh Deo’s invasiou of Nepaul was
occasioned by his being driven out of his own possessions by the
Patans; the reigning monarch of Delhi (who at this time was
Secunder Lodi) having been incited to this measure by the nephew
of Hurr Singh.* Notwithstanding the disadvantageous circum¬
stances under which this enterprize was attempted, Hurr Singh does

* According lo another relation, Hurr Singh Deo’s ancestors, for some generations
back, had a certain footing in Nepaul, the entire reduction of which was reserved for
Hurr Singh, upon the latter’s being compelled to abandon his territories in the Turry-
ani altogether. The account states that this establishment (whatever its extent may
have been) was made in the year of Bickermajeet 901, by Nan Deo, at'that time Rajah
of SemrouD, or (as it is also sometimes written) Summun Ghur. Hjs posterity were,
Kanuck Deo,
Nersingh Deo.
Ram Singh Deo.
Bhad Singh Deo.
Kurm Singh Deo, and
Hurr Singh Deo.

Mm
26G HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL.

not appear to have had the least difficulty in subduing Nepaul, the
crown of which continued in his family till Purthi Nerain Goor-
khali put an end to the dynasty of the Semroun Chetrees. The
successors of Hurr Singh Deo were
Bullal Singh.
Sri Deo Mull.
Nay Mull.
Assoke Mull.
Jestily Mull.
Jeit Mull.
The last of these princes, Jeit Mull, after providing for the main¬
tenance of his army by distributing jaghires among the soldiery, has
the credit attributed to him of having divided the rest of the lands
throughout his kingdom in perpetuity among his subjects, whom,
in addition to this immunity, he likewise released from the land-
tax ordinarily levied before his time. He also established standard
measures and weights, and considerably enlarged the city of Bhat-
gong, which was the seat of his residence. He was succeeded by
his son,
Jye Ekshah Mull, or Jye Kush Mull, who is said to have annexed
Morung, Tirhoot, and Gyah to his dominions, and to have con¬
quered also Goorkha to the westward, and Sikarjoong of Tibet to
the northward. He likewise completely subdued the refractory
Rajahs of Patn and Khatmanda. He had three sons, among whom,
at his death, he distributed his dominions as follows:
To Roy Mull he assigned the principality of Bhatgong, which at
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 267

this period was bounded on the west by the Bhagmutty, on the

east by Sangah, on the north by Kooti, and on the south by the
forest of Medine Mull.
To Run Mull he gave the territory of Bunepa (a conquest made
in the reign of Sree Bui Deo), which was bounded on the north by
Sangachuck; on the south by the forest of Medine Mull, on the
west by Sangah, and on the east by the Dhoodh-Kousi.
To Rutno, or Ruttun Mull, he left the kingdom of Khatmanda,
bounded on the east by the Bhagmutty, on the west by the Tirsool-
gunga, on the north by the mountains of Neel-khent, and on the
south by the northern boundary of Patn, which, according to some
accounts, fell to the share of a daughter of Jye Ekshah Mull; the
limits assigned to this principality being, to the southward, the
forest of Medine Mull; to the westward, the mountains of Lama-
danda; to the northward, the southern line of Khatmanda; and
to the eastward the Bhagmutty. The successors of Roy Mull were
Bhoo Bheen Mull.
Bessou Mull, who took Bunepa from the house of Run Mull.
Triloke Mull, from whom the house of Ruttun Mull seized Bu-
nepa, Chunko, Sanka, and Kooti.
Jucm
oo
ut Johi Mull
Jye Jeta Metro Mull.
Bhuput Indro Mull, who considerably enlarged Theeme, Bhat-
gong. and Punhoti, the latter of which was a conquest from the
house of Rim Mull.
268 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL.

Runjeet Mull. This prince, who was the last of the Soorej-'bunsi

race that reigned over Nepaul, succeeded his father Bhuput Indro

in the Newar year 8 42. He formed an alliance with Purthi Ncrain

Goorkhali, with a view of strengthening himself against the sove¬

reign of Khatmanda, but this connexion, though for some time

favourable to his views, ended in the total reduction of Nepaul

by his ally. Runjeet Mull reigned forty years, losing his domi¬

nions in the Newar year 890, or, according to another computa¬

tion, in 888.

I have given the names of the successors of Roy Mull, though

unable to furnish any account of the transactions of their respective
reigns, because I was desirous of exhibiting a complete series of
Nepaul sovereigns from the earliest to the present time ; but as
such another meagre catalogue of the princes of the younger
branches of Jye Ekshah Mull’s house would answer no useful pur¬
pose, I shall pass over this part of the Nepaul chronology, with
briefly observing, that during the two hundred years which appear
to have elapsed between the partition of the kingdom by the last
mentioned prince, and its conquest and reunion under Purthi Ne-
rain, the grandfather of the. reigning Rajah, although the power of
the respective branches was constantly fluctuating, yet the ascen¬
dency, for the most part, appears to have been maintained by the
elder one, or that of Bhatgong.
With regard to the Goorkhalis previous to their conquest of
Nepaul, I have not been able to obtain any satisfactory mate! nils
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 269.

towards even an abstract of their history, nor is it, indeed, probable,

though it were ever so minutely known, that it would exhibit any
features either interesting or important. The reigning family af¬
fects to derive its descent from the Rajepoot princes of Oudipoor,
in the same manner that the founders of the Mahratta empire (or
their historians for them) appear to have done. All, however,
that we know for certain concerning this race is, that they have
subsisted in the mountainous country bordering on the Gunduck,
for a considerable period, during which they have gradually risen
into power by successive encroachments on their surrounding neigh¬
bours. On their first coming from the southward* they appear to
have established themselves aj West Noakote, or Noakote of Ahudi
Rolah, which is in the Palpa quarter; and whither they advanced
through the Kemaoon mountains. From hence they stretched
their dominion towards Lumjoong, adding, at some distance of
time, the possession of Goorkha to their othfcr acquisitions. Here
they are said to have been fixed during six generations, till Purthi
Nerain, the son and successor of Ner Bhopal Shah, meditating fur¬
ther conquest to the eastward, crossed the Tirsoolgunga, and, as
has been already noticed, seized on Bailkote and East Noakote, as
preliminary steps to the reduction of Nepaul.
I was very gravely assured by Behadur Shah himself, that his

* The date of this migration T have not exactly learned, though some pretend to
refer it to the |>eriod of Sultan Alla Udden Ghawe’9 invasion of Itajepootann, when
various branches of the reigning family of that country, preferring exile to slavery,
dispe/sed themscltcs oveir Hmdosian.
270 HISTORICAL SKETCH OE NEPAUL.

father had invaded Nepaul at the earnest solicitation of the inha¬

bitants at large, who were weary of the distracted government, and
severe yoke of the Soorej-bunsi princes. This assertion, however,
does not appear supported by the event, since Purthi Nerain met
with such resistance in his enlerprize as protracted its accomplish¬
ment for a period of more than twenty years. The fact indeed is,
that he was invited in the first instance by the Rajah of Bhatgong
to assist him in the prosecution of his ambitious schemes against
the dominions of his neighbours: but Runjeet Mull soon discover¬
ing the views of his ally, concluded an accommodation with the
sovereigns of Patn and Khatmanda, in conjunction with whom he
endeavoured, though fruitlessly, to repel the artful Goorkhali. It
was op this occasion that Captain Kin loch attempted to penetrate
into Nepaul, Ruqjeei Mull having prevailed on the British govern¬
ment to aid him with a military force for the purpose of expelling
Purthi Nerain. In the end, the Goorkhali successively acquired pos¬
session of Khatmanda, Patn, and Bhatgong.* Jay Perkaush, the
sovereign of the former, did not long survive the loss of his domi¬
nion* and liberty. Taiz Ner Sing, the Rajah of Patn, having ren¬
dered himself personally obnoxious during the war to Purthi Ne¬
rain, was treated with extreme rigour, if not actually put to death
by order of the conqueror. With regard to Runjeet Mull, who
surrendered his capital and person to his treacherous confed rate,
in the Newar year 888, or A. D. 1 768, the Goorkhali allected to

* Si*ine further particulars respecting Purthi Neraiu’s invasion of Nepaul will be

found in Appendix ffo. If..
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 271

carry himself towards him with extraordinary respect. This ap¬

pearance of submission, however, did rot prevent him from retiring,
with Purthi Nerain’s consent, to Benares, where he soon after died,
leaving behind him a son named Abdhoot Singh, who for some
time laboured to engage the British government in measures for
reinstating him in his paternal dominions.
Purthi Nerain did not long enjoy the fruits of bis perfidy and
address, dying about three years after the final conquest of Nepaul,
or in the year 17 71. There are some apparent contradictions in his
character which our imperfect knowledge of his history does not
enable us to clear up: thus, notwithstanding the cruelty he mani¬
fested in his treatment of the inhabitants of Kirthipoor, in his unge¬
nerous igour towards the Patn sovereign, and on some other occa¬
sions, he is said to have disgraced one of his principal adherents
for wounding one of the enemy while in the act of fleeing from
the field of battle. In fine, we may conclude from the respect in
which his memory is yet held by the Purbutlies, and especially the
military part of them that whatever his conduct as a conqueror,
or however severe his nature, may have been, he was not inatten¬
tive to the means of conciliating those on whose support he prin¬
cipally depended. He left two sons, Singh Pcrtaub and Behadur
Shah the former of whom succeeded him; and soon conceiving
some jealousy of his brother (who is the present Regent of Nepaul)
he seized and threw him into confinement, whence it was with some
difficulty that Gusraje Misser (one of the hereditary Gooroos or
 272 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL.

spiritual guides of the Goorkha family) obtained his release, with

permission to carry him into exile.
Singh Pertaub reigned little more than three years, dying in the
year 17 75 ; he had added, however, before his death, somewhat to
the conquests of his father, having, among other places of less con¬
sequence, seized on the districts of Tunnohi, Soomaisee, Jogimara,
and Oopadroong, lying to the south-west ofNepaul. The Rajah
of Tunnohi, Hurry Koomar Dutt, is still in possession of part of his
patrimonial inheritance; and is also one of the Company’s renters
in the Circar Chemparun.
Singh Pertaub had only one legitimate son at the time of his
death, namely the present Rajah, Run Behadur Shah,* who upon
his succeeding to the kingdom was an infant in arms; but he left
two illegitimate sons by a Newar woman; the eldest of them named
Beedoor Shah, and the youngest Sheer Behadur, both of whom are
still living. Beedoor Shah is older than the Rajah, but an obscure
character, which is far from being the case with respect to Sheer
Behadur (or, as he is more commonly called, Bajoo Saheb,) who,
though some years younger than Run Behadur, has exhibited such
superior symptoms of genius as have induced the Regent to pay
particular attention to the cultivation of his mind.
Behadur Shah, immediately on the death of his brother, returned

* It is necessary to observe, that the cognomen of this family is Sah, and not
Shah; though the latter is very generally affected by them, on account of its
royal import.
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 273

from his exile in Bettyah to Khatmanda, where placing his nephew

on the throne, he took upon himself the administration of affairs as
Regent; but it was not long, before Rajender Letchemi, the mother
of the minor prince, who appears to have been very fond of power,
contrived not only to supplant Behadur Shah, and to reassume the
reins of government, but to secure the person of her rival. Gus-
raje Misser, however, again interposing his good offices, an accom¬
modation between the parties took place, but which only lasted till
Behadur Shah was enabled to seize and confine the Ranee in his
turn. Neglecting, however, to conciliate the chief men of the state,
who laid claim to greater rewards for past services than he was able,
or perhaps disposed to grant, he soon discovered that they began
once more to lean towards his antagonist, who at the same time
professing a resolution to submit entirely for the future to the will
of her brother-in-law, the latter judged it on the whole most pru¬
dent to restore her to liberty. The consequence was such as might
have been expected, Behadur Shah found it necessary, not long
after, to consult his safety by a second flight from Nepaul to Bet¬
tyah, whence proceeding to Patna, he fixed his residence in that
city till the death of the Ranee, when he returned to Khatmanda,
and reassumed the regency without any opposition. He has ever
since held the reins of government, though latterly with some
diminution of his authority, owing to the ripened age of his
nephew, which makes it necessary for him to accommodate him¬
self more than formerly, not only to the wishes of the young prince,
N n
£74 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL.

but also to (he views and opinions of his principal colleagues in

the administration.
Although I am but slightly acquainted with the transactions of
Nepaul during the regency of Rajender Letchemi, yet I am suffi¬
ciently informed of them to be satisfied that she was a woman of
extraordinary character and talents. Her chief attention appears
to have been directed to the improvement of the army, whence it
may be inferred that she had extensive views of conquest. Short
and troubled, indeed, as her government was, she subdued and
annexed several petty states to the kingdom, among which were
Palpa, Gurrumkote, and Kashki, all of them lying to the west-
ward of Goorkha.
The acquisitions of Behadur Shah have been still more consi¬
derable. since he has either absolutely seized, or rendered tributary,
all the states lying between Kashki and Serinugur, including both
the territories of the Chowbeisia and the Bansi Rajahs, or the domi¬
nions of forty-six petty princes. These little states will be enume¬
rated, and a general idea given of their situation, in the next chap¬
ter; it remains only to notice here, that the allegiance of all the
tributary chiefs is secured either by hostages retained at Khatman-
da, or by allegiances of marriage contracted between them and the
reigning family. Thus Run Behadur is married to a daughter of
the Goolmi Rajah, and Behadur Shah himself to a daughter of the
Rajah of Palpa and Bootoul, or, as it is sometimes called, Bootwal.
With respect to the war in which Behadur Shah engaged some
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NEPAUL. 275

years since against Tibet, and which, it must be owned, was termi¬
nated last year in a manner but little to the credit of his govern¬
ment, (having relinquished all his conquests in that quarter, and
formally recognised the paramount authority of the Emperor of
China over the Nepaul dominions,) it is unnecessary to say any
thing in this place.*

* A summary account of its rise will be found in Appendix No. I.

-V
 CHAPTER IX.

Boundaries, Extent, and several Divisions of NepauL—‘Various Routes and

Distances.
- • .
 [ 279 ]

CHAPTER IX.

I shall now proceed, as formerly proposed, to close this Memoit

with some account of the boundaries, extent, and several divisions
of Nepaul, which, collectively considered, comprehends an im¬
mense tract of country stretching from Serinugur to the banks of
the Teesta. Doubtless, however, nothing more than a slight sketch
on his head will be expected from me, since it will be remembered
that till the late deputation to Nepaul our knowledge concerning
the dominions of the Goorkhali (by which appellation the suc¬
cessors of Purthi Nerain are usually distinguished) scarcely ex¬
tended beyond the Cheerighali ridge of hills, and that my inquiries
towards the improvements of this part of Asiatic geography must
necessarily, for reasons already sufficiently insisted on, have been
extremely circumscribed. Such, however, as these inquiries were,
I shall here communicate their result, lamenting only that 1 am un¬
able to furnish any satisfactory information relative to the natural
history, produce, or population of a region which, owing to its situ¬
ation with regard to Tibet, appears highly interesting to us in a
*80 BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT OF NEPAUL

commercial view. We have hitherto surveyed little more than

the valley of Nepaul itself. Let us now run our eye, however
superficially, along its dependencies, beginning with those lying to
the eastward.
In this direction, then, the possessions of the Goorkhali are
bounded by those of the Dewa Durmah, or Deb Rajah (to which
we have exclusively, though improperly, appropriated the appella¬
tion of Bhoot or Bhootan), from which they are separated by the
river Teesta. To the south-east they touch our districts of Betwee,
Hazary, Rungamutty, and Cooch-behar, and to the north-east are
divided from Tibet by the Kuchar, or alpine ridge in which the
passes of Phullik and Kooti are situated. The Nepaul frontier to¬
wards the Teesta is illustrated by the town and district ofSookhim,
by the Momng principally in the south-east quarter, while the
towns of Dhoalka and Lastie mark its limits on the north-east side;
the former standing on the Kuchar to the west of Phullak, and the
latter immediately below Kooti. The country lying between Khat-
manda and the borders just described is, with the exception of the
Morung and other Turrye districts adjoining to it, entirely moun¬
tainous, giving rise or passage to several rapid streams, the most
considerable of which are the Soan-Kousi, the Bhootia-Kousi, the
Tambeh-Kousi, the Dhoodh-Kousi, the Aruri,and the Teesta, which
last springs from mount Chownrigolah, a branch or continuation
of the snowy Phunijoong, and situated about one journey E.S. E
of it. This mountainous tract is inhabited by various uncivilized
 BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT OF NEPAUL. 28 1

nations, differing considerably from each other in language and

manners, but materially in point of religion. The principal of these
tribes are the Kerrautes, the Hawoos, and the Litnboos or Limbooas,
whom the Nepaul government finds it no easy matter to keep in order,
while it derives little or no advantage from them in any respect.
They are all Hindoos, but of the meanest cast; Bheem Sein is the
favourite divinity of the Limbooas; and appears indeed to be of
great consideration among the mountaineers in general. These rude
people subsist chiefly on fish, and wild fruits, though they also
cultivate some species of grain; the hills occupied by the Hawoos
or Hyoos producing Kagnoo, those of the Kerrautes several sorts of
Ghya; and the Limboo mountains (which are situated close to
Himma-leh, and much exposed to falls of snow) yielding a species
of rice called Takmaro, which, it is not improbable, may be found
to answer in the soil and climate of England.
To the southward the Nepaul territories are bounded by certain
contiguous Pargunnahs of Durbungah, Tirhoot, and Chemparun;
the towns which principally illustrate this frontier being Ummir-
pore, Janickpore, Bareh, and Persa, or Goolpussra. To the south¬
west lies Bulrampore of Goruckpore, adjoining to which is the tri¬
butary principality of Bootoul, or Bootwal; to the westward, the
Nepaul borders, as they incline northerly, touch on various parts of
Oude: and to the north north-west are divided from PillibeaN, Ram-
poor, Koshipore, Rodurpoor, and other districts of Rohilcund by the
Kemaoon and Almorah hills, which are among the acquisitions of
O o
2S2 BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT OF NEPAUL.

Behadur Shah. In the north-west quarter they are bounded by the

dominions of the Rajahs of Serinugur and Siremon,* and by Lud-
dakh, Taklakhar, and Moostang of Tibet, all of them situated be¬
yond the snowy ridge known by the general name of Himma-leh, but
bearing different appellations throughout its immense extent. To
the northward of this wide expanse of rugged but interesting terri¬
tory lie Khceroo, Joongah, and Manouphaut, belonging to the Le-
hassa dominions, but at present possessed in fact by the Chinese.
It will be seen by running the eye over Major RenneJl’s map,
and describing on it, wijth the aid of the preceding detail, the gene¬
ral outline of the Nepaul territories, that while they include be¬
tween their east and west limits no less a space than twelve geogra¬
phical degrees, they are, on the other hand, in point of breadth, of
no very considerable extent, no where extending two degrees in
horizontal measurement from north,to south, and for the most part
exhibiting a slip of even less than a degree.
The tract lying between Nepaul and Serinugur, and in a direc¬
tion from S. W. to N. W. of the former, comprehends the subjugated
countries of the Chowheisia (or twenty-four) and the Bansi (or
twenty-two) Rajahs, together with the more recent conquest of
Dhotee, Kemaoon, and Gherwal, of which last Serinugur is the
capital. Their exact position I am unable to determine, and there¬
fore have not thought it worth while to enlarge the accompanying
map, merely for the purpose of laying down places regarding which

• This is the name of the countrj of which Nahan or Nan is the capital.
 BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT OF NEPAUL. 2SJ

my information was so imperfect. For the same reason I have not

stretched its limits either to the northward or eastward so far as I
might have done, had I been sufficiently satisfied with the mate¬
rials I have collected respecting the geography of those quarters
It may not be amiss, however, to insert in this place the names of
the Chowbeisia, or twenty-four Raaj or principalities constituting the
Nepaul dominions immediately west of Goorkha, as, joined with
some account of the routes which cross them in various directions,
they may, in a certain degree, assist future inquiries, and in the
mean time serve to convey a general idea of a country at present
almost totally unknown; with the same view I shall also endeavour
to throw some faint light on the geography of the northern and
eastern parts, by presenting similar sketches of the roads leading
from Nepaul proper to Joongah, Kooti, Beijapoor, &c. With respect
to the Bansi, or twenty-two Raaj, all of which are situated still
farther to the westward (lying between the Chowbeisia and Dhotee)
I have not been able to procure an accurate list of them. The
whole of these forty-six petty states were formerly in a certain
degree tributary to the Jumlah Rajah; who annually received
from one, as a token of homage and subjection, a pair of slippers,
from another, fish, kc. The princes at the head of them are, with¬
out exception, I understand, of the Rajepoot tribe.
284 BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT OF NEPAUL

List of the Chowbeisia.

Loomjoong

Kashki

Tunhoo, or Tunnohoo; these border on Goorkha. This Raaj

has some of its districts situated in the Turrye; or to the

southward of the first range of hilL.

Gulkoat

Purbut, or Mulli-bum.

Noakote, or Nuwakole,

Pyoon.

Lutlohoon.

Bhurkote.

Gurhoon.

Reesing.

Ghering.

Dhoar.

Palpa, (the Turrye of which, called Bootoul or Bootwal, bor¬

ders on the Goruckpore district.)

Goolmi (ditto).

VVigha.

Khanchi.

Dang (comprehending some Turrye districts)

Moosi-kote.

Purthana (comprises some Turrye districts )

Jhilli.
 BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT OF NEPAUL. 285

Sulian, or Suliana (comprises some Turrye districts.)

Dhoor-kote.
Isma.
The following are enumerated among the districts lying to the
west of Chowbeisia, and are all of them probably comprehended in
the Bansi.
Jumlah.
Jajur-kote.
Cham.
Acham.
Roogum.
Moosi-kote (2d)
Roalpa.
Mullijauta.
Bulhang.
Dyliek.
Suliana (2d).
Bamplii.
Jehari.
Kalagong.
Ghooria-kote.
Goo turn.
Gujoor.
Darimeca.
2 86 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

ROUTES.

I.
Coss.
From Boctoul (or Boolwal), 15 coss Ar. by IV. of Goruckporc,

to Beeni-shehr.

Bootoul to Pal pa (the capital of Mahadut Sein, situated among

mountains, the Gunduck passing below; the road for the

most part through a thick forest. 5 munzils, or 37

To Durpoo-ghaut, on the Gunduck or Salegrami ; this river

separates the Palpaand Gurhoon territories; mountains, and

woody 2 munzils, or 15

To Thaneh-choak; crossing the Audhi-kolah, or river Audlii,

some parts very mountainous and woody 2 munzils, or 15

To Bhowareh, on the Audlii, a plain level road through a val¬

ley, dependant on Gurhoon - 1 munzil, or 8

To Khum-thathi, a place of great note, level good road, belongs

to Gurhoon - 1 munzil, or 8

To Lama-khait, crossing the river (I suppose the Audhi), a

plain level road ; dependant on Gurhoon 2 munzils, or 15

To the fort of Karki-nitta, situate on a hill; a place of note;

hence the road strikes off to the north-west; belongs to the

Rajah of West Noakote, one of the Chowbeisia. 3 munzils, or 23

From the fort of Karki-nitta to Keramaddun (a large fort);

road strikes to the westward. Plain, no river; belongs to the

Rajah of Suttohoo - - 1 munzil, or 8
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 21s7

Coss.
To Pangleh ; cross the Modi at Koosmaclioor, 1 coss, and pass
from the Suttohoo into the Purbul territory, otherwise
called Mulli-bum. This Rajah is usually called thePurbutti
Thakoor. From the Modi to Pangleh 14 coss. 2, munzils, or 15
To Lamba-khait, plain, belongs to Mulli-bum - 10
To Becni-shehr, the capital of Mulli-bum, and standing at
the confluence of the Salegrami, or Gunduck, and a small
river called the Mehagde. (This city is sometimes called
Beeni-jee, by way of pre-eminence) - 5

Coss 159

That part of Himma-leh directly to the north of Beeni is called

by the descriptive name of Dhoulager, or the white mountains.

Four journies beyond, or northward of Beeni, is Mookhtinath (or

Sri Mookhtinath) within half a mile of which the Gunduck takes

the name of Salegrami, the consecrated stones so called abounding

particularly in that part of its bed. The source of this river is said

to be situated to the northward of Mookhti, in the direction of

Moostang, and not far from Kagbeeni. Moostang is a place of

some note in upper Tibet, or Bhoot, and twelve journies from Beeni-

shehr. The breadth of the Gunduck is said not to exceed thirty

yards at Beeni. Three journies beyond Mookhtinath is a celebrated

spring or natural reservoir, called Dummodhur-koondeh.

288 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Route from Bulrampore in Oude, 60 coss north of Lucknow, to

Bceni.

To Patun Deby Bhowani; after travelling four coss, you reach

the hills bounding the Turrye and the Vizier’s country in

this quarter; six cosses beyond which is Patun Deby Bho-

wani, belonging to Rajah Douiut Singh, one of the Chow-

beisia. - - 10

To the fort of Jukiana, on a hill; wild rugged country inter¬

sected by streams or torrents; belongs to the Rajah of Khan-

chi, one of the Chowbeisia - 4 munzils, or 30

To the town of Khanchi, a fort on a hill; country as before,

with many springs - 2 munzils, or 17

To the fort of Urghaloor, on a hill, a place of note belong¬

ing to one of the Chowbeisia Rajahs; road over hills and

through valleys. The Rajah of Khanchi’s territory ter¬

minates here - 3 munzils, or 23

To the fort of Moosi-kote, belonging to one of the Chowbeisia;

load as before. At 21 coss the Urghaloor territory ends.

4 munzils, or SO

To Gulkoat: for 9 cosses the territory of Moosi-kote; then you

enter the Gulkoat country. Gulkoat is a considerable fort

and town, the Rajah of it being one of the Chowbeisia.

2 munzils, or 15
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 289

Coss.

To Tambeh-khan, wheie there is a copper mine, belongs to

Gulkoat 10
To Bagloo-ehoor, in a valley, a large town and fort, and very
opulent and populous. First stage mountainous and woody,
next plain. * - 2 munzils, or 15

To Beeni-shehr (crossing the Gunduck or Salegrami, as before)

2 munzils, or 15

Coss 165

III.

Route from Khalmanda to Beeni.

To Noakote, by mount Bheerbundi.

To Geei khoo-tar, whence two roads strike off, one westerly to
Mulli-bum, and another northerly (o Tibet 10
To Sumuri-bhunjan; road through a valley 10
To Pourwa; halfway through the former valley; rest moun¬

tains. 12
To Sulian-tar; half way mountains, then cross by a bridge
over a stream, and proceed in a valley. 10
To Raghapoor; through a valley; cross a large river (I sup¬
pose tiie Gundi) by boats, the Goorkha mountains before

you.
To Gaikhur-iord ; at I coss, a stream; 6 coss beyond which is
Gaikhur, belonging to Kashki.
290 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Coss.

To Poakhra; at 3 coss, cross by a wooden bridge the river

Saite, very deep, but narrow ; belongs to Kashki 8
To Buttola-choor, on the Saite. This place, which is sur¬
rounded by hills, is the residence of the Kashki Rajah. 3

To Surrung-koat, a large town, with a fort on a hill, belongs

to Kashki. 5
To Kashki; very mountainous, both town and fort on a hill. 3
To Pangdhoor; mountainous; fort on a hill; belongs to
Kashki. 10
To Koosmachoor, due west, mountainous. The Modi-nuddi
passing within a quarter of a coss of Koosma, dividing
Kaskhi from Mulli-bum. - 5
To Pang, on the Salegrami, orGunduck; road through a val¬
ley; belongs to Mulli-bum. - - 10
To a small stream at the foot of a hill; all the way moun¬
tainous - - - 15
To a Deoralli; road through a plain or valley well cultivated 10
To Chepia-nuddi, or the river Chepia, which was formerly
the boundary between Goorkha and Loomjoong. Here the
road to Tunhoo strikes off to the right, and that to Loom¬
joong to the left _ 5
To a Deoralli (the 2d), belonging to Loomjoong - 10
To the Mahdi-nuddi, over which there is a wooden bridge;
road through a valley well cultivated with Shall rice 10
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 291

# Ooss*
To Puckbhuja, due west, a large fort, a road through a popu-
lous valley ; belongs to Loomjoong 15
To Ragho-pouwa, through a well cultivated valley, belonging
to Kashki - - 10

To Lamba-khait (as before) - 5

To Beeni-shehr (as before) - 5

Coss J 89

IV.

Route from Beeni-shehr to Chinnachin, the capilat of Jumlah (west)

To Runbang, through a valley - 10

To Boordebang; mountainous and woody; belongs to Mul-

li-bum - 2,0

To Nusi-bhauji; mountainous, with some valleys, 7 journies, or 50

To Bholoo-ghaut (on the Surjeu, orDewa) which separates the
Jehari and Roogum territories, mountainous and woody,
7 journies - - - 50
To the residence of the Rajah of Jliari, or Jehari, 1 journey 7
To Mount Chakhura (or Chakooria) 6 journies - 45
Here the Jumlah territory commences.
To Chinnachin (the capital of Jumlah) 10 journies 75

Coss 250
292 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Jumlah is occasionally distinguished by the appellation ofBawe

Pukuli, in allusion, it is pretended, to its extraordinary population
and military force in ancient times, when the passage of the Rajah’s
army over two and twenty buffalo hides piled one upon another
was sufficient to tread them into one mass. This symbol of power,
however, is no longer applicable to the sovereign of Jumlah,
his country being governed by a Goorkhali Soubah, and himself
being under an honourable restraint at Khatmanda.
Chinnachin is situated in a valley, the north side of which is
bounded by the mountains of Himmadeh. The town stands be¬
tween the Chinnachin and Kurnila rivers, which are said to unite
at a point distant about six journies to the south-west of Chinna¬
chin, and which would appear, from circumstances, to be the Doulu
Basscnder of Rennell. My information, however, respecting this
remote and secluded region, is infinitely too vague to allow of my
building more than a slight conjecture upon it.
The valley of Jumlah is described to be nearly of the same ex¬
tent as that of Nepaul, but to be rather more contiguous to Him-
ma-leh, and more chequered with low hills. The ridge of moun¬
tains immediately to the northward is called Seela-pahar, and
makes part of the greater Himma-leh; for it is proper to observe,
that the appellation of Himma-leh is very commonly bestowed
on the Kuchar mountains; being strictly applicable, as well as
the term Lungoor, to any mountainous tract liable to frequent or
heavy falls of snow. To the north-west the valley of Jumlah is
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. «93

bounded by a mountain whose summit is perpetually covered

with clouds. They sow their rice in Jumlah about the tenth of
Bysack; reaping it about the tenth of Bhadoon. Behadur Shah,
judging from the situation and climate of Jumlah, that the rice of
that valley would be very likely to flourish in England, proposed
to me that the experiment should be made, for which purpose he
promised to forward to Calcutta a large supply of seed in proper
season for dispatching to Europe.
The following route from Noakote to Acham, which would ap¬
pear to be the western extremity of the Bansi is inserted solely
with the view of conveying a loose idea of the general direction of
the road, and of the relative situations of places. The distances
are given in Ghurries (equal to 22j minutes) but are not to be re¬
lied on either in this or any of the other itinera. Besides, it would
not be easy to fix, with respect to a country so little known to us,
on any rule for converting time into road miles, while it would be
altogether impossible for us to reduce these last (though we had
ascertained them exactly) to horizontal distance.

V.

General Route from JVoakole to Acham. Ghurries.

To Noakote-sang6, i. e. the bridge over the Tirsogdgunga,

which is rarely ever fordable
To Samuri-bhunjan - 6
To Pouwa - - -
To Aukhoo-kola, or the river Aukhoo, which you cross. 14
£?94 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Ghurries.

To Sulian-tar, or Sulheyan, plain 1

To the passage over the Gundi (never fordable) - 2
To Sulian-kote, or Gong - - 4
To Goorkha - - - 5\

42

To Goorkha-baisi, on the east bank of the Dhurrumdee

(never fordable) - - 3
To the Bhooshni, or Khar-kola 5
To Abou-wah-baisi - 7
To Kurmi bhunjan, to the left, or south, of which stands
Sig-by-thaneh, (or fort) - 7
To Palsoong-tar - - -3
To Chepia-kola, or the river Chepia 2$
To Soobhoo-tar - - 3
To Tarkhoo-ghat, or the passage over the Mursiangdi (never
fordable) 6
To Lumjoon, or Lumjoong, by the direct road, which is
very wild - -» - 28
To Kurrapoo-tar - - - 29
To the bridge over the Phullia - 2
To Malidi-ghaut, or the passage over the Mahdi, which gives
name to Mahdi-baisi - 25
To Phurha-bhirja-kote, which stands very high over Mahdi-
ghaut 4
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 295

Ghurries.

To Rani-powah, on the Saite-nuddi - 2,5

To Kaiski-shehr ' - 25

To Sulian-tar (the 2d) - - 26

To Mahdi, on the river of the same name - 3

To Kali»nuddi, or the great Gunduck - 3

To Shorah-kani, or the salt-petre works - 32

To Gulkoat-baisi 33

To Moosi-kote - - - 34

The Purthana Territory.

To Dhoor-kotc - - 32
To Bandicote, standing on the side of the Jhoomrukh-nuddi 31
To Purlhana-shehr - - 28
To Mahdi-kola (a small stream) - 29
To Ghiandi-kote - 30

The Sulheyan or Suliana Territory, the Rajah of which is married

to a sister of Behadur Shah.
To Bhala-bang - - 31
To Sulheyan kote - - - 32
To the Behri-nuddi 30
ToJumri-kote - - 28
To Bharia-kote 29
To Rangheya 31
296 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Gburriei.

Urgko Rajah's Territory, now in the possession of the Goor-

khali. The Gherjung-kote road to Jumlah is taken at
that season of the year (the rainy especially) when the
nature of the Kurna-kote road, (which lies through the
Kuchar, or lower hilly tract, and is subject to the Owl,)
renders it impassible.
To mount Chakooria - - 15
To Gurry-gong - - - 16
To Gherjung-kote - - 26
Hence a road strikes off to Jumlah, which is north-west of
Gherjung 14, 15 or 16journies - 27
To the Chinnachin-nuddi - - 27
To Nagoom-kote - - 32

The Jumlah Territory.

To Boodhoong-gong - 29
To Sathi-kote - - - 31
To Pathi-kote - - .27
To Kurna-kote (to the north of this lies Jumlah about

3 journies) - - 32
To the Kurnali-kola - - 34
To Chham-kote - - - 31
To Acham 32
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 297

General Route from, Acham to Serinugur. Ghurries.

From Acham to Dhotee they reckon twelve journies, which,

one with another, may be stated at 24 ghurries, or 2\
miles, making - 288
The greater part of this tract is a close forest lying at the
southern foot of the mountains, and of course almost to¬
tally uninhabited. The forest commences about three
journies west of Acham; and the Jumlah territory ex¬
tends three days further west, or midway between
Acham and Dhotee
From Dhotee to Kemaoon, they reckon it fifteen days jour¬
ney, or (at the same rate) - - 360
From Kemaoon to the borders of Gherwal, they reckon
eleven days, or - - -264

And from the borders of Gherwal to Serinugur, its capital,

nine days, or - - 216

2138

According to the map the horizontal distance between Noakote and

Serinugur is about 500 statute miles ; so that, at this rale, four road
miles give very little more than one horizontal mile. With respect
to the road distance, it can hardly be reduced, when it is considered
that the journey from Nepaul to Serinugur is uniformly between
three and four months, and that the Nepaulians are very sturdy
travellers, being generally in motion about two-thirds, at least, of
298 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

the time between sun-rise and sun-set, and very commonly pro¬
ceeding in that space from thirty to forty miles,
I would propose, therefore, (till we obtain more accurate infor¬
mation), assuming the horizontal distance as laid down by Major
Rennell, and placing the intermediate stations (as enumerated
above) according to the proportionate distance given by the route.

VII.

Account of some of the Rivers which occur in the preceding Route.

I. For an account of the Trisoolgunga see before.

The Aukhoo takes its rise from Mala-bikh, north of Samuri-
bhunjan, about three days, and disembogues itself into the Gundi a
few miles from Sulian, and to the northward of the confluence of
the Gundi and Dhurrumdec.
3. The Gundi, with the source of which I am not clearly ac¬

quainted, empties itself into the Kali-Gunduck (by which name

what we call the Gunduck is usually distinguished, the word Gun-
duck being a general appellation for a river), at Salegratni Neraini,
in the district of Noel-ghurr, S. W. of Deo-ghaut eight good jour-
nies, south of Tunnohoo 3 journies, and south-east of Bootwal
3\ journies.

4. The Dhurrumdee rises in mount Takoo, north of old Goor-

kha 5 journies. It empties itself into the Gundi at Dhoorboong-
ghaut, south of Sulian 2 journies.
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 299

5. The Bhoosni, or Khar-kola, takes its rise at Lakha-joong, a

mountain belonging to the Rooi Bhoat ridge, and north-west of
Ghoorkha. It now runs into the Mursiangdi at Dhandhi-ghaut,
south-west of Ghoorkha-baisi 7 or 8 miles.
Rooi (or snowy) Bhoat is the general name of a range of moun¬
tains to the northward of Old Loomjoong, and in which Luckwa-
bussiari is situated.
6. Chepia-kola. This river issues from Siran-Choak, which lies
three days north of Sig-sig. It empties itself into the Mursiangdi at
Ghai-ghaut, which is about 13 miles south-west of Kurmi-bhunjan.
7. The Mursiangdi rises at Luckwa-bu&siari (mentioned above),
west of Munpang-baisi. It joins the Gunduck near Jogimara Oopa-
drong.
8. The Site, or Saite, rises at Machia Poochur, (or fish-tail snowy
mountains). It empties itself into the Mursiangdi to the northward
of Tarkoo ghaut, or at Kaiphul-ghaut in Lakhajoong-baisi.

VIII.

CROSS POSITIONS.

W. by N. or W. N. W. of Tunnohoo, or Tunnohi, 17 or 18ghurries,

is Bussuntpoor.
N. W. of Bussuntpore 23 ghurries, is Ghainde-kote. ,
S.W. of Ghainde-kote, 1 day, or 29 ghurries, is Reesing.
W. S. W. of Reesing 30 ditto, is Ghering.
W. S. W. of Reesing, also 29 ditto, is Palpa.
30o ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

W. S. W. of Palpa l day, is Bootoul, or Bootwal.

N. N. W. of Gliering, 1 day, or 29 ghurries, is Dhoulle-thaneh.
S.S. W. of Dhoulle-thaneh 16 ditto, is Murkote.
S. of Murkote 1 day, or 26 ditto, is West Noakote.
N. W. of West Noakote 12 ditto, is Urghaloor (in the Purbutty
Rajah’s territory).
S. W. of Urghaloor 29 ditto, is Suttohoo.
S. W. of Suttohoo 30 ditto, is Gurrohoo.
N. of Gurrohoo 12 ditto, is Assoor-kote.
S. W. of GurrohOo 33 ditto, is Py-ying.
W. b.N. W. N. W. of Py-ying 5 ditto, is Ruri-ghaut, where the
Kali-nuddi, or Salegrami, is crossed.
N. of Py-ying 28 ditto, is Urgha.
N.N. E. of Urgha 12 ditto, is Kanchi.
S. W. of Urghti 28 ditto, is Assoor-kote (the 2d.)
W. S. VV. of Assoor-kote 21 ditto, is Purthana.
S. of Purthana 28 ditto, is Oudepore.
W. of Purthana 16 ditto, is Poochi-ghaut, the passage over the
Mahdi-nuddi.
W. of Purthana 25 ditto, is Chowghora.
N. of Chowghora 12 ditto, is Phalabang.
S. of Chowghora 16 or 17 ditto, is Bhoommuri-kote.
S. W. of Purthana 32 ditto, is Soorma-kote, one of the boundaries
of the Dang Sulheyan territory.
W. S.W. of Soorma-kote 28 ditto, is Dang Sulheyan-shehr.
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. SOI

N. N.W. of Dang Sulheyan 14 ghurries, is Behri-kote, on the

Behri-nuddi, the passage over which is Chindra-ghaut.
W. S.W. of Dang Sulheyan So ditto, is Jagher-kote.
W. S. W. of Jagher-kote 15 ditto, is Jehari-kote.
N.N. E. of Jagher-kote 7 ditto, is Moosi-kote.
W. of Jagher-kote 25 ditto, is Jooalamookhi, or Soorujamookhi.
N. of Dang Sulheyan 14 ditto, is Banka-kote.
N. N. E. of Banka-kote, 13 ditto, is Ghurry gong.
N. N. W. of Kurha-kote 30 ditto, is Sujapat.
N. of Sujapat 12 or IS ditto, is Ghum-kote.
W. N. W. of Sujapat 8 or 9 ditto, is Hoomlah-kote.
S. W. of Hoomlah-kote 14 or 15 ditto, is Pangdhoor.
W. N. W. of Pangdhoor 15 or 16 ditto, is Dhoorlong.
S. W. of Dhoorlong 12 or 13 ditto, is Bajoong.
W. N. W. of Bajoong 21 ditto, is Bulliwa.
S. of Bajoong 35 ditto, is Noel-ghurr.
N. W. of Bulliwa 32 ditto, is Singana.
W. of Bulliwa 4 ditto, is Tagoom.
W.N. W. of Tagoom 32 ditto, is Dhoulle-thaneh (the 2d.)
W. S. W. of Dhoulle-thaneh 32 ditto, is Rakhoo-thaneh.
N. B. All this is included in what is called the Bansi.
S.W. of Kaiski-shehr 19 ditto, is Pheroatal, a considerable lake not
less than a mile, or ^ths of a mile across.
N. E. of Kaiski 29 ditto, is another large lake called Roopatal.
S. E. of Kaiski 15 ditto, is BheSgamestal, a third lake.

44
602 ROUTES AND DISTANCES,

And N. W. of Kaiski, 6 Ghurries, is Khahootal, the smallest of the

four lakes which enclose this territory.
The country around Kaiski-shehr is plain or level for the
distance, in every direction, of about 15 or 16 Ghurries. It is in¬
cluded at present in the Nepaul dominions.

IX.

Route from JV'oakote to Joongah, be.

Ghurriei.

To Dhyboon N.b. E. 20
You descend from the town of Noakoteinto Noakote-baisi,
and then proceed along the east bank of theTrisoolgunga :
at the foot of Dhyboon passes the Bettrouilli, which you
cross, and then ascend Dhyboon The town of Dhyboon
stands at some distance below the summit. There is no
material ascent between Noakote-baisi, and the Bettrouilli,
though the road is uneven and bad. The acclivity of
Dhyboon from the Bettroulli is so good that a tolerable
Tanyan may be safely rode the whole way. You are from
3 to 4 ghurries in reaching Dhyboon, after crossing the
Bettrouilli. The Chinese general Thoong Thang did hot
descend below the town of Dhyboon, though part of his
army did.
To Kabhria N.N.W. 12
From Dhyboon to Kabhria, there is neither ascent or
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 303

Ghurries.
descent deserving notice. The road, however, is winding.
Near Kabhria the Nepaulians had an action with the
Chinese.

To Raracha N. b. E. or N. N. E. - - lo
There is an ascent between Kabhria and Ramcha, for three
or four ghurries, but it is not of a difficult nature. This
place is between Dhooncho and Kabhria.
To Sisnia-ooral, N. E. - - 25

The first three or four ghurries from Ramcha, the road

winds round the mountain, after which the whole way is
a descent till you reach Sisnia. The Sisnia-kola passes
this place. It has its rise from the neighbouring mountains
of Lawhribinna, and empties itself into the Trisoolgunga,
but where I do not know. There is a cave here, from
which circumstance the place is distinguished by the
name of Ooral. There are many natural grottos or caves
in these parts which, it is to be remembered, were the
favourite haunts of Mahadeo and other Hindoo deities.
To mount Deoralli, N. N. E. - 22,

The first three or four ghurries, the road winds round

Sisnia bottom. After which the whole way to Deoralli is
anascent. MountDeoralli is one of the peaks ofHimma-leh,
and is among the loftiest of them. The road passes below
it, at the distance of about 3 ghurries from the summit,
304 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Ghurries.

and of course far below the region of snow. There is a

Goopa, Ooral, or cave on the side of it, in which travel¬
lers rest. The Chinese had obstinate action here with
the Nepaulians, over whom, however, they prevailed,
obliging them to fall back to Dhooncho (see next route),
and from thence to Kabhria.
To Russooa, N. N. E. - - 15
This is a Bhootia village, and marks the present limits of
Nepaul in this direction. The first two or three ghurries
of this road is winding, the remainder a descent.
Under Russooa flows a rivulet bearing the same name,
which is passed by a bridge. This stream joins the Tri-
soolgunga at Dhoonghia-sango (Dhoonghia bridge) to
the westward of Russooa. The Nepaulians disputed the
passage of this bridge with the Chinese army during
three days.
To Siaprie, N. N. E. - ,10
The greatest part an ascent and bad road (but out of the
region of snow). The last ghurrie you descend to Siaprie.
To Tiburia, or Temuria, N.N. E. - - 12
Here there is a stream that bears the same name, and
falls into the Trisoolgunga at Dhoonghia-sango, as well
as the Russooa rivulet. Here is a Bhootia village. For
ten ghurries of this road you have a descent, and a very
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 305

Oliurries.

bad one. The Chinese army, in advancing from hence,

was obliged to deviate somewhat from the common track,
which exposed them considerably to the snow.
To Kheroo, N. by E. - - 15

The first five ghurriesof this road is an ascent, part of which

is bad and difficult; the remainder is plain, as you have
now reached the table land of Tibet. Kheroo was once a
large town, but is now rather inconsiderable, having been
laid waste some years since in an incursion of the Kala
Soogpa Tartars, who occupy the country to the north¬
ward of Joongah, and who for some time possessed them¬
selves of Lehassa.
North of Kheroo two or three miles, there passes a small
stream, the bed of which is quite sandy like those of other
plain countries.
You see no snowy mountains from Kheroo in the north
quarter: but you observe them in the south (that is, be¬
hind you), in the west, and in the south-east quarters.
The last of these is the Kooti ridge, beyond which, still
more southerly, you descry a range running in the direc¬
tion of Phullak and Sankia-goombah.
To Kerow-bari, due north 19
Several villages on the road, which is all the way plain.
To Ghiaboo-ooral, due north 2,1
R r
306 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Ghurrie

You meet, with two ascents in this journey, but of no diffi¬

culty. There are no villages, it would seem, on the road.
Ghiaboo-ooral is a small village, near which passes the
Soona-kola, which also has a sandy bed.
To Kookeer-ghautt, N. E. by E. - - 23

Roads rather uneven, but of no great roughness ; a small

stream passes this place, which would appear to be distin¬
guished by the name of Ghautt, on account of its being a
place of resort with the merchants, fcc. and not in its
more obvious and ordinary sense. The term Ghautt, I
am told, is often employed in this quarter to denote a
place of meeting. This was one of the camps of the Chi¬
nese army.
To Joongah, north 24

The road from Kookeer hither consists of several ascents.

This would seem to be a wonderfully elevated spot, and
is perhaps one of the very highest points of Tibet.
There is a lofty hill here on which a fort stands belonging
to the Dalai Lama. It is said to be very strong, consisting
of huge blocks of stone well put together. The Nepaul
army once attacked it, but without success.
The sources of the Boora-gunduck (of the north) are near
Joongah, from the vicinity of which place there would
seem to run a ridge of mountains in a south-easterly
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 307

Ghurries

direction. It is from these mountains that the Boora-gun-

duck springs, winding, in the beginning of its course, in
such a manner as nearly to insulate Joongah. It joins the
Trisoolgunga at Bhalkoo (elsewhere Balchet), where it
also yields its name to that river.
To Ghiboo-gounra, N. E. by E. - 25

Between this place and Joongah the Seesa-kola passes; great

part of the way is descent, the rest plain (there being no
ascent at all).
To Munooaphaut, N. E. by E. - 26
From Ghiboo hither the country is plain. At Munooaphaut
is a Ghyang, or Lama’s residence. Phaut signifies a plain.
They grow here a great deal of the grain called Munooa,
to which circumstance the place is said to owe its name.

Ghurries 279

The halting-stages in this journey are fixed, it not being possible

to rest excepting at the places enumerated. It is, therefore, of ne¬
cessity, a journey of sixteen days (though the distances are very
unequal), unless you choose to join occasionally two days proper
journey together, in which manner travellers sometimes pass from
Noakote to Munooaphaut in ten, eleven, or twelve days.
From Munooaphaut there is said to be a good road to fingrie
308 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Mydoun, or the valley of Tingrie, which occurs in the route to Dig-

gercheh, via Kooti.
The preceding is the route by which the Chinese army pene¬
trated to Noakote in the year 1792.
The following routes to Neel-khent (called also Gussain-than)
are on the authority of a Brahmin who had visited that seques¬
tered but greatly sanctified spot, twenty-one times.

I. Road, to JVeel-khent from Khalmanda, by Nerjah.

Computed Coss.

1st day. To Dherimsilli. N. W. (see Memoir). 2

2d day. To Thansein (village of), to which you descend
after passing over mount Kukauni, north - 5
3d day. To Nerjah, due north - 5
In proceeding to Nerjah, you pass first the Syb-butty, or
Lykhoo, and afterwards the Sooreybutty, or Tadi. These
streams join a little way to the northward of the spot
where the Rajah’s camp was pitched at Noakote.
The Lykhoo has its rise at Linchoogong, issuing from the
peak of the Sindoo. The Tadi (as before mentioned) issues
from Soorey-koondeh, whence it derives its name of Soo¬
reybutty. Nerjah stands towards the bottom of the
north side of the hill, near the summit of which Luchungy
is situated. The Tadi passes through the valley of
Nerjah.
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 309

Coss.

During the violence of the rainy season they cross the Tadi
here over a rope bridge, in preference to using boats, on
account of the rocky bottom and rapidity of the stream.
These bridges are called Joobingga.
4th day. To Yarsa, north - - 6-j
This plain at present belongs to Bhootan. In proceeding
hither from Nerjah, you cross the Pharkoo, or Rachisi-
nuddi of the Shaster. The Deoralli ridge runs to the
northward of Yarsa.
5 th day. To Dhoocho, N. N. E. 5
This is the name by which they distinguish the brows of a
mountain where there is a Goopa, or natural cave, in
which travellers put up. This sort of cave is called
among the Purbutties, Ooral.
6th day. To Dhooncho, N. N. E. - 4
Descending from Dhoocho northerly you come to theTrisool-
gunga, which is crossed here over a rude wooden bridge.
From hence you proceed to Dhooncho, which is situated
on the top of a mountain called Trisool Purput.
7th day. Neel-khent, due east - - 6
The road between Dhooncho and Neel-khent is represented
as being quite level.

Computed Coss 34f

About midway between Dhooncho and Neel-khent you come to

45
310 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Chundunbari, about one coss to the eastward of which (or within

two coss of Neel-khent) is a colossal statue or image in stone of
Ghunnaisi. About another coss to the eastward of Ghunnaisi,
(i. e. one coss west of Neel-khent) is Sersootee-koondeh, into which
runs the water of Bhyroo-koondeh; as that of Neel-khent-koondeh
does into this last. FromSersoote-koondeh issues the Trisoolgunga.
Neel-khent-koondeh is supplied by three streams, or torrents
rather, that come down from the superjacent hills, but their course
from their springs is very inconsiderable,none of the latter being at a
greater distance from Neel-khent-koondeh than a stone’s throw. This
lake is fabled to owe its formation to Mahadeo, who having, at the
celebrated churning of the sea, swallowed something which stuck
in his throat and occasioned the inflammation of that part, accom¬
panied with a burning Beat, retired to the snowy region ofHimma-
leh, where striking his Trisool,or trident, into the ground, he gave
rise to the Trisoolgunga and its lakes. This god is called Neel-
khent (or Blue-neck), in allusion to the effects of the poison above-
mentioned ; and from the circumstance of his having stretched
himself along the lake for the purpose of assuaging the fever he
suffered from, originated those representations of Mahadeo under
the name Neel-khent, which have been sometimes mistaken for the
images of Nerayer.
This is the road to Neel-khent, according to the Shaster (I sup¬
pose the Hemmouret-kund is meant here); the following by
Noakote was made by order of Purthi Nerain previous to his
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 31 i

conquest of Nepaul, and while he resided either at Goorkha or

Noakote.

II. Road by Noakote from Khatmanda. Coss

1st day. Rani-Powah, on the summit of Bheerbundy, north.

2d day. Noakote or Nowakote.
3d day. Dhyboon, N. W. 4

The town of Dhyboon appears to be of some note, being

well inhabited by Bhootias and Purbutties. Before you 0
reach Dhyboon you cross the Pharkoo* (mentioned in
last route), which falls into the Trisoolgunga below Dhy¬
boon ; there being at the confluence a Moorukt of Ramjee.
4th day. Ramcha-gong. This is a Bhootia village; the whole
of the way to it from Dhyboon being described as an easy
ascent. Ramcha stands upon a mountain which appears
to be a continuation of the Dhyboon and Ramcha, and
near the road is Khumhara-ghurr, north-west, - 2
5 th day. Gram or Gurram, east. 2
The road through mountains; the Trisoolgunga winding
below.
6th day. Bhugajoondo, east 2

* I suspect this to be the same with the Bettrouilli. It would appear that you may
either cross or avoid the Trisoolgunga, which runs under Noakote, through the valley
called Gheekhoo-tar. If you pass by the wooden bridge which is thrown over it, about
two coss from Noakote, you have to ascend Dhyboon, I believe, by a different side
from that which is mounted in proceeding by the higher road.
312 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Cos*.

Between Gram and Bhugajoonda is a celebrated cave, un¬

der a considerable eminence, called Thara-ooral, or the
cave of Thara. It is also known by the name of Bhumaka-
goopa. The Trisoolgunga passes below
7 th day. Dheemcha, east - - 2
This is a Bhootia town, containing 700 houses. The
Trisoolgunga passes on the north side of it.
8th day. Dhooncho,* east - - 2
Here the Neijah and Noakote roads meet. The Tri-
soolgunga passes below.
9th day. Neel*khent, as before, east - 6

Coss 20

Almost due east of, but a little more elevated than Neel-khent,
and at the distance of about 1 coss and a half (3 miles), is Soorey-
koondeh, whence the Tadi has its rise.
Below Soorey-koondeh stands another lake called Bheerbhuddur-
koondeh, the water of which has no outlet.
East of Bheerbhudder_koondeh, and situated rather high,isChan-
der- koondeh, a lake, the water of which is represented as communi¬
cating with Neel-khent-koondeh.
Due north of Soorey-koondeh, one coss, is Puncho-pandab-

* The Klieroo road (I am told) strikes off here to the right; they say it is four days
easy march from Dhooncho to Kheeroo. See Route IX.
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 313

koondeh, the water of which gives rise to a river that passes on the
west side of Kooti.
Due north again of the preceding, and at the distance of two coss,
is Gouri-koondeh, which is the Durbar of Himally. Beyond Gouri-
koondeh they pretend it is impossible to proceed, excepting through
aid of the incantations of the Lama who resides here, and who must
be propitiated for the purpose in the manner easy to be conceived.
The water of this Koondeh or lake is stationary, having no commu¬
nication with any other.
Upon the summit to Kerumboo, are five Poakhras (tanks or
lakes), which are supplied with water from springs in an ad¬
jacent mountain called Husteemdchul, which is two coss north of
Kerumboo, and of course situated somewhat higher. 1'his place,
though for the greatest part of the year covered with snow,
produces rice, which, it is pretended, is sown and cultivated by
Mahadeo Purbutty. It is ripe in Sawrun, which is the only time
that travellers can pass, and though it is not produced in sufficient
abundance to satisfy the cravings of the appetite, yet the devout
pilgrims are very well satisfied in securing a few grains.
All accounts agree in representing that after you reach Dhooncho
you have the greatest difficulty in drawing your breath, though you
have no longer to ascend. They do not attribute this effect to the
rarity of the atmosphere owing to the great elevation; but to the
deleterious influence of the Bhyroo-pate, Soan-pate, and other plants
which grow under and about the snow.
S s
314 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

There is a thii road to Neel-khent, or Gussain-than, from Ner-

jah, by Tambeh-Sillar. It is much more direct than the others,
inclining more easterly, but it is so difficult that it is rarely tra¬
velled, and known only to the Bhootiasof that quarter, without hav¬
ing some of whom for guides, &:cv there is no attempting it. It is
one day’s journey from Nerjah to Tambeh-Sillar: and thence ano¬
ther day to Neel-khent, this road joining the rest atBhyroo-koondeh.
The cold of Neel-khent, even in the month of August, is too
severe to admit of the pilgrims resting there beyond a single
day. Avalanches are common in this road, and sometimes ex¬
ceeding dangerous; glacieres both of ice and frozen snow occur also
in various parts of this alpine region. When it is considered that
Neel-khent is visited in Sawrun (or July, August); that the road is
then pas able but with great difficulty, owing to the depths of snow
lying on and at either side of it (but particularly in the hollows
which border on it); that the traveller is subject to fresh and heavy
falls at this time; that the mountain (Jibjibia) inclosing Neel khent
to the southward, or towards Nepaul, is covered with snow to a
considerable depth, from its summit to about midway down on the
Neel-khent side; and that this mountain is not situated in a higher
latitude than 28, we cannot suppose it to be less elevated than the
Peak of Teneriffe. It is not extraordinary that the valley of Ne¬
paul should be discernible from this eminence; but what must we
conclude concerning the elevation of Himma-leh, when we con¬
sider that some ol the peaks of this alpine ridge, which here appear
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 315

interminable, and to be heaped one upon another, seem, according

to the united testimony of several travellers, to be even higher
from this point of view than Jibjibia itself does from Noakote or
Nepaul.

Route from Khalmanda to Diggercheh or Teeshoo Loomboo, by Kooti.

Gooje-serri, near Pusputnath, or Deopatun.

Sankoo, E.N. E. from Khatmanda, about 9 road miles.
Deopoor. This place is situated on a mountain E. by N. of San¬
koo, from 12 to 15 ghurries journey of a person lightly equipped.
There passes near it a pretty considerable stream, called the In-
diani, which rises in Himma-leh and disembogues itself into the
Soan Kousi at Dholat-ghaut. I compute this distance to be
about 14 road miles,
Seepa. This place also stands on a hill E. by N. of Deopoor,
distance 12 or 13 ghurries, i. e. about 13 road miles; you cross
the Indiani in proceeding hence to
Jhari, which is nearly in the same direction, and only 2 ghurries
from Seepa, say E. by N. 2 road miles; a small stream occurs

here.
Choutra, E. N.E. or N. by E. 12 to 15 ghurries, or about 14 road

miles*
Koobindiah, where a little rivulet passes.
Bullephee. Here a larger stream occurs. You then ascend to
Phyria, which is from 12 to 15 ghurries from Choutra; say
316 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

E. N. E. 14 road miles- This place is situated on the side of a

mountain called Laick-patti.
Phaldoo. N. N. E. 12 to 15 ghurries, or 14 road miles.
Laisti. N. N. E. 8 ghurries, or 8 road miles; the present
boundary of Nepaul towards Kooti.
Dhoogna N.N.E. 10 ghurries, 10 road miles. Leaving this place
you cross the Bhootia-Kousi over an iron bridge. This river
issues from Himma-leh, and joins the Soan-Kousi at a town called
Pullinti.
Khusa, or Khussa-goombah, N. E. 20 ghurries, say 19 road miles.
You cross the Bhootia-Kousi two or three times in this day’s
journey.
Chosiong. N. N. E. 12 ghuries, 12 road miles.
Kooti. N. N. E. 12 to 13 ghurries, 12 road miles. The Bhootia-
Kousi runs on the east side of Kooti, and is hereabouts joined by
the Ghuttia-kola, a stream that comes from the westward. Cross¬
ing the Ghuttia you proceed to
Soona-goombah.. E. byN. from 10 to 12 ghurries, say 11 road miles.
Mathie-goombah. N. E. from 14 to 15 ghurries, 14 road miles.
The Bhootia-Kousi winds near the road during the last two
days journey.
Lungoor-phede (or the foot of the passage through the Himma-leh),
east 12 ghurries, i. e. about 12 road miles. The snowy moun¬
tains take hence a very southerly direction. The source of the
Bhootia-Kousi is said to be at no great distance from hence, and
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 317

not far from the springs of the Arun or Aroon, rising at different
sides of Himma-leh. The course of the Bhootia-Kousi is at first
about west, and afterwards generally S. S. W. The Arun takes,
in the beginning, a direction nearly N. E. and describes an asto¬
nishing circuitous course before it discharges itself into the Kousi.
The elevation of the pass over which you proceed through Him¬
ma-leh is very inconsiderable, consequently those stupendous
mountains must tower sublimely over the traveller’s head. De¬
scending its eastern side you proceed to
Lung-kote, E. from 16 to 18 ghurries, or 17 road miles, and about
N. by E. for the last 4 ghurries, or 5 miles. The whole distance
about 2,1 ghurries, or 22 i;oad miles.
Tingri, due east 10 or 11 ghurries, 12 road miles. This place is
situated in the Tingri-mydan, or the valley of Tingri, and stands
upon the Arun. From hence the road to Diggercheh (the
Sgigatchi of Major Rennell) is quite level, and tolerably direct.
From Tingri, the Nepaul army, in its invasion of Tibet a few
years since, proceeded to a station to which, on account of its
bad water, they gave the name of
Ghuttia-pany, due east 15 ghurries, 18 road miles. The Arun
passes also under this station, where its channel is very broad,
though it was not middle deep at the time the Nepaulians
passed this way. From hence they advanced to
Neeka-pany, east 4 ghurries, or 5 road miles. 1 his also was a name¬
less station, which the Nepaulians called Neeka-pany, on account

46
J18 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

of the goodness of its water. The road during this space lies
along the Arun.
Koona-goombah, or Kona-gong, east 16 or 18 ghurries, about 16

road miles. This place obtained its name from the circumstance

of its being situated in the elbow of a small stream. The Arun

passes near it to the northward.

Shikar goombah, N. 2 ghurries, or 3 miles. The army encamped at

Shika-doobhan, or the confluence of the Arun, and another river
that comes from the Shikar-goombah quarter.
Shikar-doobhan, due east (from Koona-goombah), 10 ghurries or

4 computed coss, i. e. not above eight miles. From Shikar-

doobhan, they proceeded to a station which they called Dhain-

baitraKatrakagong(from the circumstance of their having caught

here a great many sheep), due east 10 ghurries, or 10 miles.

This place is situated on the south side of the Arun.

Chho-goombah, east 4 ghurries, or 4 miles. This is a place of con¬

siderable note. It contains a goombah so large, that a company

of sepoys which encamped in it were said to be in a manner

lost.

Choor-balooa, east 4 ghurries, or 3 miles. This is a plain formed

of a kind of quick sand, or, perhaps, quagmire. It is enclosed be¬
tween the Arun and another stream, which unite at its extre¬
mity ; the Arun afterwards pursuing a very southerly course.
The army did not halt here, but continued its march to
Saila-goombah (so named by the Nepaulians on account of the
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 319

white colour of its edifice), east 16 ghurries from Choor-balooa,

and 20 from Chho-goombah, I 6 miles.

Bhyria-gong (or Willow Town), north, 10 to 12 ghurries, 12

miles. The Nepaul people gave the name of Bhyria to this vil¬

lage on account of its abounding in willows.

From Bhyria-gong proceeded to within ghurry, or i£ mile of

Sankia, east from 10 to 12 ghurries, or 11 miles, encamping in a

valley. From thence marched beyond Sankia, east 3 ghurries, or

3 miles, near a stream.

Ekela-goombah, east 7 or 8 ghurries, then turning north for 8 or 9

ghurries, on the whole 16 or 17 ghurries, or 18 miles. This place

obtained its name from the Nepaulians, on account of its standing

alone.
Shangooko-baisi, E. by N. or E. N. E. 12 or 13 ghurries, or 14 miles.

This place is near a large stream (name not mentioned), over

which there is a wooden bridge, from whence it derives its name.

Lollpehar, east 10 or 11 ghurries, 12 miles. There is a little ascent

to Lollpehar (so named from the red colour of its soil), after pass¬

ing which you have a fine plain all the way to Diggercheh.

Kaghez-goombah, east 15 coss, 25 miles.

Diggercheh, or Teeshoo Loomboo, east 8 or 9 ghurries, 10 miles.

North of Diggercheh, or Teeshoo Loomboo, at the distance of

about 3 miles, runs the Berhampooter.

125-j computed road miles from Chho-goombah.

186^ from Tingri.

320 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

25 7 \ f rom Kooti.
398^ from Khatmanda.

Route from Khatmanda to Kooti and Shikargong, the same, in point

of general direction to Kooti, as the preceding, but exhibiting some
different stages. Ghurries.

ToChabehal, on the west bank of the Dobi-kola (cross it). 3

To Sankoo - 8
To Deopoor (Mount), N. E. descent - 3
To Indiani-nuddi (cross) - 4
To Seepa (Mount), ascend from the Indiani - 15
To Jhari-kola (descend, cross) - -3
To Bhootia-3eepa, or Choutra, (ascend) - 16
To Miangdia-kola (cross) - - 10
I bis river issues from 'Mount Dooskoon, south-east of
Bhootia-Seepa.
To Phyria-ghaut (road along the bank of the Miangdia) 12
To Kunsa (ascend) - 3%
To Laick-patti, 5 or 6 ghurries (ascent, rest winding, and a
little descent) - - 16
To Plialdoo (descend) - -4
To Laisti-kola (road through a valley) - 3
To Dhara-puni-gong - - 10
To Dhoogna-gong - - - 9
To Bhootia-Kousi (cross over an iron bridge) - 9
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 321

G hurries.

The Bhootia-Kousi rises in Bhag-Bhyroo, or Bhyroob

Lungoor. It joins the Soan-Kousi at Ramcha-goomany,
a village to the south east. Bhag-Bhyroo is to the N. E.
of Kooti.
To Khussa-goombah (ascend 5 ghurries, 2 or 3 winding) 8
To Salia-ooral (or goopah) ascent, winding, and descent 7
To Bhysia-kola (cross) - 8
Rises east of Dhoomung Mount, north-east of Bhootia-
seepa, not properly in Himma-leh. It most probably
falls into the Bhootia.
To Kohunnia-burri-ung (named from the extraordinary dif¬
ficult nature of the road) - 5
To Chosiong village, moderate - - 3

To Rani-ooral, or goopah, ditto - - 4

To Old Kooti (an ascent all the way) - 4
To Bheemal Deoralli (chiefly descent) - 2
To Kooti proper (partly an ascent) - - 3
To Ghuttia-kola (passes to the north west of Kooti) 1
No place appears to be so difficult as Kooti, all round is
below it. It flows from the bottom of Kala-Bhyroob
mount, which is not two days from Kooti. It is in Him-

ma-leh.
To Ghuttia-ghurry, on the west side of the Kola, then cross

the Ghuttia
1' t
322 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

G hurries.

To Bheemul-ghurry (some ascent) - -

To Soona-goombah, 3 or 4 ghurries ascent, afterwards some
plain - 8

To Chaprong, or Suabrong-goombah - 10

2 ghurries ascent, G or 7 ditto winding, and 2 ditto descent.

To Dheramsilla-phede, a kind of Serai at the foot of Kala

Bhyroob ridge (road moderate, mixed) - 21

To Kala Bhyroob Lungoor Bhenjang (or hollow) 16

This is the passage through Himma-leh; all the way as*
cent; if you rest here it must be in a cave. From the
Bhenjang you have the Himma-leh on your right and
left (the face to Lehassa, and back to Khatmanda), whose
peaks appear just over the head. There is sometimes, as
you pass, snow lying on the Bhenjang, but not usually.
The ridge on the right runs towards the Deb Rajah’s
country, that on the left comes from Kheeroo, &c.
To Shikar-goombah, moderately easy road ; a stream called
Reenoo passes to the westward of Shikar, which is passed
in proceeding to Shikargong. It issues from the north¬
east of Sankie-goombah 17

To Shikargong (a fort), a plain 17

To the west of Shikargong passes a stream. The road to

Lehassa, Diggercheh, &c. strikes off from Shikar-goombalu

Ghurries 265^
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 323

Route from IChalmanda to Bejapour.

Ghurries.

The Bhagmutty

To Teemi 2
To the Munnokra-nuddi 3
To Bhatgong - • 6

To Bhatia-dekhura Ik
To Sanga-bunjan n
To Bunepa 3
To Dhoolkill 4
To Bhouwerkote 6
To Pallangchoki-baisi 3

To Mookhpa 4
To Dholat-ghaut (over the Soan-Kousi) r»
O

Dholat is two short journies S. S. E. of the conflux of the

Soan and Bhootia Kousi. Here the Indiani joins the

Kousi

To Ukhurriaghaut (Soan-Kousi) 4

To Aumchoak-ghaut (Soan-Kousi) 3

To Teemul-baisi 4

To Mujhoowa-ghaut (Soan-Kousi) 5
To Dhooinjah-baisi 3

To Jubaka-ghaut (Soan-Kousi) 5

To Sitki-ghaut (Soan-Kousi) G

To Pooch-hi-ghaut 7
324 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Ghurries

To the confluence of the Tambeh-Kousi with the Soan-

Kousi (at Beni) - 5

To Koorkoat-ghaut - - 4
To Hurdiani-ghaut - 6
To Kang-sang-ghaut - 7
To Soroong-baisi - - 8
To Jallookiani-ghaut - * 5
To Namdhoo-ghaut - - 3

To Nepaul-t&r - - 7
To Lubsi-ghaut - - 4
To Cheebhoo-tar - 8
To Seroong-baisi (the 2d) * - 7
To Teen Patn - - 3

To the confluence of the Dhoodh-kousi (at Koosumptar) 4

To Sarsoo-baisi 5
To Hurdiani-ghaut (the 2d) - 5-§-
To Seering-ghaut - 5
To Puncha-kunnia-deepha (a remarkable rock in the bed of
the Kousi) 5

To Ghoomounia-ghaut - - 4

To Ohdhang-ghaut - 7

To the conflux of the Arun and Soan-Kousi - 7

To Ukhurria-ghaut (the 2d) - - 5

To the Tumboor (i. e. the confluence of the Tumboor and

Soan-Kousi, at Tambra-phede) - 26
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 325

Gharries.

To Koka-kola - - 28
To Barah-chattra - 28
To Chattra-ghaut (on the Kousi) - 5
To Bejapour - - - 16

294*

In favourable weather this is a 10 or 12 days journey at

a medium.
Route from Bejapour to Dalimcote.

To Sangoori-ghutiy - - 16
To Dunh Koota (1 day) - - 32
To Chhoornling - 34
To Lebhoora - 16
To Aukhibooi - - 16
To Chinepoor - - - 13
To Noondhaki (i day)
To Chinggya (1 day)
To Phoong-goora-ghaut (1 day), on the Tumhoor
To Taplejoong - - - 16
To Khanwa-kola * - 16
To Chhung-tapoo (1 day) - - 30
To Sree-limbha (l day) - 30
To Kelekhma-kola * * 18
To Sikhem - * - 16

47
326 ROUTES AND DISTANCES.

Ghurri
To Chakhoom (1 day) - 32
To Nanghia-labhia - - 21
To Gundhoop - . 18

At the confluence of the Dewa and Teesta; the conflux is

to the south-east.
The Dewa issues from Phunijoong, a snowy mountain, si¬
tuated S. S. E. of Tingri, about 16 or 17 ghurries. E.S.E.
of Phunijoong one day, or 25 ghurries, is Chownri-golUh
mountain, a continuation of the former, whence the Teesta
rises, and also the Tumhoor. The Teesta comes from the
north east, and the Tumhoor from the south of the
mountain. S. E. of Chownri (9 or 10 ghurries) is Ecrony-
golah, a great mart: and S. S. E. of Ecrony, 12 or 13
ghurries, is Singhi Maligda, near the Bengal frontier, ano¬
ther considerable mart.
Going by Gundhoop, you have to cross both streams sepa¬
rately ; proceeding below Gundhoop you cross only the
united streams, under the name of Teesta
From Gundhoop to Dalimcote - . $2
Though Dalimcote appears near from Gundhoop

336

The Kousi is navigable from Dholat-ghaut to Khoorkut-ghaut,

which is within three hours journey of Bejapour. It may be as-
 ROUTES AND DISTANCES. 327

cended even against the stream, the banks being in some places
either so low, or having such good pathways along the brink of the
river, as to admit of tracking, while in other places there is so little
current, that oars and luggus* may be used. Between Khoorkut-
ghaut, and the junction of the Soan and Dhoodh Kousi, there are
some cataracts which render the further navigation impracticable.

• These are long bamboos, by means of which the boatmen push the boats along in
the shallow water.
.
 [ 329 ]

ITINERARY,
Containing the Bearings and Distances of the various Towns, Villages,
8$c. 8$c.; which occurred in Colonel Kirkpatrick’s Route from
Munniary to Khdtmundii, and from thence back to Segouly.

1793.
February. Names of Peaces. Distance Beatings. Rivers. Course. Barom. Rernaiks.

M. F.
Munniary
Russelpore 2 4 N 10 E
Bhdgmutty R. 1 5 N 75 YV Bhagmutty S 22 YV . . Fordable in the dry
13th. Kurrttrbunna 1 0 N 76 YV . . • • 29.94 season.

5 1

Purtai or Butlay 0 5 N 37 YV
Chandnouti 1 2 N 37 YV
Patra 1 1 N 37 YV
Peepra 1 0 N 60 YV
Bukkia river C 0 N 60 YV Bukkia . . . . Fordable
Beeriay 2 0 N 79 YV
Chynepoor 3 0 N 51 YV
14th. Kuchoortva 2 0 N 47 YV . . . • 29.96

13 0

Surajepoor 1 4 N 15 YV Loll Bukkia • • . . 1

Kuchoorwa ou the
Bowanpore 2 4 N 11 YV East.
Jumni Nulla 1 4 N 10 F. Jumni S 58 YV . . i
Putra 1 7 x 11 r;
15th lCth Bharia-ghurry 3 3 N 10 E . . . ■ 29.85

10 6

17th. Soophyc 3 3 Nr 23 E Jumni 29-84'

crossed, once a lit¬
j
tle to the north of
i
Batch,andasecond
time about a mile
j
1 from Soophye.

U u
33 o ITINERARY

1793.
February. Names of Places- E istance. Bearings. Rivera. Course. 1 Jarom. Remarks.

M. F.
18 th. hurjbftry 10 0 1ST 5 W 1 lillarie 29.63 ibe Billaric winds
along the south
< small rivulet 2 0 V 40 W side of the Forest.
3ed of the Stikti 4 0 M 56 W
3eginningofPass 1 3 ^ 17 E
19th. Hump 2 4 M 67 E «iukti s 67 w 28.91

9 7

n the bed of the

Sukti 1 0 N 22 E
Commencement
of the ascent
and spring of
the Sukti 1 4 N 45 E
Top of the Hill 1 4 N 56 E
Kurra Nulla' 2 0 N 45 E Kurra W 20 S • . Fordable.
Muckwanpoor- 0 4 N 46 E • • • , . • • N 75 E of this place,
m4ri and at the distance
of 3 miles, is the
fort of Muckwan¬
poor, situated on
Nulla 1 4 N 45 E the summit of a
Nulla 1 0 N 79 W mountain.
Kurra Nulla 1 2 N 48 W Kurra w 10 s • • Fordable.
20. to 22. Etonda, or Het-
inclusive towra 1 6 N.42 W • • • • 28.55 Variable weather.

12 0

Rapti 1st pas-

sage 2 0 N 16 E
2nd 0 5 N 6 E
•3rd 0 4 N 9 E
4th 1 1 N 5 E
5th 0 2 N 10 E
6th 0 4 N 11 E
7th 0 5 N 55 W
8th 0 2 N 32 W
9th 0 3 N 31 W
10th 0 1 N 10 E
11th 0 2 N 32 E
12th 0 2 N 29 W
13 th 0 1 N 87 E
14th 0 2 N 18 E
15th 0 4 N 86 E
16th 0 2 N 80 E
17th 0 5 N 76 E
18th 0 4 N 20 E
19th 0 7 N 16 E
 ITINERARY 331

17W.
February. Names of Places. [distance. Bearings. Rivers. Course. Barom. Remarks.

M. F.
23rd. Camp 2 6 N 50 E . . . • • • 27-41

12 6
Summit of Dho-
ka-phede l 6 N 69 E
Bheem-phede 1 2 N 74 E
Cheesapany fort 2 4 N l6‘ W • • • • • • 24.63
Cheesapany
spring 0 4 N 29 E • • • • • • 24.43
Summit of the
Mountain 1 1 N 30 E • • • • # # 24.13 estimated; the sum-
mit of the pass
over the mountain
End of descent 2 4 N 41 E Kan-kola N 41 VV is here meant.
Tambeh kan, or
Kowli-kan Vil. 0 6 N- 40 E • • • # # 25.50
24th. Camp 1 0 • Kan-kola N 53 w

11 3

Rising Ground 0 5 N 53 E
Markhoo 0 4 N 10 E
Small Hill and
Nulla 0 6 N 20 E Kan-kola, or
Markhoo-
Beginning of as- kola
cent 0 7 N 14 W
End of the Hill
and Nulla 2 5 N 41 E Branch of E 10 s
Kan-kola
Village 0 2 N 40 E
Chitlong Town 1 1 N 14 E • • • . # 25.32 Chandraghiri
mountain, bearing
25th 26th Camp o 6 N 13 E N 44 E.

7 4

South foot of the

Doona-baisi
mountain 0 4 N 4 W branch of do. S
Endof 1st Ascent 1 2 N 1 VV
End of and As-
cent or summit
of Doona-baisi
mountain 1 0 22.50 estimated.
Commencement
of the descem 0 4 N 4 E
Vil. on the Hill 2 6 N 6 VV
Carried over 6 0
332 ITINERARY

17M- 1
February. Names of Places. distance. Hearings. Rivers. Course. Barom. Kt,narks.

M. F.
Bt. over 6 0
2nd Village 1 2 N 4 W
Bottom of the
mountain 0 3 N 5 W Nulla w
27 th Camp in t he
Doona-baisi 0 1 N 5 W 26.50 (estimated) The vil¬
lage of Pussan-kheil
7 6 S 15 W of Camp
furlong.
Shoulder of 1st
Hill 0 4 N 45 E
Mahaise R., and
commencement
of the Ascent 1 6 N 22 E Mahaise w 9 S
Village 0 6 N 15 W
Summit of the
Hill 1 0 N 17 W
28th. Bottom of ditto 1 2 N 22 W Kolpoo w 5 S
Camp 0 6 N 11 E

6 0

Beginning of the
ascent of Mt.-
Koomhara 0 2 N 24 W
Top of 1st Hill 1 4 N 25 W
Beginning of 2nd
Hill 1 2 N 15 E
Summit of ditto 0 7 N 16 E # 24.22 estimated
End of 1st de-
March scent 1 6 N 30 W
1st. Camp in the
Builkote valle) 2 4 N 17 E Small Nulla N 5 E The village of Bail-
kote bore from
8 1 Camp VV N YV 1
mile on the top of
the mountain.
Bottom Qf the
Hill 1 2
West pt of Mud-
denpoor Hill 0 6 N 42 W
Tadi River 0 4 N 36 E Tadi w 15 S
2d to 15th CampintheNoa-
inclusive kote Valley 2 0 N 34 E • • • 28.24 The town of Noa-
* * *
kote on the top of
4 4 the Hill N 8 W 1 j
mile.
 ITINERARY 333

Tnm. Noakote to Sumbhoo-nath.

1
1793.
March. Names of Places. Distance. Bearings. Rivers. Course. Barom. Remarks.

M. F.
Tadi River 0 4 S <>4 E Tadi W 20 S
Simloora Nulla 0 4 S 57 E Sindoora W 17 s
Beginning of as¬
cent 1 2 S 51 E
Custom House 1 6 S 6l E
16 th. M4lia rany-ka
Powah 3 0 S 31 E 24.28 Summit of Mount
Bbeerbundy.
7 0

Angle of the Hill 1 0 S 56 E

Summit of ditto 1 4 S 48 E
is Kowhila Peak.
House on the
top of2nd Hill 2 4 S 43 E
Beginning of
descent 1 4 S 9 E
End of ditto 0 6 S 20 E Bishnmutty W 10 s
Dherim-tulla 1 6 S 21 E
17th. Bald Neel-khent 1 4 SllE Bishnmutty • • • 25.80

10 4

18 to 23 Temple of Sum¬
inclusive bhoo-nath 1 4 S 12 E • • 25.87

From Sumbhoo-nath to Segouly, on the return.

Bishnmutty R. 0 4 S 52 E Is
Khatmdndd 0 2 S 52 E
Bhagnautty R. 1 2 S 12 E • . YV 10 S
Patn or Paiun 1 0 S 14 E

3 0

Nukhoo Nulla 0 6 S 20 W YV
Small Village 1 2 s 19 vv
Koakna Village 0 4 S 5 E
Bhdgmutty Hill 0 2 S 20 W
Bhagmutty Ford 0 6 S 39 YV
Village l 6 S 50 YV
Phurphing 1 6 S 80 YV . . • . . . 25.00

7 0

48
334 ITINERARY

1793.
March. Names of Places. Distance. Bearings. Rivers. Course. Barom. Remarks.

M. F.
Small nulla 0 6' s 70 W
Top of 1st Hill 1 0 s 71 w
Foot of ditto 0 6 s 75 W
Top of 2nd ditto 1 0 S 70 vv
Foot of ditto 1 0 S 61 w
Top of 3rd Hill 0 6 S 75 w
Top of 4th Hill 0 4 S 7 6 VV
Gow-lhati 0 3 N 22 W
Camp in the See-
26th. bhoo-dhoal Val. 0 5 • • • • • • • • 24.48
6* 6
Top of 1st Hill 0 7 N 59 W
Foot of ditto 0 4 N 23 W
Khurgoo Village
2nd Hill 0 6 N 56 VV
Top of 3rd Hill 1 0 S 42 W
End of 1st de-
scent I 1 S 22 W
Ditto of 2nd do. 0 4 S 42 VV
Trees 0 3 S 38 VV
Last descent 0 5 S 20 W
Tambeh-kan N. 0 4 N 45 VV
Former Ground 0 2 S 50 VV
Village of Tam-
beh-kati 0 7 S 54 W
27th. Camp at N. foot
of Cheesapany 0 6 . . . • • • • 25.50

Summit of Chee- 8 1
sapany Hill 2 4 S 40 W
Cheesapany Spr. 1 0 S 29 w 24.63
28th. Ditto Fort 0 4 S 29 vv

4 0

1st precipice 1 0 S 25 E
2nd ditto 1 0 S 20 E
Bheem-phede 0 4 S 45 W
Dhoka-phede 1 4 S 75 VV
Old F.ncampmt. 1 4 s 70 VV Rapti . # Crossed three times.
29th. Nimboo-tar 2 4 S 53 W • • • • • 27.60

8 0 •
Crossed Rapti
1st time Close to Camp.
2nd 1 0 S 15 VV
3rd 0 4 S 20 VV
4th 0 6 S 78 VV
5th 0 3 W 8 N
Carried over 2 5
 ITINERARY. 335

1793.
March. Names of Places. Distance. Bearings. Rivers. Course. Barom- Remarks.

M. F.
Bt. <fvtr 2 5
6th 0 4 w 5 S
7th 0 2 s 20 W
8th 0 1 w 3 S
9th 0 2 s 30 E
10th 0 1 s 30 VV
11th 0 1 s 11 W
12th 0 2 s 33 E
13th 0 4 s 33 E
14th 0 3 s 56 E
15th 0 4 s 11 W
l6th 0 3 5 9 W
17th 1 0 s 4 W
18th 0 5 s 10 w
30 th. 19th 0 4 s 5 W
Hettowra 28.55

8 1

Separation of the
road 0 2 s 10 E
Kurra Nulla 0 6 s 10 W
Dry Nulla 1 0 s 20 W
Rising Ground 0 4 s 10 W
Dry Nulla 1 2 s 70 W
Entrance of Pass 1 2 s 25 W
Springs and end
of Pass 1 4 s 28 W
2 5 s 28 VV
Semul Bass 2 0 s 17 E
Joona Nulla 0 6 s 63 W
Purrewa-bbeer 0 3 s 62 W
• • ♦ • 0 3
31 st. Camp at Bechi-
acori 0 6 s 23 VV -• • • • • • 28«85

13 3
Commencement
of the Forest 0 2 s 25 W
N4gsoti Nulla 2 6 s 82 W
1 2 s 20 W
Dry Nulla 1 2 s 40 VV
Addha-bhar 1 0 s 4 W
Paunchgauchy 1 6 s 8 VV
, . „ • 1 0 s 5 VV
0 4 s 80 VV
Semul Bass(2d.' 2 0 s 65 VV
April Gurooka 1 6 s 30 W
1st. Goorpussra 0 6 s 65 VV • • • * * 29.57

14 2

• A distance is occasionally given without the name of a place, merely to shew the variations
of bearing.
330 ITINERARY

1703.
April. Names of Places. Distance, Bearings. Rivers. Course. Barom, Remarks.

M. F.
Amouli 1 0 s 35 W Nulla
Persa 1 0 s 26 W
Pinnera 1 0 s 15 W
Village l 0 s 9 w
Bank of the De-
har 2 0 3 8 w
Beheera R. 1 4 s 17 E
Ullowii Fort 0 3 s 17 E
Ditto Village 0 6 s 11 E
Ekdurra 2 4 s 17 E
Jakiany 1 4 s 4 W The last village in the
Nepaul territory.
2nd. Dhoulye Denher 3 2 s 22 VV • • • • . 29.55

13 7

Tillawe 2 0 s 17 W
Large Tank 2 0 s 34 W
Bela 0 4 s 9 E
A Jheel or Lake 2 2 s 21 W
Boori Ounduck 2 0 s 15 W
3rd Segouly 1 0 s 15 W . . . . . . 29.58

9 6
APPENDIX.
 [ 339 ]

APPENDIX. No. I.
Extract from a Memorial of the Court of Khatmandu, relative to the Origin
of the War with Tibet.

In ancient times there subsisted a close union between the Rajahs of Nepaul
and Bhoat (i. e. Tibet); when the pure Mehnder-mulli of the coinage of the
former country, was the current money of the latter. During the respective
reigns, however, of Rajah Jy Purkaush Mull, the sovereign of Nepaul, and of
Rajah Runjeet Mull, the ruler of Bhatgong, the Mehnder-mulli became
much debased, the consequence of which was, that at the period Nepaul
passed into the possession of the Goorkha, Bhoat was full of this base
coin. The Maharajah (i. e. Pirthi Nerain) immediately put a stop to this
improper practice, sending, at the same time, a friendly deputation to
Bhoat, for the purpose of stating the mischievous consequences that would
ensue, were it persisted in ; and of engaging the Lamas to revert to the
ancient usage, by giving circulation only to a pure currency.
To this representation the rulers of Bhoat replied, that the amount of
base Mehnder-mulli then in their country was very considerable ; that the
suppression of it would consequently be attended with great loss to their
people ; and that therefore they could not agree to the introduction of
the pure Mehnder-mulli proposed by the Maharajah, but must desire
that the Goorkhas would continue to supply them with the adulterated
coin.
Nine or ten years elapsed in this negociation between the two govern¬
ments, without their being able to fix on any plan of accommodation.
At length the Goorkha envoy proposed, that, as they could not stop the
circulation of the base coin with which they had been supplied, they
340 APPENDIX. No. I.

should, at least, establish a just rate of exchange, between the base and
pure coinage, to the end that the merchants of either country might stand,
in their commercial transactions, on the same‘fooling as formerly. The
Bhootias, however, would by no means consent to such a regulation; but,
on the contrary, absolutely directed, that the base and genuine money
should be considered, in all negociations of trade, as one and the same;
the consequence of which was, that for three or four years there was no
sort of traffic carried on between the two countries. The circulation of
the Nepaulian coin accordingly ceased (i. e.inTibat). The Goorkha, never¬
theless, continuing to retain his friendly disposition towards the Bhootias,
endeavoured to prevail on them to depute some respectable person to the
common boundary, there to meet, and, in concert with, deputies from Ne-
paul, devise some arrangement for the mutual benefit of the two states, as,
without aspeedy adjustment of the matter,it was evident that the trade of the
two countries must inevitably be ruined. ‘The Bhootias, however, were so
far from listening to this reasonable proposal, that they, on the contrary,
sent word vauntingly to the Goorkha, that they had constructed a new
road through the plain or valley of Tingri; that they were establishing
a post on the common frontier ; that they had assembled an army of
125,000 men, and that, if the Goorkha wished for war, he was welcome to
advance.
Notwithstanding, however, their obstinate refusal to settle this point
amicably, and the menacing countenance which they had assumed, the
Goorkha, aware of their dependence on China, and, on that account, con¬
sidering that it would be improper to commence hostilities against them,
determined to transmit a representation of the whole to the Emperor,
which accordingly, together with letters to the Chinese governor, or re¬
sident of Lhasseh, and to the Lamas of Diggercheh and Sankin, he dis¬
patched to Lhasseh, whence, however, the hearers of these letters were
not permitted by the rulers there to proceed, hut, together with the me¬
morial for the Emperor, were sent back to Nepaul.
Hereupon the Goorkha again addressed the Bhootias, informing them,
that however desirous he was of avoiding hostilities, yet, as their dispositions
 APPENDIX. No. I. 341

were very different, he had determined to meet them, and would therefore
send his army into their country, where, if they pleased, they might fight
it; and, in fact, teazed by the provoking conduct of the Bhootias, he did
accordingly send a force to invade Bhoat; into which, after some opposi¬
tion, they penetrated as far as Shikargong, which being a place of
strength, detained the Goorkha army before it; during which period the
Bhootias attempted its relief three or four limes, but without success, being
repulsed by the Goorkhalies on every occasion.
In this conjuncture, some persons of rank on the part of the Teeshoo
Lama, and Sankia Lama, came into the Goorkha camp, saying that they
would accommodate the disputes with the Bhootias ; and desiring that
hostilities might cease. The Goorkha commander replied to these depu¬
ties, that his government had originally wished for nothing so much as a
firm union with the Bhootias ; but that the Lhasseh people being of a differ¬
ent mind, had occasioned the Goorkhali’s army being where they found it.
He added, that if the Lamas wished to mediate a peace, it was well; and
that, to bring about such an event, the best means would be to engage the
Lhasseh government to send a respectable deputation, either to Kooti or
to Kheeroo ; where being met by the deputies on the part of the Goorkha,
the existing disputes might be amicably adjusted. The two Lamas engaging
to this effect, the Goorkha army raised the siege of Shikargong, and retired
in separate bodies to Kheeroo, to Kooti. and to Phullak, where they took
up their quarters.
In the mean time the Emperor of China, being advised of these occur¬
rences, in detail, the consequence was, that Chanchoo, a military com¬
mander, with three or four Umbas, or general officers, and a large force,
arrived at Lhasseh, when the Pootla Lama of Lhasseh, and the Lamas of
Diggercheh (t. e. Teeshoo Lumboo) and Sankia, represented to him candidly,
that they had been in fault; that they were on the point of accommodat¬
ing matters with the Goorkha, and of deputing to Kheeroo, for that pur¬
pose, some of their principal people. They therefore proposed to him to
remain in the interim, where he was ; upon which he said unto them, “ Dis¬
patch this business immediately.” Accordingly several persons of dis-

49
342 APPENDIX. No. I.

tinction, to the number of fifteen or sixteen, among whom were the father
of Teshoo Lama, the Sankia Lama, the great Kaji, or minister of Lhasseh
(viz. Kaji Dhooreen), and the Khuzanchie, or treasurer, Dybuk, repaired
to Kheeroo, where they were met on the part of the Goorkha by
Shamerpa Lama, Bern Shah, Tuksali Hurrihur Opadiah, Ner Singh
Sehai, and four or five other men of rank ; Chanchuo about the same
time entering Shikargong.
The negociations commenced, by the Nepaul deputies representing that
it had been entirely owing to the unreasonable proceedings of the Bhootias
that the Goorkha army had penetrated into Tibet ; that this measure had
been attended with great expense to the Goorkha; besides which, lacks
of rupees had been lost to the Nepaul state, owing to the communication
with Bhoat having been shut for the last eight or ten years; during which
period there had been a stop both to the operations of trade and of the
mint. They concluded with demanding, as a preliminary, satisfaction or
security for the amount of these losses. The Bhootias confounded by these
just representations, replied, it was exceedingly likely, that their mutual
disputes had occasioned the expenditure of large sums ; for which, how¬
ever, it was not in their power to make any restitution. On this the
Nepaul deputies urged it strenuously to the Lamas of Diggercheh, and
Sankia, and to the Shamerpa Lama, to decide who was in fault; bind¬
ing themselves, should they be pronounced to have been the aggressors,
to reimburse Lhasseh all its expenses ; Lhasseh stipulating, on the other
hand, to reimburse the Goorkha, provided the Bhootias were found to
blame.
The end of these discussions was, that the Lhasseh government was con¬
victed of being the aggressors ; and even acknowledged itself in the
wrong: pretending, however, that they had not the means of making the
Goorkha the compensation demanded, they required him to abate of his
demands, when they would satisfy him. Hereupon the Goorkha deputies
proposed to accept fifty lacks, on payment of which, the ancient boundaries
of the two states should be re-established. In the event of their being unable
to pay this sum, is was proposed that Lhasseh should cede to the Goorkha
 APPENDIX. No. I. 343

all the countries south of Lungoor (i. e. the snowy mountains*) which had
fallen into his hands. In case neither of these proposals should be
acceptable, the Goorkha deputies agreed to receive an annual tribute of one
lack of rupees from Lhasseh. Not one of these several propositions would
the Bhootias accede to. Hereupon Chanchoo deputed Mon Tajeen and
Tank Tajeen, with a military force, to Kheeroo, where, when these two
Umbas arrived, they set about investigating the merits of the quarrel
between the Goorkha and Bhootias. The result was, that the Bhootias were
again convicted of being the aggressors, that the Chanchoo was incensed
against them, and that the Lhasseh government consented to pay the
Goorkha annually fifty thousand rupees, executing a written instrument
to this effect, and calling upon the gods to witness the engagement. The
Umbas, upon the conclusion of this treaty, repaired to Lhasseh, whither
also the Kaji of Lhasseh and the Lamas of Diggercheh and Sankia
returned, after paying the first year’s tribute into the Goorkha’s treasury,
from which they took a formal receipt. Hereupon the Bljarchdars of
the Goorkha evacuated Kheeroo, Kooti, Joongah, and Phullak, and returned
to Nepaul; at which time the Goorkha sent a deputation, consisting of
Hurry and Bhulbudder Khuwas, and five and twenty others, with presents,
and an Arzee to the Emperor of China. When this deputation passed
through Diggercheh, Chanchoo dispatched along with it an Umba of his
own family ; the whole arriving at Pekin the sixth month, and remaining
there five and forty days, in which period they were admitted fifteen times
to an audience. At the end of forty-five days they were all honourably dis
missed with suitable presents ; and charged with a Firmaun to the Goorkha,
conveying to him a title and dignity, together wjth a splendid dress, and
honourable presents. This deputation was absent (reckoning from the
day of its departure from Nepaul to the day of its return thither) just
fourteen months.

This is not the place to offer any comment on the preceding

narrative. It is sufficient to observe here, that the Bhootias soon dis-

* See the Map.

344 APPENDIX. No. I.
continued to pay the tribute settled by treaty, never, indeed, discharg¬
ing more than one year’s amount. The consequence was a renewal of
the hostilities, which terminated in the invasion of Nepaul by a Chinese
force, and the subsequent submission of the Goorkha to the Emperor’s
authority.
 [ S15 ]

APPENDIX. No. II.

OFFICIAL PAPERS AND LETTERS, RELATIVE TO COLONEL

KIRKPATRICK’S MISSION TO NEPAUL.

A.
Particulars relative, to the Origin of the War between the Emperor of China
and the Rajah of Nepaul. From a paper [in Persian) communicated by
Mr. Duncan.

The Teslioo Lama having, towards the end of Mr. Hastings’s govern¬
ment, proceeded to Pekin, at the invitation of the Emperor of China, and
dying soon after his arrival there, Sumhur Lama, his brother, on receiving
the intelligence, was much alarmed, and fled from Lassa, taking with him
a considerable quantity of treasure, and went to Nepaul : the Rajah ofNe-
paul bestowed a Jaghire on him, and received him under his protection.
Sumhur Lama informed the Rajah of Nepaul of the particulars of the
Chinese empire, and communicated to him the position of the gold and
silver mines, and other mines, in the neighbourhood of Lassa (or Lhasseh).
Thus having excited the avarice of the Nepaul Government, he informed
people to accompany the Rajah’s troops, and they marched towards
Lassa. These troops went to the distance of twenty days journey from
Nepaul towards Bhoat, and were victorious in several battles which were
fought. When the officer commanding the Bhoat troops saw that he was
worsted, he made peace through a chief belonging to the Emperor of China,
and a tribute of three lacks of rupees from the Lassa country was settled
for the Rajah of Nepaul; and as it had before been customary to stamp
the coin at the mint of Lassa with the name of the Rajah of Nepaul, the

* i. e. Tibet.

Yy
346 APPENDIX. No. II.
present treaty provided for the continuation of this practice. After the
peace was concluded, the Nepaul army returned home. In consequence
of the superiority which had prevailed in favour ol the Nepaul troops
over those of Lassa, the rulers at Lassa sent a deputation to Calcutta during
the administration of Sir John Macpherson, and demanded assistance.
This request, however, was not complied with ; doubtless, this will appear
on the proceedings of Council. Sumhur Lama, working on the avaricious
disposition of the Rajah of Nepaul, last year prevailed upon him to send
troops to Diggercheh,* and 18,000 men went there and plundered the trea¬
sure belonging to the Lama of that place, who is also one of the priests of the
Chinese Emperor ; taking away with them, as a prisoner, a Vizier of Lassa,
who came to make peace The Emperor on learning the news of this plun¬
der, sent his Vakeel with letters in the month of January 1792, to Nepaul.
He arrived there two days after Abdul Kadir Khan reached Nepaul. The
Vakeelwrote to the Rajah of Nepaul, while at the distanceoftwo days march,
to inform him that he was deputed by the Emperor of China, and as he
had the Emperor’s letters with him, it was necessary that the Rajah should
come out to meet them. The Rajah replied, that he should not pay them
any honours, that he was welcome, if he chose to come, if not, that he might
return. The Vakeel seeing no alternative, came into Nepaul, but was re¬
ceived with little kindness. At length the day that he was introduced,
paid his respects, and returned, the Rajah sent his Chobdart to him for the
letter which was brought. In it was written that he should refund 52
crores of rupees which he had plundered ofpioperty belonging to the
Lamas, and must release the Vizier of Lassa, whom he had made a pri¬
soner,-and send Sumhur Lama, who, having put himself under his pro¬
tection, had been the cause of all the disputes. The Rajah refused to
comply with these requisitions, and wrote to the Emperor to proceed as
soon as he pleased in the manner bethought proper, and the Vakeel took
his departure in fifteen days from his arrival, without succeeding in the

* Or Teeshoo Luraboo.
+ An attendant on men of rank in India, usually distinguished by a large silver mace which he
carries.
 APPENDIX. No. II. S47

objects of his mission. On his arrival in China, and relating the result of his
embassy, the Emperor, on hearing the insolence of the Rajah, and of the
plunder of Diggercheh, -with the forts and temples there, which is a place
of religious respect in the consideration of the Emperor, he sent a large
force under a chief of his own, with the name and title of Sund Fo, that is
to say, a possessor of seven Soubahs. Sund Fd first came to Lassa, from
whence he wrote to the Rajah of Nepaul, desiring that he would seize and
send to him Sumhur Lama, the instigator of the disputes, who resided
with him, together with the Lassa Vizier, whom he had taken prisoner.
The Rajah of Nepaul replied that Sumhur Lama was the same as himself,
and that he should not send him, hut that, on condition of peace, he
would send the Lassa Vizier. Sund Fo openly carried on a correspondence,
and secretly divided his troops, 70,000 men, into two divisions; one of
30,000, and the other of 40,000 men, and with a dispossessed Zemindar
of Nepaul, sent them first several marches to the eastward. When the
Rajah of Nepaul heard first of their march, he was much agitated, and de¬
tached Damodur Pande Bukhshy to Chunga. The Bukhshy, on his ar¬
rival there, meeting no other force than the garrison, attacked the place,
and carried it, where leaving a few troops, he began his march back, and on
the way made other detachments from his army, leaving some with Per-
pierra Takoor at Kan Rowan. The division of the Chinese army of 40,000
men passed to the eastward under the hills to Trisool-Gunga, and
arrived on this side of Kan Rowan, where they were discovered. Per-
pierra Takoor was two marches distant on the other side. The Chinese
troops coming towards Nepaul, Perpierra Tokoor heard of them, marched
against them, and a battle ensued, in which he was wounded, and many of
his people killed. When the Rajah of Nepaul heard of the defeat of his
troops, he resolved on giving up Sumhur Lama, but the Lama poisoned
himself. He sent in, however, the Lassa Vizier with his attendants to the
Chinese army; they received him, but did not make peace. The Chi¬
nese defeated the Nepaul troops repeatedly, and proceeded to Noakote,
distant 13 coss from Khatmandu., tn a few days they will also take Nepaul.
To this period, the 4th of September, 1 792. There are about 200 soldiers
348 APPENDIX. No. II.

in Nepaul,* and the Rajah’s treasure is conveyed to Muckwanpoor, where

he is probably himself; and it is ascertained that the Chinese Sund Fois
arrived at Kurree Kuttu, distant ten marches from Khatmandu.

B.
From the Dalai Lama at Pootla Lassa, to Lord Cornwallis. Received 3rd
August, 1792.

By the favour of God I am in good health! The tranquillity of mankind

is the object of my wishes ; may God fulfil them ! I hope also for your
Lordship’s health. I at this time address you on the affair with Goorkhali
Rajah, whose country is contiguous to this. This man’s father, and he,
have to this time reduced all the Rajahs round about Nepaul, and also Ne-
paul itself; and from his craving disposition, wants to engage in hostili¬
ties with others. Thus, in the year 1203 (1739), and the present, he has
excited disputes with me. 1 have shown no disposition to contend with
him, but he, from the blackness of his heart, will act hostilely against me.
Accordingly he has attacked my Zemindars in several places, and had it
in view to come to this quarter. But by the favour of God this country
has the protection of the Emperor of China ; accordingly, two deputies
always remain here for my protection ; they wrote information of this
circumstance to the Emperor, who detached a large army under the com¬
mand of his officers to this country. When this intelligence reached the
Goorkhali troops, they quitted my territory and fled to Nepaul. I is
the resolution of the officers sent from China, by the favour of God, to
exterminate the Rajah of Goorkhali and the other chiefs. Accordingly
they pursued the fugitives, and got possession of several places of the
Goorkhali territories. The Emperor, by the influence of his good auspices,
will certainly soon obtain possession of Nepaul and Goorkhali, The
• By Nepaul, Khatmandu appears to be here meant.
 APPENDIX. No. II. 349

Rajah, however, to promote his object, proposes asking assistance from your
Lordship, and will write lies and calumnies that the Emperor has detached
a large army against him, and that therefore he requests aid ; that should
your Lordship not depute a force to assist him, the Emperor will rise up
hereafter against your Lordship’s government, as he has against his. Let
not your Lordship act agreeably to his artful insinuations, for the Em¬
peror is not hostile to any except the Goorkhali : and it is a maxim of his
majesty to take measures against him who first commences hostilities. If
any of the chiefs or companions of the Rajah should fall into your Lord¬
ship’s hands, be pleased to seize and deliver them up to the Emperor’s
officers, or, though you should not deliver them up, do not allow them to
return to their country. The officers will write their sense of your Lord¬
ship’s kindness in so acting, to the Emperor, to whom it will afford satis¬
faction. I request on my own part also that your Lordship will conform
to what I have written. Your Lordship is a protector of the Ryots, and
the dispenser of justice: wherefore the Almighty has exalted you. The
Ryots under your Lordship’s government live in ease and happiness.
I hope your Lordship will gratify me by letters.
I have sent your Lordship one pair of Khauduck, 33 Tolahsand 4 Maashas
weight of gold dust, and a piece of Cochin (silk); be pleased to acknow
ledge the receipt thereof.* Dated 1th oj Rajal, 1206, from Pootla (Lassa )

c.
From Lord Cormvallis to the Rajah of JVepaul. Written 15th September,
1792.

1 have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your letters. The

contents of these letters, representing the disturbances now subsisting be¬
tween you and the Rajah of Lassa, dependent on China, have given me

* The original of the above letter is written in the Bhootia language.

50
350 APPENDIX. No. II.
great concern, because, as friends to the Company, I am extremely
desirous that unanimity, and the utmost harmony, should have continued

between you.
It cannot have escaped your observation, that the English Company
have nothing more at heart than to maintain the most coidial and
friendly terms with all the Powers in India ; and particularly with those
whose countries lie contiguous to their own : and sensible of the policy
and wisdom of this conduct, they are careful not to infringe the rules of
friendship, by interference in a partial manner in the disputes of others,
except when self-defence, or wanton attacks oblige them. But, however
this line of conduct is in general the policy of the English government;
the connexion that has been formed with the Emperor of China renders
a due observance of it still more necessary. The English Company have for
many years carried on extensive commercial concerns with the subjects ol
the Emperor of China by sea, and have actually a factory established in
his dominions. I am confident that this argument will satisfy you that a
compliance with your request, to assist you with a military force against
the Rajah of Lassa, who is dependent on the Emperor of China, would
be not only an infringement on the general policy of the English govern¬
ment, but also a measure inconsistent with the connection that has so long
prevailed between the Company and the Emperor. Desirous, however,
that harmony and peace should be preserved among those who are the
friends of the Company, 1 shall be very happy if my amicable interfer¬
ence can in any shape contribute to re-establish them between the Lassa
and you, and shall be ready to use it in the way of a friend and mediator
between you. As the present season of the rains, however, will not admit
that any steps towards such a mediation be adopted, I shall postpone my
intention until the rains are over, when I will depute a gentleman in
my confidence to you, who will communicate my sentiments fully, and
by his endeavours I hope that peace will again reign between you and
the Lassa, and the intimacy and friendship between each other be
increased.
 APPENDIX. No. II. 351

From Lord. Cornwallis to the Dalai Lama at Pootla Lassa. Written 25th of
September, 1792.

I have received several letters in the Tibet character, accompanied by

a Persian translation, the contents of which, I have fully understood,*

with several articles in token of friendship, all of which came safe to
hand, and have contributed much to the improvement of the intimacy
subsisting between us.
The contents of this letter, representing the disputes still prevailing
between the Rajah of Nepaul and you, have given me great concern: be¬
cause, as friends to the Company, I am extremely desirous that unanimity
and the utmost harmony should have been established between you.
It is a matter of great concern that I have been able to comprehend
only the Persian paper, accompanying the several letters ; and can there¬
fore otdy, for the present, reply to its contents. The other letters, how¬
ever, are sent to Benares, in the hopes that persons may be found there
who can explain them: and, in the mean time, I consider it incumbent
on our friendship, and good neighbourhood, to inform you of my senti¬
ments in regard to the contents of the Persian letter, without delay.
Although, as is presumed in that letter, theGoorkhali Rajah has written
to me on the subject of the disputes which have long prevailed between
you and him; yet, as the English Company have nothing more at heart
than to maintain the most cordial and friendly terms with all the powers
in India, and sensible of the wisdom of this conduct, they are careful not
to infringe the rules of friendship, by interference in a hostile manner in
the disputes prevalent among foreign powers, except when self-defence, or
wanton attacks, oblige them, I have answered his letter accordingly.
It cannot be unknown to you that a friendship has long subsisted
between the English and the Rajah of Nepaul; and also between the

• Vide Letter, p. 348.

2 52 APPENDIX. No. II.

Emperor of China (whose protection extends over you), and the Company.
The English have for many years carried on commercial concerns with the
subjects of the Emperor, and have actually a factory established in his
dominions. On account of this connexion with the Emperor, knowing
you to be held in high veneration by his Majesty, and considering you
desirous of the Company’s friendship, I am anxious that your government
should continue in peace, and that an end should be put to war, which
ultimately contributes to the misery and distress of our subjects. With this
view, therefore, I shall be happy if my amicable interference can in any
shape contribute to re-establish harmony and peace between you and the
Rajah of Nepaul, and shall be ready to use it in the way of a friend and
mediator between you. As the present season of the rains, however, will
not admit that any steps towards such mediation be adopted, I shall post¬
pone my intention till the rains are over, when I will depute a gentleman
in my confidence to that quarter, who will communicate my sentiments
fully. By his endeavours, I hope that peace will again reign between
you and the Rajah of Nepaul, and the intimacy and friendship between
each other be increased. That gentleman being in my confidence, will be
accompanied by a few sepoys, intended as a guard and protection to him¬
self and his servants. I mention this to you, to prevent the bad effects of
fallacious reports.
I shall avail myself of that opportunity, to send a few articles to you in
testimony of my regard, and flatter myself that they will contribute to our
friendship.*

* Letters of the same tenor and date as the above were also addressed to tne Chinese Vizier,
and to Teshoo Lama (Rajah of Teeshoo Luraboo).
 APPENDIX. No. II. 3 53

E
From Lord Cornwallis to the Rajah of JVepaul. Written 30th September, 1792.

In consideration of the friendship and close connexion between you and

the Company, and the intimacy so much increased by virtue of the com¬
mercial treaty entered into by you with Mr. Duncan, so highly for the
benefit of the subjects of both governments, I have experienced great
concern in learning the disputes that prevail between you and the Rajah
of Lassa ; and did myself the pleasure of writing to you, that, influenced
by a strong desire that peace should be re-established, I should be happy
to effect it by my amicable interference, for which purpose I would depute
a gentleman in my confidence, who would explain my sentiments to you,
and endeavour to effect so desirable an object, as to reconcile the differ¬
ences existing between those who are the friends of the Company.
Considering the season favourable to undertake the journey, Captain
Kirkpatrick has taken leave of me, and will proceed to your quarter
without delay. I request that you will consider him as enjoying my im¬
plicit confidence, and knowing every argument which he may use to be
my desire, and tending to the prosperity of your government and to the
increase of our friendship. I trust that you will pay due attention to what
he says, and I hope that the result of his deputation will be the re-estab¬
lishment of peace and quiet between you and the Rajah of Lassa ; and an
increase of the benefits expected from the commercial intercourse estab¬
lished between the subjects of our respective dominions.
Captain Kirkpatrick will deliver you a few articles in token of friend¬
ship, which I hope you will accept as such.*

• A similar Letter was also transmitted to the Minister.

Z z
354 APPENDIX. No. II.

From Lord Cornwallis to the Dalai Lama, Teshoo Lama, the Chinese Vizier,
and the Rajah of Teeshoo Liimboo; written Ijth October, 1792.

I feel much concerned, in consequence of the friendship and intimacy

subsisting between us, that differences and disputes should exist between
you and the Rajah of Nepaul: and a few days ago I did myself the pleasure
of writing to you expressive of my readiness to interfere in an amicable
manner between you and the Nepaul Rajah, and to endeavour by that
interference to adjust matters, and to renew the unanimity formerly
existing between you, by the establishment of peace ; and I mentioned my
intention to depute a gentleman in my confidence to that quarter, that he
may communicate my wish to you, and by his exertions re-establish peace
and unanimity between those with whom the Company are on terms of
intimacy.
The season being at hand for travelling, Captain Kirkpatrick, in whose
abilities and disposition I have great confidence, and who is a gentleman
high in the estimation of the Company and myself, has taken leave of me for
this purpose. I request that you will consider this gentleman in my stead,
and what he urges in conversation as comiug from me, replete with
friendship, and tending to increase the prosperity of our affairs mutually.
I entertain great hopes that, through his means, peace and harmony M ill be
renewed between you and the Rajah of Nepaul. I have availed myself of
this opportunity to send you a few articles as presents ; and rely on your
friendly disposition to accept them as tokens of regard.*

• This letter was addressed, mutatis mutandis, to the other persons mentioned above.
 APPENDIX. No. II. 355

F.
From Colonel Kirkpatrick to the Right Honourable Earl Cornwallis, K. G.
Governor General, ire. in Council.

My Lord,

I have the honour to acquaint you that I arrived here yesterday, having
left Bankapoor on the 7th instant, according to the determination which
the Nepaul deputies came to on receipt of your Lordship’s letter; and of
which I duly advised Mr. Cherry, for your Lordship’s information.
I was met yesterday, at the distance of about three miles from hence, by
Roodur Beer Sab, at the head of two or three hundred sepoys; and by
Zorawur Khunas, the Governor of the Western Turrye. The former is a
younger brother of the Dewan Bern Sah; and, together with his military
party, was lately dispatched from Nepaul, for the express purpose of
waiting my arrival there, and of escorting me to the court of his master.
The form of my reception, on my approach to this place, was of the
most honourable kind; and, indeed, it is incumbent on me to say that I
have observed, from the moment of my crossing the Bhagmutty, the most
earnest and uniform solicitude in my conductors to afford me, in all
respects, the completest satisfaction.
As the transportation of our baggage from hence, must, of necessity, be
transferred to the hill-carriers, it will probably be the day after to-morrow
before the requisite arrangements can be made for prosecuting our journey ;
and as the Rajah’s court is removed to Noakote for the purpose of cele¬
brating the Hooly, I think it is likely I shall be invited to proceed to that
place, which is situated, I understand, about five and twenty miles N. W.
of Khatmandu.
It is proper I should mention to your Lordship, that Bern S&h and the
Rajah’s brother, Bajoo Seer, having, on their return from Ghyah, indicated a
35 6 APPENDIX. No. II
wish to view the European corps at Dinapoor, and the artillery at Moneer;
Lieut. Colonel Johnstone and Major Green were so obliging, at my desire,
as to enable me to gratify their curiosity in the best manner that circum¬
stances would allow. They appeared to be highly pleased with what they
saw, as well as very sensible of the attentions shown to them ; and have
since taken more occasions than one of testifying the strong impressions
they have received of our amicable disposition towards them, during their
late short sojourn in the Company’s dominions. The alacrity and unre¬
servedness, however, with which the artillery officers explained whatever
appeared to attract the notice of Bern Sah, promise, in particular, to have
the effect of producing in him, at least, a correspondent spirit of confi¬
dence, and perhaps, through his influence, in the rest of his coun¬
trymen.
I have the honour to be, 8cc.
Bharra-ghvrry, 16th February, 1793.

G.
From the same, to the same.
Mr Lord.

I had the honour of addressing you under date the 26th ultimo, from
Chitlong.
I have now the honour to inform your Lordship, that, arriving on the
1st instant at Bailkote (a place about five miles to the southward of this),
I was there rejoined by the Dewan Bern Sah- who made me some
apologies in the name of the Regent, on account of the fatigues I had been
exposed to by the difficult nature of the country, the badness of the roads,
and the prolongation of my journey so far beyond Khatmandu; concluding
the compliment, with the observation, “that if I had suffered more incon-
 APPENDIX. No. II. 357
“ veniences, I have also been gratified with a fuller view of his miserable
“ possessions (as they here pretty commonly affect to style them), than I
“ might have expected.”
The 1st instant had been pronounced by the astrologers as a propitious
day for my introduction ; but as I had foreseen that neither myself nor
parly would be in a situation to go through this ceremony immediately
after passing over the Koomhara mountain, it was fixed that my interview
with the Rajah should take place on the 4th, being the nearest following
day suited to the occasion.
Accordingly, on the 3d, I moved from Bailkote. and took up my quarters
here, at a convenient distance from those of the Regent, being met about
half way, and conducted to my tents, by Gujraj Misser, and two or three
of the principal officers of this government, respectably attended.
Last night, myself, and gentlemen of my party, proceeded to the Durbar,
the Rajah and Regent advancing about the same time to meet us. They
received us in the customary manner, at a short distance in front of the
Kennauts inclosing the tent of audience, the young Rajah leading me,
between two rows of armed and other attendants, to a chair placed on the
left of his musnud, on which himself and uncle seated themselves toge¬
ther, the Regent taking the right hand of his nephew. Our entrance into
the tent was announced by an irregular discharge of artillery.
I think it is unnecessary to trouble your Lordship with a detailed account
of the conversation which I held with Behadur Sah on this occasion, as it
was, for the most part, of an immaterial nature. It will be sufficient to
observe, that the Regent (for the Rajah himself, though certainly of an age
to take a share in such concerns, was wholly silent) expressed, in general
terms, the desire of his nephew to cultivate the friendship of the Com¬
pany ; and that I, in return, declared the confidence I entertained that the
present meeting would, by its effects, very soon ripen to perfect maturity
the intimate- connexion so happily and wisely commenced under the
auspices of Gujraj Misser, and so successfully seconded by the conciliating
conduct of Bern Sah, Deena-nath Opadiah, and the other officers who had
been deputed from hence for the purpose of escorting me hither.

51
358 APPENDIX. No. II.

Your Lordship’s letters to the Rajah and to the Regent, with which I
was charged, were delivered by Moulavee Abdu! Kadir,- previous to my
introduction: the nature of their contents, owing to the change of affairs
since my departure from Calcutta, not making it necessary for me to pre¬
sent them myself.
The time for my visit being returned is not yet fixed, but I imagine that
an early day will be appointed for the purpose.

I have the honour to be, 8cc.

Nuakote, March 5th, 1793.

H.
From the same to the Most Noble Marquis Cornwallis, K. G. &c. Governor
General in Council.
My Lord,

I had the honour of addressing you under date the 5th instant from
Noakote.
On the 7 th the Rajah returned my visit, attended by the Gooroo (Guj-
raj Misser), Srikishen Sail (the Choutra, or under Regent), and other
principal officers of his court. Previously to his taking leave of me, he
informed me, through the Gooroo, that being obliged to return immedi¬
ately to Khatmandu, bis uncle would discourse with me on matters of busi¬
ness in his stead. He accordingly set out for his capital the following
day.
On the 9th Bebadur Sah visited me, having been prevented, as his mes¬
sage to me on the occasion imported, both by business and a slight in¬
disposition, from accompanying the Rajah on the 7th. This visit, like the
preceding one, being merely ceremonious, passed in conversation too im¬
material to be noticed. The presents which I made severally to the
Rajah and the Regent will appear from my account of disbursements for
the current month.
 APPENDIX. No. II. 359

The ensuing day being proposed to me for the commencement of busi¬

ness, I attended Behadur Sab accordingly for that purpose.
I had, it is proper to observe to your Lordship in this place, previously
ascertained from Gujtaj Misser, that my continuance in Nepaul beyond the
end of the present month, was a matter altogether out of the contempla¬
tion of this Durbar. I had suspected as much from certain hints that had,
for some time past, been occasionally dropped, which determined me
to engage the Gooroo to open himself freely to me on the subject, that I
might regulate my conduct accordingly; this he did in a very unreserved
manner, on the morning of the 10th, his information satisfying me, that al¬
though the Regent was entirely sensible of the advantages which were likely
to result to his country from the cultivation of an intimate intercourse with
our government, and had all the dispositions for that purpose which could be
wished, yet he had been at length compelled to yield to the obstinate re¬
sistance of a cer tain powerful party, which could not, by any means, be
reconciled to the idea of my remaining even for a few months at Kbatmandu.
This party had all along violently opposed my being invited to pro¬
ceed from Patna: nor could they, it seems, be now induced to consent to
my residence, notwithstanding the opportunity which had been already
afforded me of judging of the strength or weakness of this country con¬
stituted, according to their own account, the principal objection to the re¬
ception of the deputation, which might, therefore, be considered as having
already produced the evil they professed so much to dread. It may not
be amiss to mention by the way, that at the head of this party, adverse to
the improvement of the connexion between the" two governments, are
Srikishen Sah, the Ghoutra or deputy of the Regent: Bulbhudder Sah,
a brother of Srikishen, Jeoo Sah, a brother of Bern Sail ; and the Dewan
Dhowkel Singh, all of them possessing considerable authority in this Dur¬
bar. Bulbhudder Sah, it may be proper to add, is the same who lately, in
company with Bern Sah, and the Rajah’s brother, Bajoo Seer Behadur, per-
formcda pilgrimage to Ghyah, where he refused the proffered indulgence
of an exemption from duties, obliging, by his example, Bern Sah to do the
same. It was his indisposition towards us, that also determined him not
360 APPENDIX. No. II.

to visit me while at Patna, although I did not ascertain this point, till my
arrival at Noakote.
Great as the power and credit of Behadur Sah are, I nevertheless dis¬
covered from the Gooroo’s conversation, that they are not sufficient to
render him altogether regardless of the remonstrances or wishes of such
persons as those I have just named. I could also perceive, that, little as
the Rajah troubles himself, at present, with the affairs of government, and
averse even as he seems to be engaged in any kind of business, his uncle
is not totally free from solicitude, lest factions, or ill disposed men, should
seek some occasion of persuading the young prince, that it was time for
him to assume the reins of government: and that, perhaps, none would
be more likely to be seized, with this view, than an attempt on the part
of Behadur Sah to detain me in opposition to the decided opinions of his
coadjutors in the administration. It hence appeared, that although the
Gooroo’s influence with the Regent continued undiminished, yet it could
not any longer be exerted in regard to the deputation, with any effect, or,
at least, without the hazard of consequences of too serious a complexion
to be either risked by one so attached as Gujraj Misser is to Behadur Sah,
or to be urged by me in contradiction of what I so well knew to be the
spirit of your Lordship general administration, as well as of the particular
views of Government in my deputation.
Thus instructed by Gujraj Misser with regard to the inclinations of this
Durbar, I proceeded to my appointment with the Regent, who, after the
first compliments were exchanged, began the conference with a review of
the circumstances which had led to my present visit to Nepaul, in the
course of which, he recapitulated the principal incidents of the war with
China ; acknowledged the wise and friendly advice which the subsisting
connexion between the governments had induced your Lordship to offer
him, touching the •imprudence of his prosecuting hostilities against so
mighty a power, and your kindness in deputing me for the purpose of
mediating and bringing about an accommodation between him and the
Chinese. This discourse, however, contained nothing material that had
not been already stated over and over, in the correspondence which had
 APPENDIX. No. II. 361

passed on its several topics, excepting a distant hint that it conveyed of

the expectation he had entertained, when he applied to your Lordship for
military aid, having been somewhat disappointed. He concluded with ad¬
verting to a passage in one of your Lordship’s letters, that intimated my
being charged with a message of a particular and confidential nature ; the
allusion to which was evidently designed to draw from me its communication.
As I was apprized that the tenor of this address was framed in a great
measure in conformity to the wishes of the adverse party, I judged it right
to adopt my reply accordingly.
I therefore observed, that although it must be unnecessary, in address¬
ing a person of his sagacity, to enlarge on the nature of the connection
which had subsisted between his government and that of the Company,
previously to the period when, owing to the activity of Mr. Duncan, se¬
conded by the good offices of Gujraj Misser, the foundation of a firm and
beneficial intercourse had been for the first time laid in the treaty of com¬
merce concluded about a twelve month ago, by the agency of Moulavee
Abdul Kadir Khan: yet I would use the freedom of observing, that, till
then, the communication between the two governments had consisted in
little more than the occasional intercourse of letters, the trade having lan¬
guished so much, in consequence of impolitic restrictions, as scarcely to
merit notice. I next proceeded to state, that although, through the bless¬
ing of God, the good understanding of our respective governments had
been augmented considerably in consequence of the treaty referred to,
yet it could not be said to have attained the perfection of which it was
capable, when your Lordship received his application for military assist¬
ance ; I nevertheless (I added) would refer it to his candor to pronounce,
after duly considering how recently any thing like a cordial intercourse
had sprung up between the two states, and how inviolable a rule it had
always been with your Lordship to observe the strictest neutrality in all dis¬
putes arising among the neighbouring powers, excepting in cases respect¬
ing the honour or rights of the Company, or of their allies, whether your
answer to thaL application, and the measures which you had immediately
taken on the occasion, did not manifest the most sincere desire on the part
3 A
362 APPENDIX. No. II

of your Lordship to cement, by every means in your power, the growing

friendship of the Company’s government and that ofNepaul? The Regent
acknowledged the affirmative, and applauded the wisdom which had dic¬
tated the sentiments conveyed in your Lordship’s letters on the occasion;
insinuating even that those sentiments had had such credit with him, as to
influence him in a great decree in the accommodation which he had en-
tered into with the Chinese, at a conjuncture when the army of the latter
was reduced nearly to the last extremity.
After complimenting him on the sound judgment and moderation
which his conduct on this occasion had evinced, I observed, that with re¬
spect to the particular, or confidential message which he had alluded to,
he would recollect that the passage in question was contained in a letter
that had been written by your Lordship during the existence of the mis¬
understanding between him and the Chinese ; and at the moment when
you had determined to interpose your good offices as a mediator. These
differences having been long since happily adjusted, he would perceive,
I added, that it was no longer necessary for me to enter into any exposi¬
tion of your Lordship’s particular sentiments, or instructions to me upon
that subject.
On his noticing that, subsequent to his accommodation with the Chi¬
nese, your Lordship had seemed, in one ot two of your letters, to continue
to point to some particular communication which I was charged to make,
I replied, that as it was very certain that your Lordship, independently
of your desire to be instrumental in healing the differences which had
arisen between him and the Chinese, had been uniformly anxious to im¬
prove, as far as rested with you, the good understanding which had lately
grown up between the Nepaul government and the Company, so it was
true that, notwithstanding the original and more immediate object of my
mission had passed by, you nevertheless continued to be actuated by the
same amicable sentiments, and to think it likely that I might, by means of
being the instrument of an easy arid unreserved communication between
him and your Lordship, contribute greatly to the strengthening of tire
friendship of the two governments, and to the advancement of the interests
 APPENDIX. No. II. 363

and prosperity of the countries severally dependent on them. I added, that

among the points which your Lordship conceived to fall under this descrip¬
tion, were the equitable adjustment of all questions respecting boundaries
and the increase of the commercial intercourse of our respective dominions,
which last, I slightly remarked, seemed to me already to be open to much
improvement: and would, I doubted not, on future observation, and better
knowledge, prove capable of a still greater augmentation (to the equal be¬
nefit of both governments), than could at present appear. I concluded with
remarking, that these, however, as well as other topics, connected with the
vdtimate object of my mission ;—namely, the perfecting of the friendship
of the two states, could properly be discussed only as occasions presented,
which would depend on the duration of my visit, as that also must on cir¬
cumstances of convenience, and the final pleasure of your Lordship and of
this Durbar.
I received only a vague reply to these observations, the Regent con¬
tenting himself with declaring that he was ready to demonstrate the force
and sincerity of his amicable dispositions towards the Company, in any
manner that might be required ; pointing particularly, however, though ob¬
liquely, to the rendering us military assistance whenever it should be de¬
manded: and that, with regard to the productions of the country, whether,
of a commercial, or any other kind, nothing more was requisite to obtain
them than the applying for them ; every thing it contained being entirely
at your Lordship’s command. I answered, that these declarations certainly
evinced both his cordiality and his wisdom : but that it appeared to me, as
I persuaded myself it would to him, that none of these were points that
admitted of being adjusted precipitately. The conference closed with my
saying, that it would not become me to urge the topics I had barely
glanced at any farther at present: that it rested with him to give what I
had mentioned the consideration it was entitled to ; and that I was well
assured that his resolutions on the occasion would be suitable to his
elevated station, and to his reputation for political knowledge and expe¬
rience.
Besides Gujraj Misser, who, for the most part, delivered the sentiments
364 APPENDIX. No. II.

of the Regent, in the course of this conference, there were present on the
occasion Srikishen Sah, Bern Sah, Nersingh Tuksali (or the master of the
mint), and Deena-nath Opadiah. None of these, however, took any part in
the conversation. Of Srikishen’s adverse disposition I have already spoken;
Bern Sah, I beiieve to be very well inclined, though I do not imagine he is
an active friend; the Tuksali, I have reason to think, would be well pleased
to see an intimate correspondence established between the two govern¬
ments. With respect to Deena-nath Opadiah, I need scarcely remark to
your Lordship, that his jealousy of the influence of Gujraj Misser, operating
as it has done, to the diminution of his own consequence as a Vakeel,
renders him secretly hostile to the maintenance of any intercourse that is
not conducted by himself, although, for the most part, he has dissembled
his sentiments on this point with no inconsiderable address.
On the 12th instant I had another interview with Behadur Sah, on which
occassion, after going over again nearly the same ground as at our pre¬
ceding conference, he intimated with sufficient plainness, though with due
delicacy, that he had reaped, in the accomplishment of the long wished for
meeting between us, whatever had been latterly proposed as the object of
my visit to Nepaul. He touched on the desire which had, iu former pe¬
riods, been so often manifested by the English government for his recep¬
tion of a deputation from Calcutta ; observing at the same time, that mat¬
ters not having then been ripe enough for so confidential an intercourse
on his part, it had been reserved for your Lordship to remove completely
the veil which had hitherto been held up between the two states, and to
inspire him with that reliance on our honour, good faith, and friendly dis¬
positions, which had led him to expose unscrupulously the nakedness of
his country to us.
With respect to what I had glanced at in our last conference on the
subject of commerce and boundaries, he remarked, that he was not less
solicitous than your Lordship to have those points arranged on the most
solid and beneficial footing for both parties : but that the season was ap¬
proaching fast, when almost all intercourse between Khatmiindu and the
circumjacent countries would cease, and of course any effectual enquiry
 APPENDIX. No. II. 865

concerning their productions, in a commercial view, become impractica¬

ble ; and that the trade of Bhootan and Tibet was at present totally-
suspended, owing to the late hostilities with the Bhootias and Chinese
and could not, for some time, be either restored to its proper channels, or
be susceptible of any improvement. As to the question concerning boun¬
daries, he remarked, that as he was far from wishing that the Company
should sustain the least detriment by any adjustment of that point, so he
was perfectly certain that your Lordship would have the same regard for
his interests ; and under this confidence was willing to refer the settlement
of it entirely to the equity and friendship of our government.
I had now ascertained with sufficient certainty, that my residence at this
court was not to be hoped for. It therefore, I conceived, only remained
for me to consider upon what footing, and in what manner, it was most
advisable that my mission should be closed.
In revolving this matter in my mind, it appeared to me, that although
much had not perhaps been gained by the deputation, yet something cer¬
tainly had; since, independently of the knowledge which had been acquired
of the face (to say no more) of a most interesting country, till now unvisitcd
by any Englishman, the barrier which had so long, with the most unremit¬
ting jealousy, been opposed by this government to our obtaining any
accurate idea concerning it, might be considered, if not totally, at least in
a great measure, removed. The repugnance of a certain party to the cul¬
tivation of an unreserved intercourse with us, prevented, at present, it is
true, our deriving all the advantages from my mission which it had been
proposed to reap from it; yet it seemed to me, that either that repugnance
might, with proper management, and in due season, be subdued, or the
persons acting under its influence cease to enjoy the credit and authority
they now possessed. Under these circumstances, I judged it would be
right to submit to the necessity, which had imposed a certain constraint
even on the Regent himself, with such a. grace as should carry a fair
appearance to the world ; effectually prevent any idea of my quitting this
court with the least dissatisfaction, and thereby preclude from the minds
of the persons composing it, every apprehension of their having given

52
366 APPENDIX. No. II.

offence that might hereafter operate against a revival of the unreserved

communication which, though not completed, had, nevertheless, under
your Lordship’s auspices, happily made a rapid and considerable progress,
and which, I was disposed to think, might, at no great distance of time,
become renewable with every effect that could be expected from it.
These reflections made me determine, with the entire concurrence of the
Gooroo, to avail myself of the opening afforded by Behadur Sah in the course
of our last conference, for demanding my early dismission. This I have
since done in such terms as I thought best calculated to answer the ends I
had in view ; and of which I will only report at present, that the Regent
appeared to be very well satisfied with them, observing significantly, but
privately, to the Moulavee, that I had understood him exactly in the manner
he had wished me to do.
If I have been drawn into greater prolixity in this address, than your
Lordship may judge to have been necessary, I can only excuse it by
attributing it to the necessity I considered myself to be under of stating in
the fullest manner all the circumstances connected with a transaction,
which, on account of the interesting object of my mission, will no doubt
attract your Lordship’s particular notice.
I expect to leave this in a few days on my return to Patna, where I
shall wait your Lordship’s further commands.
I have the honour to be, Ucc.
Kh&tnidndu, 1 gth March, 1793-

I.
From, the same, to the Most Noble Marquis Cornwallis, K. G. &c. &c.
Governor General in Council.
My Lord,

I had the honour of addressing you under date the 19th ultimo, when I
mentioned generally, that I had applied to the Regent of Nepaul for my dis¬
mission, and expected in consequence to leave Khatmandu on my return to
Patna in a few days.
 APPENDIX. No. II. *67

An accidental occurrence had rendered it necessary for me, instead of

visiting Behadur Sah myself, for the purpose of executing the resolution I
had taken, to employ Moulavee Abdul Kadir Khan on the occasion. He
accordingly, on the 15th ultimo, attended the Regent, to whom he deli¬
vered himself in nearly the terms I had dictated to him : and the substance
of which was, “ that having well weighed what had passed on his (the
“ Regent’s) part at our conference, I could not but allow that there was a
“ great deal of reason, as well as of candour and kindness in what he had
“ stated : that I felt as he had declared himself to do ; namely, that in
“ effect, the main end of my mission had been obtained in the satisfaction
“ which I had derived from my personal interview with the Rajah and
“ himself: that it clearly appeared to me, from the facts he had so oblig-
“ ingly set forth at our last meeting, that my longer stay at present in
“ Nepaul was not likely, under the existing circumstances, to contribute to
“ the advancement of the commercial objects of my deputation; thatl did
“ not consider myself, in this case, to be authorized by your Lordship to
“ prolong my visit indefinitely : but that, happily, this point was of the less
“ consequence now, as the cordial understanding and confidence recently
“ established between the two governments having at length removed
“ every other bar to their unreserved intercourse, my visit might be re-
“ peated at some future period.” To this the Moulavee added, on my
part, some protestations of my personal respect and attachment, concluding
with saying, that as the unhealthy season was approaching fa3t, it was my
request that I might have my audience of leave on as early a day as should
be conveniently practicable.—The Regent, in his answer, expressed great
concern atthe necessity which I appeared to think there was for my early
departure: and lamented that circumstances were so unfavourable to the gra¬
tification of the desire he had to cultivate my friendship. He should yield,
however, he said, with whatever reluctance, to my wishes: but not without
indulging the expectation of making himself ample amends on some future
occasion, for his disappointment in the present instance. •
The following day (the 17 th March) we set out for Khatmandu, where,
on the 21st, myself and the gentlemen of my party dined in the palace by
368 APPENDIX. No. II.

invitation of Behadur Sah, who sat in the room with us during our repast:
and when it was over, conducted us through the garden and other adjoin¬
ing parts, with every mark of the politest attention. In the course of the
evening he touched generally on what had passed between us relative to
my departure; regretted that circumstances should compel me to leave
Nepaul so quickly: openly expressed his hope and wish that an early
occasion might offer, favourable to the renewal of the personal intercourse
which had been (so agreeably to him) commenced between us, and signi¬
fied his desire to be informed particularly what powers our government
was in amity with, or otherwise, to the end that, having now determined to
esteem the friends and enemies of the Company as his own, he might re¬
gulate his carriage towards them accordingly. To this point I thought it
sufficient to reply, that I was persuaded so strong a manifestation of his
good will towards the Company’s government would be highly gratifying
to your Lordship; and that as, happily, there no longer existed any reserve
between him and your Lordship, he would doubtlessly be occasionally
furnished with the kind of information he required. Towards the close
of this visit it was settled that I should have my audience of leave on the
24th following. It may be proper to notice to your Lordship in this
place, th^t the Rajah was not present on this occasion.
On the 24th we accordingly took our leave, the Rajah bearing a part in
this ceremony. Behadur Sah reiterated his former professions of friend¬
ship and attachment, expressing, however, at the same time, some solici¬
tude, lest, as opinions were liable to be at variance on such questions, the
Company’s government in this country should not always consider him in
the amicable light which your Lordship had done. I answered, that as the
maintenance of the Company’s true interests must at all times be the primary
object of those entrusted with the management of their affairs ; and as the
cultivation of a friendly intercourse with Nepaul was manifestly blended,
in an intimate degree, with that object, he might be assured that, on such a
point, there could never be but one opinion entertained by the British
administration in India.
Previous to our departure, some presents were sent to me for your
 APPENDIX. No. II. 369

Lordship, and a few for myself: an account of which I shall transmit to

the Persian translator.
It is a justice I owe to the gentlemen who attended the deputation, to
assure your Lordship, that during our short stay in Nepaul, they seconded
with zeal, and I have reason to think with considerable success, my endea*
vours to conciliate all ranks among the natives, and to inspire them with
respect and regard for our nation. It gives me pleasure to be able also to
add, that the whole of our followers conducted themselves on all occasions
in the most unexceptionable manner.
We left Khatmandu on the 24th ultimo, and were escorted to that town
by Roodur Beer Sah, at the head of the Rajah's company of guards. From
thence to the borders of Nepaul (which we passed yesterday) we were
attended by Zorawur Singh, the governor of the Western Turrye. The
attentions which we experienced from both these officers (more especially
from the former, who, as I have before noticed to your Lordship, is a brother
of the Dewan Bern Sah, and a kinsman of the Rajah), joined to the more
than ordinary kindness and respect with which we were uniformly treated
by the inhabitants of Nepaul in general, while they have impressed us all
with the liveliest satisfaction, have a claim to my most particular acknow¬
ledgments, which I have accordingly in some measure conveyed to the
Rajah.
I arrived at this place to-day, and expect to reach Choprah by the
I2th, when I shall immediately dismiss all my extra servants; a few, who
accompanied me from Calcutta, excepted.
On my arrival at the Presidency, I shall submit to your Lordship an
account of the measures which I took, with the view of obtaining the infor¬
mation required of me by your Lordship’s instructions; and of the extent
(inconsiderable as it has been) to which I have been able to fulfil them.

I have the honour to be, See.

Segoivli, April 4th, 1793-
370 APPENDIX. No. II.

K
To the Most Noble Marquis Cornwallis, K. G. &c. ire. ire. Governor General
in Council.

My Lord,

I had the honour of apprising you, under date the 4th of April, that it was
my intention to submit to your Lordship the result of the few observations
on Nepaul, which the short duration of my visit to that country had qua¬
lified me to make.
I accordingly, soon after my return to the Presidency, began to arrange
the notes which I had made with this view, and had advanced consider¬
ably in my task about a month ago, when I was seized with a fever which
obliged ine to lay it aside, and from the effects of which, I am only now
recovering.
I lament the interruption the more, as I could have wished to have ac¬
quitted myself of this task before your Lordship’s departure for Madras,
which I must now despair of being able to do: though I shall resume it
immediately, and prosecute it with as little delay as possible.

I have the honour to be, 8cc. 8cc.

Calcutta, 5th August, 1793.

To the Honourable Sir John Shore, Bari. Governor General, &c. ire. in
Council.

Honourable Sir,

Having at length thrown together, in the best manner time would allow,
the observations that occurred to me in my late short visit to Nepaul, as
well as the result of the enquiries that circumstances permitted me to make,
concerning that and the neighbouring countries, I have now the honour to
submit the same to your indulgent consideration, entertaining little other
 APPENDIX. No. II. 371

hope of this essay proving acceptable, besides what rests on the novelty
of its subject, which, I trust, will in some measure compensate for the im¬
perfect and hasty manner in which it is treated.
I had intended to illustrate some passages of the Memoir with a few
views and other drawings, of which I have been unfortunately disappointed.
I shall endeavour, however, to supply this deficiency hereafter.

I am, fco. 8cc.

Fort William, 10th November, 1793.

L.
Memorandum respecting the Commerce of Yepaul: delivered to the Governor
General.

There is good reason to believe, that, could a free and secure commu¬
nication be opened between Bengal and Tibet, the woollen staples of
Great Britain might be disposed of to the inhabitants of the latter country
to a very considerable amount.
Both the Tibets are extremely elevated regions, and therefore excessively
cold. It is to the upper Tibet, however, that we must principally look
on this occasion; that being an infinitely more extensive and populous
country, than the Kuchar, or lower Tibet, which separates Nepaul and the
mountainous tract, stretching to the eastward of that valley, from the
upper, or Tibet proper.
The cold is so extreme in Tibet that the inhabitants, for want of woollens
of a proper kind, are said to be obliged to encumber themselves to such
a degree with the clothing ordinarily in use among them, as absolutely
lenders it difficult for them to move under the load.
They manufacture, it is true, some coarse woollen stuffs of the rug
kind: but these would not appear to be either well suited, in point of
3 72 APPENDIX. No. II.

warmth, to the severity of the climate, or to be made in any great

quantity.
Be this as it may, I understand that our woollens, both fine and ordi¬
nary, are bought up in that country, whenever the Beoparies* carry them
thither, with great avidity. The two-coloured cloths (particularly those
having red on one side, and blue or yellow on the other) are preferred
by the superior classes, to whom, it is probable, warm flannels of the finer
sort would also be highly acceptable. For the poorer descriptions per¬
haps nothing would answer so well as our blanketing.
This is a traffic, however, which hitherto has never been engaged in ex¬
cepting on a very inconsiderable scale ; and even on such a scale but very
rarely.
The reason of this is to be particularly sought for in the jealousy of the
states between us and Tibet, and in their ignorance of the true principles
and advantages of a free commerce. Something, perhaps, ought also to
be referred to the distrustful character of the Chinese, who of late years
have assumed pretty openly the entire government of Tibet. It would
seem, at least, to have been owing to that court, that the attempts of Mr.
Hastings to open a free commercial intercourse with Tibet were defeated.
But besides this obstacle to a direct communication between Bengal
and that part of Upper Tibet, of which Lehasseh (or Lassa) is the capital,
there has always, perhaps, existed another (no less serious), in the unfa¬
vourable circumstances which are opposed to commercial enterprize in
this quarter by the country of the Deeb Rajah, which separates Tibet
from Bengal. These consist partly in the rugged nature of that country;
but possibly more in the wretched policy of its sovereign, by whom, I
have been assured, such heavy imposts have been usually laid on the trade
as almost amount to a prohibition of it. But to whatever cause the fact is
to be attributed, it is pretty certain, I believe, that adventurers from Ben¬
gal prefer the circuitous route to Tibet by Nepaul, to the nearer one by
the country called by us Boutan.

* Travelling merchants.
 APPENDIX. No. II. 373

It may, nevertheless, still be practicable to engage the Deeb Rajah

sooner or later to enter into a commercial treaty with our government, on
a basis of reciprocal advantage.
A convention of this kind, however, would not make it the less proper
for us to endeavour to find out other channels for the conveyance of the
staples which have been mentioned to Tibet. For though Leliasseh and
those parts lying directly to the northward, and to the eastward of that city,
might perhaps be most readily Supplied with our commodities by the way
of Boutan, yet if we wish to push our commercial speculations into the
western parts of Tibet (which would seem to promise us as good a market
as the eastern), we must for this purpose turn our eye towards Nepaul:
from whence too it might possibly appear, that the eastern trade could be
carried on with great advantage.
Let us suppose Khatmandu to be the centre from whence our staples are
to be distributed throughout Tibet. The merchandize would proceed as
high as Segouly, situated on the Boori Gunduck, by water. Hence it would
pass to Hettowra, on carriages or bullocks, in four or five days. From
Hettowra it would be transported by hill-porters, in three or four days, to
Khatmandu. These porters are capable of carrying bales weighing from
eighteen to twenty-four Dharnies, or from forty-five to sixty Seer, Bengal
bazar weight:* and consequently, from 10 to 15 pieces of yard wide broad
cloth. They receive for the trip from Hettowra to Khatmandu from 1^ to I j
rupee, according to the season of the year, and the weight of their load.
At Khatmandu, the merchants or caravans will disperse. Those having
goods intended for the Lehasseh, or eastern market, would convey them
by porters to Listee, the Nepaul frontier town on that side, and only three
days distance from Kooti, a considerable town of Tibet. This journey
may be performed with ease in eight days.
The Nepaul mart or entrepot lor supplying Diggercheh or Teeshoo
Lumboo and the adjacent parts, would be Dhoalka, with is situated below
the pass of Phullak, whence Tibet may be entered with greater ease than
by Kooti. Dhoalka is not above five easy days journey from Khatmandu.

* Being from about 230 to 305 lb. weight.

374 APPENDIX. No. II.

The merchandise intended for middle Tibet, or that part of Tibet lying
directly to the northward of Nepaul, would be transported to.Russooa,
the frontier town of Nepaul in that quarter. This would take 7 or 8 days.
The articles designed for the supply of the north-west parts of Tibet,
would have to proceed to Joomlab, or rather to its capital, Chinachin. Chin-
nachin, is pretty near a month’s journey, for a caravan from Khalmandu, to
the norih-west of which it lies. This is the frontier station of Nepaul in the
Taklakhar quarter. Taklakhar is a townofTibet of considerable note. It is
about 12 journies from Chinachin, but much nearer to the borders of the
Joomlah district. Chinachin might also be approached by the way of Al-
morah: but as, to take this route, merchants would have to advance far up
into Robilcund, it would not answer, probably, so well for the staples in
question as the Khatmandu road : though, doubtlessly, it would seem to be
the properest channel for the exports of the Vizier’s country, and perhaps
of Benares. We are here, however, considering only of the best routes
for the British staples.
It may be thought there would be no necessity for our merchants li¬
miting their enterprises or speculations to the Nepaul borders; but though
there should really be no serious obstacles to their pushing their expedi¬
tions into the interior parts of Tibet, yeti am inclined to believe that they
would find it equally advantageous to dispose of their commodities sever¬
ally at Listee, Dhoalka, Russooa, and Chinachin to the Tibet traders, who,
if not restrained by their Chinese masters, would most probably be very
ready to repair thither for the purpose of dealing with them. It is true
that they would not obtain at these marts so high a price for their goods
as they would yield in the interior parts ; but, on the other hand, it is to be
considered that their risk would be less, the return quicker, and their se¬
curity (being under the protection of the Nepaul government) greater.
Our merchants would at these places receive from the Tibet traders, in
exchange for their woollens, 8cc. gold dust, gold ingots, borax, and musk
principally. There are probably some other articles, as munjeet, antimony,
See. which might be advantageously imported hither for the European
market. Munjeet, however, is the produce chiefly of the lower Tibet, and
 APPENDIX. No. II. 375

southern hills, arid is therefore almost entirely in the hands of the Ne-
paulians.
It might not be amiss, in the infancy of the trade, to abolish all duties on
woollens of British manufacture exported from Bengal to Nepaul, whether
for the use of that country or the consumption of Tibet.
Admitting all the preceding remarks and suggestions to be well founded,
it remains to consider how any commercial scheme built upon them is to
be carried into effect.
If, on the one hand, the Nepaul government were sufficiently intelligent
to discern, and sufficiently energetic to promote its own best interests, and
the Chinese officers, on the other, raised no obstacles in the way of the
Tibet speculators, there would be no difficulty in the matter. There are
perhaps a few members of the former (and at their head, I believe, is Bella-
dur Sail himself) who are not ignorant of the advantages which their coun¬
try would derive from its becoming the channel thoroughfare of such a
commerce as might be carried on between these provinces and Tibet; but
the majority being of a description which holds trade in a very cheap
light, the superior understanding of one or two individuals has not been
able to counteract the effects of that obstinate jealousy with which those
people are so well known to have regarded all sorts of intercourse with us
till within the last two or three years. It is not necessary in this place to
enquire how far we have, during this period, succeeded in our endeavours
to remove this distrust. It will be sufficient to observe, what certainly is
not to be denied, that though we no doubt have accomplished a good deal,
yet we have not inspired them with the degree of confidence necessary to
actuate them, before we can reasonably expect to derive all those commercial
advantages to which a solid and cordial connection with the Nepaul go¬
vernment seems capable of leading.
By a due and watchful attention, ■'however, to this point, it is highly
probable that we shall, sooner or later, attain our object. Perhaps, indeed,
no better opportunity for the purpose could possibly offer at anytime than
that which presents itself at this moment.
In a letter delivered to Lord Cornwallis by Deena-nath Opadiah on the
376 APPENDIX. No. II.

eve of his Lordship’s departure from Bengal, the Rajah of Nepaul refers to
his Vakeel and to me for an explanation of his wishes on a certain point,
towards the accomplishment of which he solicits his Lordship’s good offices.
The object alluded to is the obtaining of the Pergunnahs of Rodurpoor,
Kashipoor, and Kewulpoor from the Vizier, in farm. These Pergunnahs
constitute the Turrye, or low lands of Kemaoon, which last belongs to the
Rajah of Nepaul, and the possession of them on any terms, is a point
that the Nepaul government has very much at heart, the grain they
produce being of the utmost consequence to the maintenance of the troops
which the Rajah is obliged to keep on foot in the Kemaoon quarter. The
possession of these districts would also open to them an easier communica¬
tion with their westernmost frontier than they have at present.
If our government should see no objection to their being gratified in
this particular, it is not improbable that they would not only accept it
under any stipulations that might be judged necessary, with a political view
to the prevention of future encroachments, or other disagreeable conse¬
quences of neighbourhood, but also consent, in return, to the establishment
of a commercial intercourse with Tibet on the plan slightly delineated
above; and to the residency of a British minister in Nepaul, for the pur¬
pose of watching over the interests of the merchants ; of promoting the^ex-
tension of the trade; and of improving the friendship and good under¬
standing at present subsisting between the two governments.
In the different conversations which I have had with the Vakeel, on the
subject of his court's wishes relative to Kashipoor, 8cc. and to which ap¬
plication time did not allow Lord Cornwallis to give any answer, I have
not scrupled to declare pretty plainly, that I did not see how so delicate a
request could be urged either with propriety, or any probability of success,
till the mutual confidence and good understanding of the two govern¬
ments should be so firmly and unequivocally established, as totally to re¬
move any sort of reserve. When his master, I observed, should have
manifested the sincerity of his desire to improve his connection with the
Company, by co-operating cordially with the government in the measures
necessary to the effectual introduction of a free commercial intercourse
 APPENDIX. No II. 377

between the two countries there was nothing which he could reasonably
solicit, or the Company properly comply with, which he might not hope to
obtain.
Tl ie Vakeel appearing to be convinced by the reasoning, and to be de¬
sirous of ascertaining what I conceived remained to be done for accom-
plishing the object I had insisted on, I presented him with a paper, of
which the following is a translation, and which he promised to transmit
immediately to Behadur Sah, seconded by such explanations and argu¬
ments as should occur to him on the subject.
In the event of the Nepaul government’s manifesting a disposition to
enter upon a formal discussion of these propositions, the necessary nego-
ciation may be conducted either at the Presidency, or by the agency of the
person whom Govemmentraay select for the station of resident in Nepaul,
and who might be deputed to Khatmandu in the first instance, for the ex¬
press purpose of settling the new treaty of commerce.
Should the business assume this desirable aspect, it may be necessary to
request Lord Macartney’s* exertions towards facilitating the successful
operation of the new treaty, which would very materially depend on the
conduct which the Chinese government in Tibet should pursue upon the
occasion.
Upon the final adjustment of this affair to the satisfaction of our Govern¬
ment, there are two or three points of inferior importance, in which it would
perhaps be right to gratify the Rajah of Nepaul, but which it is not neces¬
sary to state in this place, as I have mentioned them on other occasions to
the Governor General.

Heads for the Improvement of the Treaty of Commerce with the Nepaul
Government, as submitted to Behadur Sah by Deeua neith Opadiah.

1. The Maharajah duly to consider the terms cf the commercial treaty of

March, 1791 : to weigh well the advantages likely to result to his own
government, as well as to the Company’s, from a cordial and regulated

• Lord Macartney was, at the date of this paper, in China.

3C
378 APPENDIX. No. II.

pursuit of the objects of it: and to evince his regard for the English, and his
desire to cultivate their friendship, by promoting to the best of bis power,
the extension of their woollen trade, in particular, into such parts of Tibet
as shall appear to be most easily accessible through the territories of Nepaul.
2. To agree, for this purpose, to the following stipulations in favour of

the English commerce, in addition to those already fixed by the aforesaid

treaty.
3. To engage generally to take all traders from the Company’s pos¬
sessions under his protection : and to afford them every security and in¬
dulgence during their stay in bis country, that the interests and nature of
his government will allow: understanding by the traders here mentioned,
such as may from time to time enter the territories of Nepaul for commer¬
cial purposes under Rowannehs (or licenses) regularly obtained from the
custom-house officer of Manjie.
4. To facilitate the mercantile operations of the aforesaid traders, by
consenting to the occasional or constant residence (as circumstances may
render necessary) of one or more native Gumashtahs, or agents, at each
of the following places, situated near the common borders of the Nepaul
dominions and Tibet ;
viz. 1. At Listee in the Kooti quarter.
2. At Dhoalka in the north-east quarter.

3. At Russooah in the Kheeroo and Joongah quarters.

4. At Beenishehr (of Mullibum) in the Luddack and Moostang

quarters.
and 5. At Chinachin in the Taklakhar quarter.
5. To take the proper measures for securing to such Gumashtahs and
their servants suitable accommodations for themselves and merchandize;
the Gumashtahs defraying the expenses of the same, and yielding, in all
respects, during their residence, due obedience to the authority of the
Maharajah’s officers governing in the several places enumerated.
6. To engage that the aforesaid Gumashtahs, Beoparies, or traders,
shall be permitted to expose their merchandize to sale at the several places
recited above, and to deal without any restraint with such Bhootia Beoparies,
 APPENDIX. No. II. 379

or traders, as may repair to the said frontier stations, for the purpose of
purchasing or bartering their commodities.
7. To promise that the aforesaid Gumashtahs or Beoparies shall be liable
to no demands of any bind, or on any pretence whatsoever, from the officers
governing at the frontier stations specified, or from any other officers of the
Nepaul government, save and except the duties settled by the treaty of
March 1791, and such other additional moderate Dustoor, or fees, on the
actual realised amount of their sales (whether the same be in gold, or silver,
or articles of barter) as shail hereafter be fixed to be paid to the command¬
ing officers at the frontier places enumerated, on their receipt from the,
said officers of passports or Rowannelis to Khatmandu.
8. To agree to the substituting in lieu of theTroutier places above men¬
tioned, any others that may hereafter appear to be more favourably situ¬
ated for the commercial purposes in view.
9 To engage to regulate the duties to be levied on the returning trade
from Tibet, whether this consist of silver or of gold, or of raw or manufactur¬
ed materials the produce of that country, on equitable principles, and in a
manner calculated to guard the merchants especially from the inconve¬
niences and losses liable to result from vexatious delay, and ill-regulated
imposts.
10. To consent, finally, to the residence of an English gentleman and
suitable retinue in Nepaul, for the combined purposes of facilitating and
aiding the operations of the traders; of watching over and controlling their
conduct, of endeavouring to extend the general commerce, and of improv¬
ing the friendship and beneficial connection so happily commenced be¬
tween the Maharajah and the Company’s government.
W. K.
 [ 3*0 ]

APPENDIX. No. III.

Some Account of the Invasion of Nepaul by Purthi Nerain. Extracted from
Father Giuseppe's “ Account of Nepal," in the Second Volume of the
Asiatic Researches, p. 315.

After *he death of their sovereign, the nobles of Lelit Pattan nominated
for their king Gainprejas, a man possessed of the greatest influence in
Nepal; but some years afterwards they removed him from his govern¬
ment, and conferred it upon the king of B’hatgan ;* but he also, a short
time afterwards, was deposed ; and, after having put to death another king
who succeeded him, they made an offer of the government to Pril’hwina-
rayan,t who had already commenced war. Prit’hwinarayan, deputed one
of his brothers, by name Delmerden Sah, to govern the kingdom of Lelit
Pattan, and he was in the actual government of it when I arrived at Nepal;
but the nobles perceiving that Prit’hwinarayan still continued to interrupt
the tranquillity of the kingdom, they disclaimed all subjection to him, and
acknowledged for their sovereign Delmerden Sah, who continued the war
against his brother Prit’hwinarayan : but some years afterwards, they even
deposed Delmerden Sah, and elected in his room a poor man of Lelit
Pattan, who was of royal origin.
The king of B’hatgan, in order to wage war with the other kings of Ne¬
pal, had demanded assistance from Prit’hwinarayan, but seeing that Pri’th-
winarayan was possessing himself of the country, he was obliged to desist,
and to take measures for the defence of his own possessions; so that the
king of Gorc’ha,j: although he had been formerly a subject of Gainprejas,
taking advantage of the dissensions which prevailed among the other kings

* Bhatgong. t Purthi Nerain. J Goorkha.

 APPENDIX. No. III. 3 SI

of Nepal, attached to his party many of the mountain-chiefs, promising to

keep them in possession, and also to augment their authority and impor¬
tance ; and, if any of them were guilty of a breach of faith, he seized their
country, as he had done to the kings of Marecajis, although his relations.
The king of Gorc’ha having already possessed himself of ail the moun¬
tains which surround the plain of Nepal, began to descend into the flat
country, imagining he should be able to carry on his operations with the
same facility and success as had attended him on the hills ; and, having
drawn up his army before a town, containing about 8000 houses, situated
upon a hill, called Cirtipur,* about a league’s distance from Cat’hmandu,
employed his utmost endeavours to get possession of it. The inhabitants
of Cirtipur receiving no support from the king of Lelit Pattan, to whom
they were subject, applied for assistance to Gainprejas, who immediately
marched with his whole army to their relief, gave battle to the army of the
king of Gorc'ha, and obtained a complete victory. A brother of the king
of Gorc’ha was killed on the field of battle ; and the king himselfj by the
assistance of good bearers, narrowly escaped with his life by fleeing into
the mountains. After the action, the inhabitants of Cirtipur demanded
Gainprejas for their king, and the nobles of the town went to confer with
him on the business ; but, being all assembled in the same apartment with
the king, they were all surprised and seized by his people. After the
seizure of those persons, Gainprejas, perhaps to revenge himself of those
nobles, for having refused their concurrence to his nomination as king,
privately caused some of them to be put to death ; another, by name Da-
nuvanta, was led through the city in a woman’s dress, along with several
others, clothed in a ridiculous and whimsical manner, at the expense of
the nobles of Lelit Pattan. They were then kept in close confinement
for a long time: at last, after making certain promises, and interesting all
the principal men of the country in their behalf, Gainprejas set them at
liberty.

* Kirthipoor. + Kbatmaudu.

54
382 APPENDIX. No. III.

The king of Gorc’ha, despairing of his ability to get possession of the

plain of Nepal by strength, hoped to effect his purpose by causing a fa¬
mine ; and with this design stationed troops at all the passes of the moun¬
tains to prevent any intercourse with Nepal ; and his orders were most
rigorously obeyed, for every person who was found in the road, with only
a little salt or cotton about him, was hung upon a tree ; and he caused all
the inhabitants of a neighbouring village to be put to death in a most cruel
manner: even the women and children did not escape, for having supplied
a little cotton to the inhabitants of Nepal ; and, when I arrived in that
country at the beginning of 1769, it was a most horrid spectacle to behold
so many people hanging on trees in the road. However, the king of
Gorch’ha being also disappointed in his expectations of gaining his end
by this project, fomented dissensions among the nobles of the three king¬
doms of Nepal, and attached to his party many of the principal ones, hy
holding forth to them liberal and enticing promises; for which purpose
he had about 2000 Brahmens in his service. When he thought he had
acquired a party sufficiently strong, he advanced a second time with his
army to Cirtipur, and laid siege to it on the north-west quarter, that he
might avoid exposing his array between the two cities of Cat’hmandu and
Lelit Pattan. After a siege of several months, the king of Gorc’ha de¬
manded the regency of the town of Cirtipur ; when the commandant of
the town, seconded by the approbation of the inhabitants, dispatched to
him by an arrow a very impertinent and exasperating answer. The king
of Gorc’ha was so much enraged at this mode of proceeding, that he gave
immediate orders to all his troops to storm the town on every side ; but
the inhabitants bravely defended it, so that all the efforts of his men availed
him nothing; and, when he saw that his army had failed of gaining the
precipice, and that his brother, named Suruparatna, had fallen wounded
by an arrow, he was obliged to raise the siege a second time, and to re*
treat with his army from Cirtipur. The brother of the king was after¬
wards cured of his wound by our Father, Michael Angelo, who is at pre¬
sent in Bettia.
 APPENDIX. No. III. 3»3

After the action the king of Gorc’ha sent his army against the king of
Lamji (one of the twenty-four kings who reign to the wes'tward of Nepal]
bordering upon his own kingdom of Gorc’ha. After many desperate
engagements, an accommodation took place with the king of Lamji: and
the king of Gorc’hk collecting all his forces, sent them for the third time
to besiege Cirtipur ; and the army on this expedition was commanded by
his brother Suruparatna. The inhabitants of Cirtipur defended themselves
with their usual bravery; and after a siege of several months, the three
kings of Nepal assembled at Cat’hmandu to march a body of troops to the
relief of Cirtipur. One day in the afternoon they attacked some of the
Tanas of the Gorc’hians, but did not succeed in forcing them, because the
king of Gorc’ha’s party had been reinforced by many of the nobility, who,
to ruin Gainprejas, were willing to sacrifice their own lives. The inhabi¬
tants of Cirtipur having already sustained six or seven mouths siege, a
noble of Lelit Pattan called Danuvanta fled to the Gorc’ha party, and
treacherously introduced their army into the town. The inhabitants might
still have defended themselves, having many other fortresses in the upper
parts of the town to retreat to ; but the people of Gore’ha having published
a general amnesty, the inhabitants, greatly exhausted by the fatigue of a
long siege, surrendered themselves prisoners upon the fajth of that pro¬
mise. In the mean time the men of Gorc’ha seized all the gates and for¬
tresses within the town ; but two days afterwards Prit’hwinarayan, who
was at Navacuta (a long day’s journey distant] issued an order to Surupa¬
ratna, his brother, to put to death some of the principal inhabitants of the
town, and to cut off the noses and lips of every one, even the infants, who
were not found in the arms of their mothers ; ordering at the same time
all the noses and lips which had been cut off to be preserved, that he might
ascertain how many souls there were, and to change the name of the town
into Naskatapur, which signifies the town of cut-noses. The order was
carried into execution with every mark of horror and cruelty, none escap¬
ing but those who could play on wind instruments ; although Father
Michael Angelo, who, without knowing that such an inhuman scene was
then exhibited, had gone to the house of Suruparatna, and interceded
384 APPENDIX. No. III.

much in favour of the poor inhabitants. Many of them put an end to

their lives in despair; others came in great bodies to us in search of medi¬
cines ; and it was most shocking to see so many living people with their
teeth and noses resembling the skulls of the deceased.
After the capture of Cirtipur, Prit’hwinai ayan dispatched immediately
his army to lay siege to the great city of Lelit Pattan. The Gorc’hians
surrounded half the city to the westward with their Tanas ; and, my house
being situated near the gate of that quarter, l was obliged to retire to
Cat’hmandu to avoid being exposed to the fire of the besiegers. After
many engagements between the inhabitants of the the town of Lelit Pattan
and the men of Gorc’ha, in which much blood was spilled on both sides,
the former were disposed to surrender themselves, from the fear of having
their noses cut off, like those at Cirtipur, and also their right hands: a
barbarity the Gorc’hians had threatened them with, unless they would
surrender within five days. One night all the Gorc’hians quitted the
siege of Lelit Pattan to pursue the English army, which, under the com¬
mand of Captain Kinloch, had already taken Siduli, an important fort at
the foot of the Nepal hills, which border upon the kingdom of Tirhut:
but Captain Kinloch not being able to penetrate the hills, either on the
Siduli quarter or by the pass at Hareapur, in the kingdom of Macwanpur,
the army of Gorc’ha returned to Nepal to direct their operations against
the city of Cat’hmandu, where Gainprejas was, who had applied for suc¬
cour to the English. During the siege of Cat’hmandu the Brahmens of
Gorc’ha came almost every night into the city, to engage the chiefs of the
people on the part of their king : and the more effectually to impose upon
poor Gainprejas, many of the principal Brahmens went to his house, and
told him to persevere with confidence, that the chiefs of the Gorc’ha army
were attached to his cause, and that even they themselves would deliver
up their king Prit’hwinarayan into his hands. Having by these artifices
procured an opportunity of detaching from his party all his principal sub¬
jects, tempting them with liberal promises according to their custom, one
night the meh of Gorc’ha entered the city without opposition; and the
wretched Gainprejas perceiving he was betrayed, had scarce time to escape
 APPENDIX. No. III. 385

■with about three hundred o( his best and most faithful Hindustani troops
towards Lelic Pattan; which place, however, he reached the same night.
The king of Gorc’ha having made himself master of Cat’hmandu in the
year 1 768, persisted in the attempt of possessing himself also of the
city of Lelil Pattan, promising all the nobles that he would sufler them to
remain in the possession of their property, that he would even augment it;
andj because the nobles of Lelit Pattan placed no reliance on the faith of
his promises, he sent his domestic priest to make this protestation ; that, if
he failed to acquit himself of his promise, he should draw curses upon
himself and his family even to the fifth past and succeeding generation;
so that the unhappy Gainprejas and the king of Lelit Pattan, seeing that
the nobility were disposed to render themselves subject to the king of
Gorc’ha, withdrew themselves with their people to the king of B’hatgan.
When the city of Lelit Pettan became subject to tbe king of Gorc’ha, he
continued for some time to treat the nobility with great attention, and pro-
posed to appoint a viceroy of the city from among them. Two or three
months afterwards, having appointed the day for making his formal en¬
trance into the city of Lelit Pattan, he made use of innumerable strata¬
gems to get into his possession the persons of the nobility and in the end
succeeded ; he had prevailed upon them to permit their sons to remain at
court as companions of his son ; he had dispatched a noble of each house
to Navacut, or New Fort, pretending that the apprehensions he enter¬
tained of them had prevented his making a public entrance into the city;
and the remaining nobles were seized at the river without the town, where
they went to meet him, agreeably to a prior engagement. Afterwards he
entered the city, made a visit to the temple of Baghero, adjoining to our
habitation, and passing in triumph through the city amidst immense num¬
bers of soldiers, who composed his train, entered the royal palace, which
had been prepared for his reception : in the mean time parties of his sol¬
diers broke open the houses of the nobility, seized all their effects, and
threw the inhabitants of the city into the utmost consternation. After
having caused all the nobles who were in his power to be put to death, or
rather their bodies to be mangled in a horrid manner, he departed with
a design of besieging B’hatgan: and we obtained permission, through the
3 D
386 APPENDIX. No. III.

interest of his son, to retire with all the Christians into the possessions of
the English.
At the commencement of the year 1769, the king of Gorc’ha acquired'
possession of the city of B’hatgan by the same expedients to which he owed
his former successes ; and on his entrance with his troops into the city,
Gainprejas, seeing he had no resource left to save himself, ran courage¬
ously with his attendants towards the king of Gorc’ha, and, at a small dis¬
tance from his palanquin, received a wound in his foot, which a few days
afterwards occasioned his death. The king of Lelit Pattan was confined
in irons till his death; and the king of B’hatgan, being very far advanced
in years, obtained leave to go and die at Banares. A short'time after¬
wards, the mother of Gainprejas also procured the same indulgence, hav¬
ing from old age already.lost her eye-sight; but before her departure,
they took from her a necklace of jewels, as she herself told me, when she
arrived at Patna, with the widow of her grandson; and I could not refrain
from tears, when I beheld the misery and disgrace of this blind and un¬
happy queen.
The king of Gorc’ha having thus, in the space of four years, effected
the conquest of Nepal, made himself jmaster also of the country of the
Ciratas, to the east of it, and of other kingdoms, as far as the borders
of Coch Bihar. After his decease, his eldest son Pratap Sinh,* held the
government of the whole country ; but scarcely two years after, on Pratap
Sinh’s death, a younger brother, by name Babadar Sah, who resided then
at Bettia with his uncle Delmerden Sah, was invited to accept of the go¬
vernment ; and the beginning of his government was marked with many
massacres. The royal family is in the greatest confusion, because the
queen lays claim to the government in the name of her son, whom she
had by Pratap Sinh; and perhaps the oath violated by Prit’hvdnarayan
will, in the progress of time, have its effect. Such have been the successors
Of the kingdoms of Nepal, of which Prit’hwinarayan had thus acquired
possession.
Pertaub Singh.
 INDEX
Of the Names of the Principal Towns, • Rivers, Mountains, SfC. mentioned.

t3~ Those names printed in Italics between parentheses are so spelt in the course of the Work,
but must be read as in the Roman characters.

Addha-bhar, 30, 335. Deopoor, 315.

Ainouli, 336. Dhcrim-tulla (DherimsilLi) 141, 333.
Arun, R. 42. Dhoalka, 192.
Aukhoo, R. 298. Dhobee, R. 157-
Bireh, 12, 14, 15 {Bank 25), 30, 37, 41. Diioocho, 30Q.
Bechiacoii nulla, 31. Dhooncho, 304, 309.
- hills, 32, 335. Dhoka-phede, 49, 51, 331.
Beekhaul (Boe-hhail), 66. Dhyboon, 302, 311.
Beenishehr, 286, 291. Bhurrumdee, R. 298,
Beeriay, 329. Diggercheh, 315.
Beheera-nulla, 30, 336. Dochoak, M. 153.
Bettyah, district, 44. Doomja, 192.
Bhagmutty, R. 11, 76, 155, 329, 333. Doona.baisi, 78, 83.
Bharra-ghurry (gharry). See B&reh Doulou Bassender, 292.
Bhatgong, 163. Dura Dumwa forest, 34.
Bheem-phede (Bhimpore, 46), 52, 331. Ekdunta, 6l, 63.
Bheem-doka, 107. Ekdurra (Elc-dourwa), 30- 336.
Bheerbundy, 108, 136. Etonda. See Hettowia.
Bhoosni, R. 299- Ghokurna, 16O.
Billarie-nullah, 15. Ghurr Semroun (Semroure). See Semroun.
Bishnmutty, R. 77, 140, 155, 333. Goorpussra (Goo/pussra), 14, 335.
Boori (Boora) Gunduck R 13, 20. Gundi, R. 298.
Bootwal, 286. Gurooka, 335.
Bowanpore, 329- H5jypoor (Hazipoor), 23, 29.
Bremhaoode (Bremhabode), R. 156. Hanrigong, 160 (Kaurigong, 173, 4.)
Bukkia, R. 329, Hettowra, 6, 7, 26, 34, 40, 330, 335.
Bundar-pokhra, 12. Himma-leb, M. 57, 314.
Bunnipa, 192. Hunnumunta, R. 157.
Butlay. See Purtai. Huttioul, 41.
Chandnouli, 329. Jakiany, 330.
Chandraghiri, M. 58, 69, 78, 331. Jibjibia, M. 128, 154,314.
Changoonerain, l60. Joona (Ioona) R. 33.
Cheeriaghati, 21. Joongah, 302, 306.
(Jheesapany (Chusupany, 26), 53, 331. Jhurjhhry (Jhurjhoory), 17, 19, 20.
Chempa-daibi, 74. JOmkh or Joomlah, 292.
Cbepia-kola, 299* Jumni (Jumne), R. 13.
Chinachin, 291, 2. Kabhria, 302.
Chitlong, 58, 65, 331. Kalin (Kalia) choak, 192.
Chitlong-kolu, 60. KamroQp (Kamroof), 191.
Chobbar, 165. Khargoo, 70.
Chopingal, 195. Kh&tm&udA, (Khatmanda), 38, 158.
Choprab, 37* Kheroo, 305.
Chundi-baisi, 118. Khur'ia (Kichria), 34.
Chynepoor, 329. Kirtlupoor, l64.
Daiby Ghaut, 118. Koila-bahr, 30.
Deh-choak, 165. Koakna, 76, 333.
Deopdlun, ]6’0. Koolpoo-baisi, 108.
Deoralli, 108. Koomhara, M. 109.
Deoralli, M. 303. --vi llage, 111.
 INDEX.

Kooti, 305, 316, 319. Paurtai, 329-

Kowli-kan-kola, 60. Rmcha (Ramika, 172), 303.
-village, 60, 331. Ranichoak, M. 153.
Kowhilai, 140. Rani Powah, 139, 333.
Kuchoorwa (Cachouriva), 13. Rapute, or Rapti, R. 26, 34, 5, 49-
Kurra, R. 24, 34, 330. Rohtut, 41.
Kurrurbunna, 11. Roussarah, 29
Kushen-kooshen, R. 157. Royhal a (Rog/ialca), 107.
Lohuri. See Chitlong. Russooai, 354.
Loll Rukkia. R. 12. Russelpore, 329-
Lugguntoal (Sugguntoal), 195. Seriva, 11.
Lumjoong, (Sumjuong), 125, 129. Saite, R. 299-
Lungoor-phede, 316. Sankia, 319*
Lullit (Lutlit) Patn, 164. Sankb, 160.
LykboO, R. 308. Seebhoo-dhoal (Seeboodoul) R. 73.
Mahadeo-pokhra, 153. Segouy, 6 7,29,37.
Mahd-rany-ka Powah. See Rany Powah. Sekrownah, see Boori Gunduck.
Mahiiise, R. 107, 332. Semra-butna, 30.
Maisi, 29. Semroun, 12.
Markhoo-kola, 60. Sheopoori, M. 154.
Markhoo, 63, 331. Sbikargong, 320.
Mohturri (Moht-uni), 40,41. Siaprie, 304
Morung (Moniny) district, 42, 20(5, 280. Silhet (Silket), 129.
Muckwanpore-mari 23. Sindoora, R. 135.
Muddenpoor, 112, 332. Singrowli, 30.
Munjessury, 195. Sisuia-ooral, 303.
Munniary, 6', 7, 329- Sisniari, 6l.
Munnohra (Munnokra) R. 157, l6l. Sogal-dhoka, 195.
Mursiari di, R. 299. Somaiser (Somoiser), 18.
Muzufurpoor, 29. Sona-koate, 76.
Naga-Arjdon, M. 153. Soophve, 15.
Nagdeo, 23. Soorej-koorideh (Soorey-koondeh),l 14,308,312.
Nagsoti (Nagsote), 31,335. Subturri (Subtuni), 40.
Neel-khent 441, 308, 314. Sukattie, or Sukti, R. 21.
Nepaul valley, 153, 169, 171, et seqq. Sumblioo-nath, 147.
Nerjah (Neyet, 130), 308. Sunghya, 30.
Nimboo-l&r (Nimbootdn), 50. Sutti-kheil {Sulti-kheil), 74.
Noakote, 112, 116. Tadi, R. 112, 114, 135.
Paloong, 66. Inistoon, 66.
Paloong-idr, 119- Tambeh-kan kola, 60
Pal pa, 286'. ---village, 62.
Papigong, 16O. Teemi (Tumi), 195.
Patn, or Patun, 77, l6l, 331. Teeshoo Lumboo. See Diggercheh.
Patra, 12, 329. Tillawe (Ttildwa), R. 29.
Pnunchgauchy, 335. Thankote, 68.
Peepra Rajepoor, 12, 329- Tbansein, 308.
Pcrsa, 41, 330. Tiburia, 304.
Pbalchoak, W. 154. Tingri, 317.
Phalianchoak, 192. Tingrye (Jwgrije), 13.
Phqrphing (Pheerphing),J4, 333. Tookcha, R. (Fookacha, l6l), 177.
Phoolkoal, 30. Toondikbeel, 196.
Pinnera, 330. Trisoolgunga (Tirsoulgunga), R. 122, 310.
Purbdooty, R. 77- Ullown, 30.
Pui rewa.bheer, 33, 335. Umbeeab-gautch (gauteh), 22.
Pussan-kheil, (Pisan-keel), 82. Yarsa, 309.

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