Physical Geography of the Himulayah MnoUiuns. 285 



northern regions. The climate of the plai»s, too, so hostile 

 to the constitution of the European, by cmfining him much 

 to the house, renders it impossible he should see much of the 

 native, except in the field, upon parade, as a domestic servant, 

 or in some subordinate office of the law or revenue depart- 

 ments, in all of which, except perhaps the first, he appears in 

 an artificial and acquired character. 



In the hill districts, most of these obstacles, to a close ob- 

 servation of the native character, have less influence. 



Those peculiarities of diet, purification, and discipline, by 

 which the Hindoo is alienated from every other human being, 

 are here adhered to with much less pertinacity than in the 

 plains, where the fashions and superstitions of an aboriginal 

 race, the occupants of the soil, previous to their acquaintance 

 with their earliest conquerors or teachers of civilization, the 

 Hindoos of the plains, seem still to be more or less prevalent. 

 The climate, too, above 8000 feet of elevation above the level 

 of the sea, is generally sufficiently cool to admit of a Euro- 

 pean spending much of his time in the open air during the 

 day ; and among thediill Sepoys, formerly in the pay of the 

 Gorkhali, one can find zealous associates, in many of the 

 sports of the field, possessing more of the activity and good 

 humoured hardihood of the best style of European soldier 

 than the dignified and phlegmatic, though respectful, disposi- 

 tion of the rajpoot of the plains, who would seldom, proba- 

 bly, from inclination, or for his own amusement, think of seek- 

 ing with alacrity to join in pursuit of the pheasant, the hill 

 partridge, the bear, or the hyena. 



The occasional inclemency of the weather, and the difficul- 

 ty of conveying tents at all suited to resist its severity, often 

 unites all ranks and classes under one roof in the village, in the 

 portico of the Deota's temple, or under the friendly shelter of the 

 cavern around the blazing pine-wood fire. When the native taste 

 is here allowed to display itself unrestrained in conversation 

 among each other, features of character make their appear- 

 ance, which years of a cantonment life in the plains never would 

 have brought into notice. 



The Mahomedan fictitious narrative, abounding, after the 

 manner of the Arabian Tales, with gorgeous and glittering 

 palaces, princes, princesses, fairies, magicians, and Genii, de- 



