1835.] Notice of the Nipdlese Spirit Still. 285 



spirits of turpentine, and the residuum of yellow resin from the Ganda 

 Firoza of Nepal*, both of these articles, being equally good for medi- 

 cinal and other purposes, as that to be had in Calcutta, and, I believe, 

 much cheaper. 



The ubiquity of this still throughout the valley arises from the free- 

 dom of distillation sanctioned by the rulers. Excise laws for whiskey- 

 making are as yet unknown here, and were their executives to ap- 

 pear among the peaceable Newars, I fear the fate of some of them 

 might resemble that of Robert Burn's man of this craft. 



Every Newar, who can pfford it, distils his own Rakshi (spirits from 

 rice), and all the lower orders of this people, and many of the respec- 

 table ones, are greatly addicted to the use of spirits. They are not 

 by any means given to habitual drunkenness, but they indulge for the 

 good of their healths, regularly and moderately. In the rice-field, 

 cold and wet as it is, the bottle is a great and ever present comfort ; 

 while at a religious meeting, or on the celebration of a birth or mar- 

 riage, it goes merrily and rapidly round ; males and females, young 

 and old, alike partaking of it, to the increase of social happiness and 

 joy in all. 



Few sights in Nepal are more grateful to the foreign visitor, than 

 the feasts and merry-makings of the Newars: on such occasions they 

 congregate on some green and sunny spot, near a temple, or old 

 image, with a running stream of limpid water passing through it, and 

 there, for the live-long day, in the idle seasons of the year, do they 

 sing, play on the musical instruments of their tribe, often dance and 

 ever laugh, enlivened by the rakshi stoup it's true; but the main- 

 spring of their joy is the cheerful and happy temperament they pos- 

 sess, to an eminent degree, in strong and pleasing contrast with the 

 sour looks and arrogant demeanour of the Gurkhas, or the melan- 

 choly and apathetic countenances of the inhabitants of Hindustan, 

 who sojourn for a time among them. 



Reference to Plate of Still, and its component portions. 



Names in Newari language. English synonymes. 



1 Phusi 1 Body of still. 



2 Sachi 2 Luting (of clay). 



3 Putasi, 3 Still-head. 



4 Bhuta 4 Furnace. 



5 Batta, 5 Condenser, (copper.) 



6 Dubli, 6 Receiver, (earthen.) 



7 Putasi, (section of,) 7 Section of Still-head). 



* Commonly called Ganda Biroza; it is well known to be the exudation from 

 the denuded trunk of the different species of the pine throughout these mountains. 



