130 DORJILING. Chap. V. 



his share, coining up and giving the donor a brusque bow 

 and thanks. They have learnt to overcharge already, and 

 use extortion in dealing, as is the custom with the people 

 of the plains ; but it is clumsily done, and never accom- 

 panied with the grasping air and insufferable whine of the 

 latter. They are constantly armed with a long, heavy, 

 straight knife,* but never draw it on one another : family 

 and political feuds are alike unheard of amongst them. 



The Lepcha is in morals far superior to his Tibet and 

 Bhotan neighbours, polyandry being unknown, and poly- 

 gamy rare. This is no doubt greatly due to the conventual 

 system not being carried to such an excess as in Bhotan, 

 where the ties of relationship even are disregarded. 



Like the New Zealander, Tasmanian, Fuegian, and 

 natives of other climates, which, though cold, are moist 

 and equable, the Lepcha's dress is very scanty, and when 

 we are wearing woollen under-garments and hose, he is 

 content with one cotton vesture, which is loosely thrown 

 round the body, leaving one or both arms free ; it reaches 

 to the knee, and is gathered round the waist : its fabric is 

 close, the ground colour white, ornamented with longi- 

 tudinal blue stripes, two or three fingers broad, prettily 

 worked with red and white. When new and clean, this 

 garb is remarkably handsome and gay, but not showy. In 

 cold weather an upper garment with loose sleeves is added. 

 A long knife, with a common wooden handle, hangs by 

 the side, stuck in a sheath ; he has often also a quiver of 

 poisoned arrows and a bamboo f bow across his back. 

 On his right wrist is a curious wooden guard for the 



* It is called " Ban," and serves equally for plough, toothpick, table-knife, 

 hatchet, hammer, and sword. 



t The bamboo, of which the quiver is made, is thin and light: it is brought 

 from Assam, and called Tulda, or Dulwa, by the Bengalees. 



