138 DORJILING. Chap. V. 



carrying the younger to slavery, and killing on the march 

 such captives as are unable to proceed. Many enlist at 

 Dorjiling, which the Lepchas never do ; and the rajah of 

 Nepal employs them in his army, where, however, they 

 seldom obtain promotion, this being reserved for soldiers 

 of Hindoo tribes. Latterly Jung Bahadur levied a force of 

 6000. of them, who were cantoned at Katmandoo, where 

 the cholera breaking out, carried off some hundreds, causing 

 many families who dreaded conscription to flock to 

 Dorjiling. Their habits are so similar to those of the 

 Lepchas, that they constantly intermarry. They mourn, 

 burn, and bury their dead, raising a mound over the corpse, 

 erecting a headstone, and surrounding the grave with a 

 little paling of sticks ; they then scatter eggs and pebbles 

 over the ground. In these offices the Bijooa of the Lepchas 

 is employed, but the Limboo has also priests of his own, 

 called " Phedangbos," who belong to rather a higher order 

 than the Bijooas. They officiate at marriages, when a cock 

 is put into the bridegroom's hands, and a hen into those of 

 the bride ; the Phedangbo then cuts off the birds' heads, 

 when the blood is caught on a plantain leaf, and runs into 

 pools from which omens are drawn. At death, guns are 

 fired, to announce to the gods the departure of the spirit ; 

 of these there are many, having one supreme head, and to 

 them offerings and sacrifices are made. They do not 

 believe in metempsychosis. 



The Limboo language is totally different from the Lepcha, 

 with less of the z in it, and more labials and palatals, 

 hence more pleasing. Its affinities I do not know ; it has 

 no peculiar written character, the Lepcha or Nagri being 

 used. Dr. Campbell, from whom I have derived most 

 of my information respecting these people, was informed,* 



* See " Dorjiling Guide," p. 89. Calcutta, 1845. 



