1840.] Note on the Lepchas of Sikkim. 379 



Note on the Lepchas of Sikkim. By A. Campbell, Esq. Super- 

 intendent of Dorjeling. 



When I had the honor some months ago of forwarding a few- 

 Notes on the Mech tribe,* I ventured to announce my expec- 

 tation of being able to furnish some particulars of other tribes 

 inhabiting the neighbouring countries of eastern Nipal, Sikkim, 

 and Bootan. To this end, I had collected and recorded some 

 useful memoranda regarding the Lepchas, Bhotiahs, Limboos, 

 Murmis, Gurungs, and Hains, all mountaineers, which by an 

 unfortunate accident were destroyed by fire ; nevertheless, as the 

 establishment of this Sanatarium for our countrymen affords 

 them opportunities of communicating with classes of men which 

 have hitherto been denied to all except the few who under very 

 restrictive circumstances have sojourned in Nipal, T am induced 

 to forward some particulars of the Lepchas, with an alphabet 

 and very meagre vocabulary of their language, in the hope that 

 they may be of some assistance to persons visiting this place, 

 who may have leisure and a disposition to acquire the means of 

 colloquial and written intercourse in their own language, with a 

 most interesting people, and I believe the undoubted aborigines 

 of the mountain forests surrounding Dorjeling. 



Although the Lepchas have a written language, it has not 

 been ascertained that they now have, or ever did possess any 

 recorded history of themselves, or chronicles of any important 

 events in which they have taken part. The " Lepchas," so call- 

 ed by us, and indeed by themselves in conversation with stran- 

 gers, are divided into two races, viz. u Rong" and " Khamba." 

 Rong in colloquial intercourse among them is a generic term, 

 and equivalent to " Lepcha" with us. But a man who an- 

 nounces himself a Lepcha to an European, Nipalese, or Hin- 

 doostani, may, on being questioned, turn out to be a Khamba. 

 The real Lepcha, or Rong proper, has no tradition whatever, so 

 far as I can learn, connected with the advent of his tribe into 

 this part of the world. Here he has always been, to the best of 

 his knowledge and belief, and this is corroborated by all his 

 neighbours. The habitant of the Lepchas occupies an extreme 



* Vide As. Soc. Journ. No. 92. 



3 c 



