1839.] Capt. P ember ton's Mission to Bootan, 1837-38. 281 



forms one of the few articles of export from the country, and is gene- 

 rally exchanged for dried fish. In Bootan at least two species are 

 used, one of these is Roxburgh's Rubia mungista. Of the different 

 species of Rubia very little is known, and that little is a good deal 

 confused. From Mr. Royle's account it would appear that the article 

 Munjeeth is the produce alone of Rubia cordifolia (R mungistha Roxb.) 

 The two species used in Bootan are very distinct, and very general con- 

 stituents of other mountainous floras ; one of them has leaves without 

 stalks. 



Agriculture being in such a poor state, we need not look for im- 

 provement in the implements by which it is carried on. The plough is 

 a lumbering article, on the ordinary Indian principle, and the others are 

 equally bad imitations ; but as the Booteas pride themselves on being 

 warriors, they are not inclined to turn their swords into ploughshares, 

 and until this is done no improvement can be expected. Manures, so 

 far as I had opportunities of judging, are chiefly confined to the three 

 great valleys ; they consisted chiefly of rotten fir leaves, and appeared 

 to me to be of a very poor description. In these parts ashes of stubble 

 and weeds are likewise spread over the surface, but the greatest por- 

 tion of labour was expended in pulverising the surface. The natives 

 likewise make use of the accumulation of filth under their houses, 

 which judging from the depth of the layer is not always removed annu- 

 ally. This is excellent manure, and is principally used about the little 

 plots of ground attached to most of the villages. 



Of fences they are generally very regardless, or at best, place them 

 where they are of no use. Thus the yards of many of the houses, 

 and in some parts what are called gardens, are surrounded with stone 

 walls ; some few rising crops are protected by branches of thorny shrubs, 

 but generally the only defence exists in the shape of a herd-boy, 

 who is regardful only of damage done by his own charge. 



In domestic animals they cannot be said to be rich. Chowry tailed 

 cows certainly are not common, and would appear to be kept chiefly 

 by the officers of high rank. As their range is restricted to very 

 high elevations, they must be in Bootan of very limited utility. 

 I only saw one sufficiently close to ascertain what kind of creature 

 it was, and I was much disappointed in finding it an heavy, clumsy- 

 looking animal; the specimen, however, was not a fine one. The 

 only herds seen by the Mission were at elevations of nearly 10,000 feet. 

 The Chowry tails exported to the Plains probably come from Thibet ; 

 and judging from those which we saw, they are of very inferior 

 quality. The cattle are used as beasts of burden. 



A much finer animal is the Mithun ; this is the same as the Mithun 



