1837.] Mechanical Instruments of the Nepalese. 053 



VI. — Notes on the Musical Instruments and Agricultural and other In- 

 struments of the Nepalese*. By A. Campbrll, Esq. M. D. Surgeon 

 attached to the Residency at Katmandhu. 



1. — Musical Instruments. 



It is almost unnecessary to allude here to the two chief classes of 

 men forming the population of the valley of Nepal ; hut to save repe- 

 tition, it may not he amiss to mention, that the instruments underneath 

 enumerated, are common to the Newars and the Parbuttiahs, both 

 designations being understood in the widest sense. This difference, 

 however, exists, in the classes of each tribe using them ; among Par- 

 buttiahs none but the lowest castes furnish professional musicians, and 

 there are no amateurs of this science among the rude highlanders, 

 who now rule Nepal. The Newars, on the contrary are, as a people, 

 extremely fond of music, and many of the higher and middle castes 

 practise it professionally, and indulge in it as amateurs. Their labors 

 in the field are generally accompanied, and their weary return from it 

 at certain seasons, enlivened by the plaintive strains of the rural flute 

 (bansuli), or the sharper tones of the mohalli (flageolet), and at mar- 

 riages, births, feasts, fairs, and religious processions, a preceding band 

 of music, is an indispensable portion of the smallest ceremony ; nor is it 

 uncommon, on a festival day (of which the Newars have nearly 100 

 annually) to see a joyous jolly fellow, with his flageolet, or cymbals, 

 as the case may be, trudging along towards the scene of rejoicing, pip- 

 ing a national air on the former, for his own amusement and that of 

 all passengers, or drumming with the latter, in unison to his thought- 

 less but cheering whistle. 



As a general rule, however, professional musicians, among the 

 Newars, as with the Parbuttiahs, are from among the lowest castes, 

 Kullus and Kusulliahs, form the majority from the former, Damais and 

 Sarins from the latter. 



The instruments used by the people are as follows : I exclude the 

 imitations by the Gorkhas, of British ones, with which their military 

 bauds are furnished, the chief of which are the bagpipe, made and 

 played on by Surkis. The flute, either English, or imitation of the 

 flageolet, and a variety of horns, trumpets, and bugles. 



No. 1. — Phunga {Newari), is a trumpet-shaped instrument made of 

 copper, about three and a half feet long, two inches in diameter as its 

 large extremity, and tapering gradually to the mouth-piece, where its 

 bore is diminished to the diameter of \t\\ of an inch, it is formed of 



* The figures refer to models presented by Dr. Campbkll and deposited in the 

 museum. — Ed. 



