1844.] Notes on the Kasia Hills, and People. 621 



with sometimes a comb ; a little globular silver-box containing lime to 

 smear the pawn, lies in the net which serves as a pocket, and contains 

 as rare a medley as any school- boy's. A traveller arriving at Cherra has 

 asked what were those numerous stains of blood on the road ; the inno- 

 cent traces of Kasia expectoration. Distances are often estimated by 

 the number of pawns that will be consumed on the road. But an 

 answer to the question, " How far ?" once given me by a Kasia with a 

 load on his back, left far behind this and all other vague estimates, ex- 

 cept perhaps a Bengallee " Bank pani." He said it was " arsin leih," or 

 two goings ; perhaps as far as he could carry his burden with one rest. 



The characteristic dress of the people is a short sleeveless shirt of 

 thick cotton cloth, either of the natural colour (unbleached), or striped 

 gaily with blue and red, and always excessively dirty. It has a deep 

 fringe below, and is ornamented on the breast and back with lines of a 

 sort of diamond pattern embroidery, from the edges of which hang cer- 

 tain mystic threads, to the length of which they attach some supersti- 

 tious importance in purchasing the garment. The shirt closely resem- 

 bles one figured in Wilkinson's ancient Egyptians, vol. III. p. 345. 

 Over this a few wear a short coatee of cotton or broad cloth, and many 

 wrap a large mantle striped or chequed with broad reddish lines. 

 The latter is their most picturesque costume. Some have a strong 

 penchant for articles of European dress, and their potato merchants ge- 

 nerally bring a small invoice of these from Calcutta on their return 

 voyage. I was once entertained by the prime minister of a Raja to the 

 westward, whose sole habiliment, save a cloth round his loins, was a 

 new olive green frock coat (with a velvet collar, if I mistake not) . As 

 he threw back the flaps, thrust his thumbs in the armholes, and strut- 

 ted about, it was not easy to preserve politeness to my host. A very 

 large turban covers the head of the better class ; others wear a greasy 

 cap with flaps over the ears, or go bareheaded. The fore part of the 

 head is shaven, and the back hair gathered in a clump on the crown. 

 Chiefs, or the heads of villages generally have a neck-lace of large gilt 

 beads, like our native officers. The women are generally wrapt in a 

 shapeless mantle of striped cotton cloth, with its upper corners tied 

 in a knot across the breast. 



The men are seldom tall, generally well made, and shew great 

 strength of limb ; of leg in particular, Such doric columns as support 



