1848.] On the Chepang and Kusunda tribes of Nepal. 651 



is there any lack of reasonable presumptions in favour of this idea, in 

 reference to the Chepangs at least ; for the still traceable affiliation of 

 this people (as we shall soon see), not less than the extant state of their 

 language, demonstrates their once having known a condition far supe- 

 rior to their present one or to any that has been their' s for ages. 



That the primitive man was a savage has always appeared to me an 

 unfounded assumption ; whereas that broken tribes deteriorate lament- 

 ably we have several well founded instances in Africa.* Quitting how- 

 ever these speculations I proceed with my narrative. During a long 

 residence in Nepal, I never could gain the least access to the Kusundas, 

 though aided by all the authority of the Durbar : but, so aided, I once 

 in the course of an ostensible shooting excursion persuaded some Che- 

 pangs to let me see and converse with them for 3 or 4 days through the 

 medium of some Gurungs of their acquaintance. On that occasion I 

 obtained the accompanying ample specimen of their language ; and, 

 whilst they were doling forth the words to my interpreters, I was en- 

 abled to study and to sketch the characteristic traits of their forms and 

 faces. f Compared with the mountaineers among whom they are found 

 the Chepangs are a slight but not actually deformed race, though their 

 large bellies and their legs indicate strongly the precarious amount and 

 innutritions quality of their food. In height they are scarcely below 

 the standard of the tribes around them J — who however are notoriously 

 short of stature — but in colour they are very decidedly darker or of a 

 nigrescent brown. They have elongated (fore and aft) heads, protu- 

 berant large mouths, low narrow foreheads, large cheek-bones, flat faces, 

 and small eyes. But the protuberance of the mouth does not amount 

 to prognathous deformity, nor has the small suspicious eye much, if 

 any thing, of the Mongolian obliqueness of direction or set in the head. 

 Having frequently questioned the Durbar whilst resident at Kathmandu 

 as to the relations and origin of the Chepangs and Kusundas, I was 

 invariably answered that no one could give the least account of them, 

 but that they were generally supposed to be autochthones, or primitive 

 inhabitants of the country. For a long time such also was my own 

 opinion, based chiefly upon their physical characteristics as above noted 



* Prich. Phys. Hist. Vol. II. passim. Scott's exquisite Novels throw much 

 light on this subject. 



t See the accompanying outline, which is remarkably faithful and significant. 

 % Magar, Miirmi, Khas, Gurung, Newar. 



