1849.] Kocchj Bodo and Dhimal people. 743 



Dhoti, and after being passed between the legs is folded several times 

 round the hips and the end simply tucked in behind. The male dress 

 of the Dhimals is similar : its upper portion is called Pataka — its lower, 

 Dhari — the whole, Dhaba with this people — Hi with the Bodo. All 

 cotton clothes, whether male or female, are almost invariably white or 

 undyed. Neither Bodo nor Dhimal commonly cover the head, unless 

 when the men choose to take off their upper vest and fold it round the 

 head to be rid of it. Shoes are not in use ; but a sort of sandals or 

 sole-covers, called Yapthong vel Champoi, sometimes are, and are made 

 of wood by the people themselves. There are no other shoes. Orna- 

 ments are rare, even amongst the women, who however wear small silver 

 rings in their ears and noses also, and heavy bracelets of mixed metal 

 on their wrists. These are bought in the Kocch marts, and are quite 

 simple in form. 



Food.- — The sorts of vegetable food have been already enume- 

 rated in speaking of agriculture ; rice is the chief article : wheat or 

 barley, unknown even by name. Ghiu or clarified butter, is likewise 

 totally unused and unnamed, and oil is very sparingly consumed for 

 food. Salt, chillies, vegetables, plenty of rice, varied sometimes with 

 maize or millet, and fish or flesh every second day, constitute, however, 

 a meal which the poor Hindu might envy, washed down as it is with 

 a liberal allowance of beer. Plenty of fish is to be had from Decem- 

 ber to February, both inclusive, and plenty of game from January to 

 April inclusive, though the Bodo and Dhimal are no very keen or 

 skilful sportsmen, notwithstanding the abundance of game and freedom 

 from all prohibitions. They have the less need to turn hunters in that 

 their domestic animals must supply them amply with flesh. They 

 have abundance of swine and of poultry, and not a few of goats, ducks 

 and pigeons, but no sheep nor buffaloes, and cows are scarce ; milk is 

 little used, but not eschewed, as by the Garos it is. They may eat all 

 animals, tame or wild, save oxen, dogs, cats, monkeys, elephants, bears 

 and tigers. Fish of all sorts, land and water tortoises, mungooses, 

 civets (not cats !), porcupines, hares, monitors of enormous size, wild 

 hogs, deer of all sorts, rhinoceros, and wild buffaloes, are amongst the 

 wild animals they pursue for their flesh ; and altogether they are 

 abundantly provided with meat. 



Drinks and stimulants. — The Bodo and Dhimals use abundance of a 



