1849.] On the Physical Geography of the Himalaya. 773 



Conifers above.* In Zoology, again, to begin with man, the upper re- 

 gion is the exclusive habit of the Bhotias, who extend along the whole 

 line of the ghats, and who, with the name, have retained the lingual 

 and physical characteristics of their tramontane brethren. To the cen- 

 tral region are confined, but each in their own province from east to 

 west, the Mishmis, the Bors and Abors, the Akas, the Daphlas, the 

 Lhopas, the Lepchas, the Limbus, the Kirantis, the Mi'irmis, the Ne- 

 wars, the Sunwars, the Chepangs, the Gurungs, the Magars, the Khas 

 or Khasias, the Kohlis, the Garhwalis, the Kakkas, the Bambas, the 

 Gakars, the Khatirs, the Awans, and the Janjuhs. To the lower re- 

 gion are as exclusively limited the Kocch, the Bodo, the Dbimal, the 

 Kichak, the Tharu, the Denwar, the Pallah, and the Boksar. Of these 

 races, those of the central region are all of transnivean origin like 

 the first named ; but they are much altered in speech and aspect, 

 by 12 to 15 centuries of residence in a cisnivean climate, and by mix- 

 ture in some few cases (as Khas or Khasia) with southern blood ; 

 whilst the races of the lower region are of the aboriginal Indian or 

 Tamulian stock, and nearly unmixed, though some of them have adopted 

 the speech and customs of the Hindus. f The hill Brahmans, Rajputs 

 and Moslems so common to the westward, so rare to the eastward, are 

 mere modern immigrants from the plains. It is very deserving of spe- 

 cial notice that the people of the upper region cannot endure the cli- 

 mate of the central one, nor those of the central region, the climate of 

 the lower one ; so that the distribution even of the human race in the 

 Himalaya affords a remarkable verification of our triple transverse divi- 

 sion from a quarter the least likely to afford any such argument. But 

 to proceed to our zoological enumerations. To the upper region ex- 

 clusively belong, among the Ruminants, the Bisons (Poephagus) and 

 Musks, the wild goats (Ibex, Hemitragus) and wild sheep (Pseudois, 



* Last winter Dr. Hooker pointed out to me in the lower region a Hawthorn 

 and a Horse Chesnut. But these are exceptional traits. 



* For these tribes see J. A. S. for December 1847, and April and June 1848, 

 and May 1849 ; also the prior paper in the same by Mr. Brown. Essay on the 

 Kocch, Bodo, and Dhimal Languages and Literature of Nepal. Cunningham's His- 

 tory of the Sikhs, and Hamilton's Nepal. The Kholis of Kumaon are one of the 

 tribes of Helot craftsmen of India, who are most of them Tamulian in origin, I 

 think ; but the subject is yet to be treated. 



