448 On the Kirdnti tribe of the Central Himalaya. [No. 5. 



Adverting to the high recorded antiquity of the terms Kirat or 

 Kirant and Kirati or Kiranti (vague nasal) as applied respectively 

 to the country and people, even to this hour, it is remarkable that 

 the Kirantis themselves do not readily admit the genuineness or 

 propriety of those terms, but prefer the names Kbwombo vel 

 Khombo and Kirawa as their general personal designations and seem 

 to have none at all for their country. But the Kirantis, always 

 ignorant of letters, have been now for a long time depressed and 

 subdued ; and, huddled as they now are into comparatively narrow 

 limits, they are yet divided among themselves into numerous tribes 

 and septs speaking dialects so diverse as not to be mutually intel- 

 ligible ; and hence they are wont to think only of their sectional 

 names and to forget their general or national one. 



It is difficult, owing to the varying limits at diverse seras, to 

 ascertain the precise force of the territorial term Kirant in the 

 view of the people themselves. But the following statement of 

 boundaries, divisions and included septs may, I believe, be considered 

 sufficiently accurate for all present purposes. 



Kirant. 

 1. "Wallo Kirant or 2. Manjh Kirant or 3. Pallo Kirant or 

 Hither Kirant. Middle Kirant. Further Kirant. 



Respective tribes. 

 Yakha. Bontava. Chourasya. 



Limbu. Kodong. 



Lohorong. Dungmali. 



Chhingtang. Khaling. 



Drimi. 



Sangpaug. 



Balali. 



Lambichhong. 



Bahing. 



Thiilung. 



Kiilung. 



Waling. 



Nachhereng. 

 This is Kirant in the larger sense, and including Khwombuau or 

 Kirant proper, and Limbuau or the country of the Limbus. The 



