1857.] Vayu Vocabulary. 485 



the Kosi river from near the valley of Nepal proper to the Tamba 

 Kosi. We are not Awalias (people iuured to malaria or awal). 

 The Awalias dwell in the valley of the river, and are called Kuswar, 

 Botia, Deuwar, &c. We can't live there by reason of the malaria. 

 Nor do we dwell on the hill summits like the Kusunda andChepang, 

 who never cultivate, but live on wild herbs and fruits and never 

 build houses. We have houses and cultivate the soil, growing maize 

 and kodo and buckwheat, and rice, cotton, millets, barley, wheat 

 and madder. We are fixed cultivators, like the Newars, not migra- 

 tory ones like the Lepchas, Limbus and others. We occupy the 

 central parts of the hill slopes, which we cut into terraces. Bice 

 won't grow on the tops nor any sort of grain. We go up as high 

 as grain will grow. We use the plough or the spade, according to 

 the nature of the site we occupy. We have no craftsmen, smiths, 

 carpenters or potters — of our own tribe. We buy utensils and 

 ornaments from others. We build our own houses and our women 

 spin and weave the home-grown cotton, of which they make our 

 clothes. None of our race are soldiers, nor do we ever take service 

 (menial). The Newars dye for us, if we need it ; but the men 

 wear plain clothes. Those of the women are sometimes dyed. Our 

 villages are very small, usually fifteen to twenty houses scattered 

 along the hill sides. Our houses are built of rough timber, plas- 

 tered and thatched with grass. Two rooms in a house — one for 

 cooking and the other for sleeping. We have no general dormitory 

 for all the grown girls, or boys of the village. We marry at matu- 

 rity, buying our wives. A wife costs fifteen or twenty rupees. If 

 we have no money we earn her by labour in her father's house. 

 We bury our dead without any ceremonies. We do not tattoo our 

 bodies. Our ears we bore occasionally. We have no priest but the 

 exorcist, who is also our only physiciau. None of our tribe follow 

 the brahmans or lamas. We abide by our own creed and customs. 

 We eat fowls, pigs, goats, sheep, buffaloes. Not oxen, bears or 

 monkeys, but honey, milk, eggs. We drink beer and spirits. Muck 

 of the former, as it is home-made ; little of the latter, because we 

 must buy it. Our law of inheritance gives equal shares to all the 

 boys, and no share to the girls. Our head villager decides our 

 disputes. We never appeal from him. Our tribe is a broken one 

 and is reduced to very inconsiderable numbers. 



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