148 TJie Ethnology of India. 



I believe th.it there are some very curious tribes m valleys near 

 and immediately beyond the snows, but I have not the means of 

 specifying them. 



As respects the Himalayas generally, the following may r I think, be 

 said. From Cashmere eastwards, all the easily accessible portions of 

 the Himalayas are occupied by perfectly Arian Hindus, a& far as the 

 eastern border of Kumaon and the Kalee river, separating that Pro- 

 vince from the Nepal dominions ; the Thibetans being here confined to 

 the valleys about and beyond the snow. Throughout the whole 

 length of Nepal again people of Thibetan blood have partially flooded 

 over into the Nepal country, have there met and intermixed with; 

 other raceSj and have formed mixed tribes who appear to be generally 

 (the proper Goorkhas perhaps excepted) more Thibetan than Indian 

 in physiognomy and speech, but are or affect to be more Indian than 

 Thibetan in religion and manners, doubtless under the influence of 

 the dominant " Khas.' r East of Nepal, in Sikkim and Bhootan, 

 Thibetans are altegefcher dominant, and the Hindu element almost 

 disappears. The soldiers whom we erroneously call ' real Goorkhas' 

 are mostly of the Gurang and Magar tribes of western Nepal. Thei? 

 features are ultra-Mongolian, but they are small, whereas the Thibe- 

 tans are generally large. Of their phick and energy there can be no- 

 doubt. At the Simla Government School, the children from a 

 Goorkha Regiment were found at least to equal, in fact rather to beat 

 the Hindus. They themselves affect to be Hindus, and stoutly 

 deny being Buddhists, though they are free from most disagreeable- 

 Hindu prejudices. The Newars, the cultivating peasantry of the 

 valley of Nepal, are stated to have Thibetan looking features, with a 

 fair and ruddly complexion. Both their language and that of the 

 Gurangs and Magars seem to be in the main Thibetan, at least in 

 the fundamental numerals, pronouns, &c. Still more is it so as* 

 regards the languages of the tribes farther east, Kerantis, Murmis^ 

 and others, of whom I know little. 



The Lepchas of Sikkim and Lopas of Bhootan are unmitigated 

 Buddhist Thibetans. There seem to be several tribes of " Bong,"" 

 " Khampas" or Kambas, and Limboos, who come from different parts 

 of Thibet, and there are some differences of language. The Lepcha 

 tribes are described as a dirty, good-natured people, in character said 



