ACCOUNT OF BHUTAN. 149 



women are frequently united in marriage to boys, in which case the hus- 

 band usually takes the daughter of his old wife after her demise. If the 

 husband be much older than his wife, he calls her daughter, and mother, if 

 much younger. When a person dies, a Gelum is sent for who burns the 

 body. The bodies of persons dying of the small pox are first buried for 

 three days, and if of any other disease, kept in the house for the same period 

 after death, and then burned. In the case of persons of consequence there 

 is an assembly of many people, and apparently rejoicing, with much drink- 

 ing of spirits and feasting. During three days that the body is kept, the 

 usual allowance of food is placed beside it, and this is the perquisite of 

 the officiating Gelum. There are two places built with stones, one near 

 Tassisujon, and another at Punakha, called Tutlna, where all dead bo- 

 dies are burned. The ashes after incineration are collected, and carried home, 

 and in the morning they are placed in a brass pot, and covered with silk, 

 and attended by a procession carried to the river, where the contents are 

 thrown into the water, and the pot and silk presented to the Gelums. At 

 the same time a part of the wealth of the deceased is given in charity to 

 the Gelums, and they are fed with rice and tea, and one or more flags with 

 the mystic words " Om mani peme Mn" inscribed upon them, are put up 

 at the house of the deceased, as a means of accelerating his regeneration. 



In Bhutan lightning does not descend from the clouds as in Bengal, but 

 rises from earth, this was not actually seen, but the holes in the earth were 

 inspected, and it is universally reported to be the case by the inhabitants. 

 In Bhutan it never thunders, nor do the clouds ever appear of a black 

 color, but merely resemble mist ; the rain which falls is also exceedingly 

 fine, like our mist. At Andipur and Punakha there is sunshine all the 

 year, but in other places a thick fog mitigates the ardor of the suns rays ; 

 which is probably occasioned by the comparative lowness of the situation 

 of these two places. At Andipur on account of the mountains, the sun is 

 not seen for the first and last pahars of the day. Snow falls only occasi- 

 onally at Andipur and Punakha, but every year in the other parts of the 

 country. 



