164 STATISTICAL SKETCH 



and the annual average does not now amount to three. As this practise is 

 now confined wholly to the Rajput families of the highest class (which are 

 by no means numerous) it may be expected to become daily more rare. The 

 other classes have almost invariably proved most ready to listen to the per- 

 suasions of the pubhc native officers, and have been satisfied with the salvo 

 oifered to their character, by the ostensible intention and preparation with- 

 out proceeding to the completion of the sacrifice. 



There are no public institutions of the nature of schools, and private 

 tuition is almost wholly confined to the upper classes. The teachers are 

 commonly Brahmins, who impart to their scholars the mere knowledge of 

 reading, writing, and accounts. The children of respectable Brahmins are 

 also taught Sanscrit, and are occasionally sent to Benares to complete 

 their studies, where they pass through the usual course of Hindu education, 

 consisting of theology, astronomy, judicial astrology, and sometimes medicine. 

 The Pundits here, however, by no means appear to excel in any one of these 

 branches, as the most learned usually resort to the courts of the Hindu native 

 princes in the plains. The colloquial language is pure Hindi, derived chiefly 

 from the Sanscrit, without any admixture of Persian. The terminations and 

 punctuations are, however, extremely corrupt, more particularly in the 

 northern pergunnas. The language used in Gerhwal differs very considerably 

 from that of Kamaon. The bulk of the population in both parts are, however, 

 acquainted with Hindustani, as spoken in the plains. 



In the division of time, the Hindu mode is exclusively followed, and the 

 years in use are also Hindu, being the Sambat and Saka. The latter is the 

 most generally adopted in written documents : it differs from the Sambat by 

 a period of thirty-five years. 



The religious establishments are numerous, and the lands assigned for 



