OF KAMAON. 211 



themselves, and from whence they were taken up to heaven : a similar blessing, 

 it is believed, will be conferred on every virtuous and pious person, who may 

 feach the peak, or perish in the way ; from twenty to twenty-five votaries an- 

 nually sacrifice themselves in the attempt to ascend the Mahd Panth, or Greal 

 ivai/, or by throwing themselves over a precipice, called Bhyrava Jhamp, in the 

 neighbourhood : by suicide, at the latter spot, the votary expects to have realized 

 in his future state, that object and wish for which he expressly devotes himself. 

 These suicides are chie^yfromGuzeral and Bengal, and commonly leave their 

 houses for the avowed purpose of proceeding to MahiPanih, and such sacrifices 

 by hill-people are rare -, it may, therefore, be reasonably presumed, that they are 

 not occasioned by the influence or suggestions of the priest and attendants 

 of the temple. 



Page l64i. The personal appearance of the inhabitants varies in a marked 

 degree, in different parts of the hills, though the same general caste of counte- 

 nance, a lank face, with prominent features, prevails throughout. In the north- 

 ern districts, the people are short, stout-made and fair, while in the southern 

 hills, the stature is somewhat greater, the form spare, and the complexion 

 sallow : the natives of the midland pergunnas, present a medium appearance 

 between the two first mentioned classes. The children of both sexes are, 

 generally speaking, every where fair and handsome, but as the boys approach 

 to manhood, their features become coarse, and tlieir face loses its fullness. 

 The females, from constant exposure to the weather, and from incessant la- 

 bor, lose all pretensions to good looks at an early age, and when advanced 

 in life, are commonly remarkable for their extreme ugliness. Women of the 

 higher ranks, not subject to such vicissitudes, must be excepted, as they are 

 invariably fair and often beautiful. 



A similar variation in costume exists in the hills. In the northern dis- 

 tricts, the principal article of dress, consists of an unsewn web of cloth, 



