34 BHOTIA MEHALS 



engaged in that employment, with a spindle in their hand, and a roll of 

 wool round their wrist. 



Trade, as has been already incidentally noticed, forms the primary 

 object of importance to the Bhotias, and is the principal, if not sole con- 

 sideration which retains them in the unfertile villages of Bitot ; now, that 

 waste lands, of a far superior quality in the northern pergannas, every 

 where present themselves for occupation. The adjoining province of 

 Tibet, here called " Shot," and " Hiundes," (snow land) indiscrimi- 

 nately, holds out peculiar attractions to commerce. Subjected, by the rigor 

 of its climate, to perpetual sterility, it depends on the surrounding coun- 

 tries for almost every commodity, both of necessity and of luxury; to 

 remedy these deficiencies, it has, at the same time, been amply furnished 

 by nature with a variety of valuable products ; its rivers and deserts 

 abound with gold, in its lakes are produced inexhaustible supplies of salt 

 and borax, while to its pastures it is indebted for wool of an unrivalled 

 quality. In addition to these staple articles, " Hiundes" yields many 

 other articles of commercial demand, such as drugs, coarse precious stones, 

 Chaonr tails, Tangans, &c. : with these wants and resources, the Hiundes 

 has naturally attracted the resort of numerous traders from every quar- 

 ter, and has, in consequence, become a general mart, in which not only the 

 wants of its inhabitants, but the demands of foreign merchants also are 

 supplied. A periodical fair takes place annually in September, at Gartolch, 

 the residence of the Lhassan viceroy, which is principally attended by 

 traders from Hindustan, Ladahh, Cashmer, Tartary, Yarkhand, Lhassa, 

 and Siling, or China proper : under the first description are included, the 

 Bhotias of this province, though at present those of the Juwdr Ghat, 

 alone enjoy the unrestricted privilege of visiting Gartokh. The trade of 

 Hiundes is an exclusive system of monopoly and restriction, which ap- 

 pears to have been originally established for the encouragement of local 



and 



