36 BHOTIA MEHALS 



hardihood of their sheep enable them to cross the snow earlier than the 

 Bhotias ; from this period (about the end of July,) till the middle of Octo- 

 ber, the flocks of both parties are employed in plying with loads between 

 the marts and the Ghat villages. The Hiuniya traders do not visit any 

 villages below the Ghats, deterred partly by the jealousy of the Bhotias 

 and partly by a dread of the climate. The landholders of the northern 

 pergannas, who transport their own produce into Shot, are deterred by 

 the same causes from proceeding to Hiundes ; even in Bhot they are pre- 

 cluded from dealing directly with the Hiuniyas, whom they may meet 

 there, but are compelled to barter their merchandize with the Bhotias. 

 A few of the Almora merchants occasionally visit the nearest marts in 

 Hiundes, more particularly Taklakot, at the head of the Byanse pass ; 

 but their ignorance of the Tibet dialect, and their want of the means of 

 carriage, render them dependant, to a great, degree, on the Bhotias, and 

 prevent them from trading in those articles of bulk, such as gram, gur, 

 &c. which afford the most certain and profitable returns. The Bhotias, 

 consequently, enjoy, to a great extent, a monopoly of the carrying trade 

 from Hindustan to Tartary, in the supply of the local demands, in Hiun- 

 des, and the system in force there operates to confirm a complete mono- 

 poly. The regulation which restricts the trade of each Ghat to a prescribed 

 mart, affects the inhabitants of the latter equally with the Bhotias; this 

 system is further extended even to individual dealings, and every trader 

 has his privileged correspondent, with whom he alone has the right to 

 barter. These individual monopolies, if they may be so called, are con- 

 sidered as hereditary and disposable property, and where the correspon- 

 dent becomes bankrupt, the trader is under the necessity of purchasing the 

 right of dealing with some other individual. From successive partitions 

 of family property, and from partial transfers, this right of Arath has been 

 gradually sub-divided, and many Bhotias collectively, possess a single cor- 

 respondent. This system differs so far from that of the Hong merchants 



in 



