KHASYA MOUNTAINS NURTUNG. 



179 



next in extent to Joowye, it occupies principally both sides of a suffici- 

 ently sheltered hill. The lanes adjacent to the place are narrow, often 

 very wet, and always very dirty. The gardens are enclosed with wooden 

 palings and are screened still further by bamboos. The houses, at least 

 the better order, are still better than even those of Joowye. The exte- 

 rior is of the same construction as all Khasya houses, but the lawns and 

 the comparative cleanliness of the front makes them look much better. 

 The market, which took place to-day, is outside the village and close 

 to our bungalow : it is well attended, but the amount of persons 

 could not exceed 100 to 200, and these form a considerable amount 

 of all the persons capable of bearing burdens from the neighbouring 

 villages. The luxuries exhibited are all Khasyan, consisting of stink- 

 ing fish, some other things of dubious appearance and still more dubi- 

 ous odour, millet and the inferior grains, and the fashionable articles of 

 Khasya clothing and the adjuncts to that abominable habit pawn 

 eating. There was plenty of noise, but still order prevailed : no other 

 rupees than the rajah's were taken, and even pice were refused. Iron 

 implements of husbandry of native manufacture were vended, in short 

 all the various luxuries or necessaries of a Khasya are obtainable. 



This place bears evidence of having been ruled over by some 

 chief pretending to Hindooism. This is observable in the large fig 

 trees in some of the buildings, in most of the houses in the presence 

 of some brahmins, in the tanks, and in a sacred lake. At any rate 

 it is attended with bad effects, and to see a Khasya attempting the 

 formalities of a rigid Hindoo is ridiculously absurd. 



It must be a wealthy place, many of the natives are well off; and 

 I saw a lady of a decidedly superior nature to the Khasya women, 

 clad in snow white, reclining in oriental fashion on a platform. 

 The vegetation of this place forms a curious melange around our huts : 

 Rhus bucki ameli, two Artimisese, Anthistiria arundinacia, Pteris 

 aquilina, Callicarpa lilacina, Eurya, Bombax, Osbeckia nepalensis and 

 linearis, Marlea begonifolia, Pyrus, Pinus, Urticia fructibus aurantia- 

 ceus capitulatis, Polygonum rheoides, Rubi 3, Swertia angustifolia, 

 Polygonum globuliferum, Valerianae, Cacalia, Randia, Gnaphalia 

 nervosa, and G. revoluta, Smilax, Plectranthus azureus, Trichosanthes, 

 Leea, Tradescantia clavigera, Geniosporum, Butea, Hypericum, Knoxia 

 cordata, Rice cultivation. 



Along the path to the village are to be found, Carduus, Myrica 

 crotalaria, Hacyoides, Caricenese, Panicum curvatum, Arundo, Mentha 

 verticillata, Cyperaecaa usual, Zizania ciliaris, Panax, Wendlandia 



