232 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
The following extract from Captain Turner’s narra- 
tive will sufficiently show the credulity of the Bouteas. 
“ Two musicians., placed at a distance, played 
upon reed instruments in wild and not unharmo- 
nious strains, while the Rajah held us in conversa- 
tion on the customs and produce of foreign coun- 
tries ; subjects on which he sought for information 
with insatiable avidity. I selected the most striking 
peculiarities of all nations for his entertainment ; and 
he, in turn, told me of wonders for which I claim no 
other credit than that of repeating with fidelity the 
story of my author. 
" In the first place, he mentioned a race of people 
of uncommon stature, inhabiting a prodigiously high 
mountain, whose base was many days’ journey in 
circumference. The country lay east of Boutan, and 
being far distant, his subjects had never any inter- 
course with it; but two of these people had some 
years ago wandered hither, and they were the admira- 
tion of all the inhabitants, being not less, according to 
his description, than eight feet high. They stayed 
but a short time, and seemed happy at the thoughts of 
returning to their gigantic brethren. 
“ In the same range of mountains, north of Assam, 
he informed me there was a species of human beings 
with short straight tails, which, according to report, 
were extremely inconvenient to them, as they were 
inflexible ; in consequence of which the parties 
wearing them were obliged to dig holes in the ground 
before they could attempt to sit down. 
" He had a very curious creature, he told me, then 
in his possession, a sort of horse, with a horn growing 
