BOOTAN. 
185 
descended, in a pacific train, from one possessor to another, and to 
have suffered their chief injury, from the impairing influence of time. 
There was an industrious appearance in this little village : many 
people, sitting before their doors, were busied in weaving their narrow 
woollen cloths, with the hand and shuttle: they are extremely coarse, 
and bear a very long knap. We saw other villagers mounted upon a large 
stone, who were thrashing wheat in the following manner. Each person 
took at a time, as much as could be conveniently grasped in the hand ; 
and, having set fire to the beards, first shook, and afterwards struck 
the ears against the stone; when what remained of the grain, after the 
shaking, fell out, and was received upon mats spread beneath; this is 
the third mode of practice I have observed in Bootan, for disengaging 
corn from the ear. 
» 
At six o'clock in the morning of Saturday, the 13th of September, 
the thermometer fell, in the open air, to 46°. It was never lower at 
Tassisudon than 60°. 
We set out early, and found, by the river side, a guard-house, where 
a party of Booteeas were stationed, who permit no one to pass their 
frontier, without a passport from the Daeb. We crossed the bridge 
thrown over the Patchieu here, and on the opposite side saw several of 
the black chowry-tailed cattle; their backs were lightly whitened with 
hoar frost, which gave them a very remarkable appearance, as their 
bodies were covered all over with thick long black hair. 
This very singular and curious animal deserves a particular de¬ 
scription. 
The bull is denominated Yak, the cow Dhe. 
