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forty yards broad and one foot deep. This river, if the Milanchi be regarded as its remotest feeder, arises from the eastern side of Gosain-thán, the great snowy peak overlooking the valley of Népál, and is the first of the "seven Cósi" (sapt Cósi) of the Népálese. Others contend that the true Sún Cósi is that which arises at Kálingchok, east of Kúti.* There are several upper feeders of the Sún Cósi, which form a delta of perhaps thirty kós either way, between Malanchi, Kálingchok, and Dallálghát, where the feeders are all united. From Dúmja, which lies a little below Dallálghát, proceed along the right bank of the River Sún Cósi to Jhángá-jhóli, by the rugged glen of the river two kós, the road impeded by huge masses of rock lying half in the water.

4th Stage to Sitalpáti, East, 4 kós.

Leaving the river on the left, you ascend the ridge of Sidhak and travel along its side, far from the top, to the village of Dharına, inhabited by Múrmis. It is one and a half kós from Jhángá-jhóli. Thence half a kós to Jhámpar, a village of Múrmis. Thence descending again to the bed of the Sún Cósi, you proceed along the right bank for one kós to Chyanpúrphédi, or the base of the Cháyanpúr range. Thence an ascent of one kós to the top of Cháyanpúr, where stands the Powa or small Dharamsala of Sítalpáti, the halting-place, and which is close to the village of Choupúr.

5th Stage to Liáng, East, 6 kós.

Two kós along the heights of Cháyanpúr bring you to the confluence of the Támba Cósi and Sún Cósi, where the united rivers, of nearly equal size before their junction, are passed at Séliaghát, a little below the Sangam or junction. The Támba Cósi, or second Cósi of the Népálese, has its course at the base of Phallák, a Himálayan peak situated some ten kós perhaps east of the Kúti Pass, which is on the great eastern highroad from Káthmándú to Lhása. From Séliaghát the road makes a rapid ascent of one kós to the high level or plateau of Gumounia, one kós along which conducts you to Bhalaiyo, which is * See annexed Memorandum and Sketch Map.

VOL. II.

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only another name for the same plateau. From Bhalaiyo-dánra, one kós to Bétáini village, still along the plateau. Thence one kós along the same high level to the halting-place or Liángliáng, which is a large village well inhabited chiefly by Néwárs. Some Parbattias also dwell there, and there is plenty of cultivation and water on the flat top of this low ridge, which is neither mountain nor plain. The rice, called "touli" by the Néwárs, grows well, and wheat and generally all the field and garden produce of the valley of Népál.

6th Stage to Narkatia, South-East, 4 kós.

One and a half kós along the plateau of Liáng-liáng, you come to Bhirpáni, having the Dápacha and Manthali glens on the left, by which there is another road, used chiefly in the cold season. Thence at half a kós you descend slightly to Wádi Khóla, a small hill stream, and passing it make the great ascent of Hiliapáni and reach Lámágáon after one kós of climbing. Close to the village of Lámágáon is another called Sálú, inhabited by Parbattias. Thence one kós to the Likhú Khóla, a slight descent. Thence a small ascent to Bhálú-dánra, or the Bear's Ridge, half a kós along, which brings it to the village of Nigália or Narkatia, the halting-place. The Likhú Khóla is the third Cósi of the Népálese. It is a large unfordable river, which is crossed by a bridge, but is smaller than the Sún Cósi or Támba Cósi. It comes nearly due south from the snows at Kháli Múngali, and forms one of the seven chief feeders of the great Cósi.

7th Stage to Bajbisoúnia, East, 3 kós.

Still along the Bear's Ridge a quarter kós to a small village of Láchia, and another half a kós to the village of Chúplú. Thence quit the ridge, and by a slight descent reach Phédi Khóla, at one and a quarter kós. Phédi Khóla is a small feeder of the Molang. Pass the stream, and ascending slightly

* See note at stage the ninth.

For tribes of Nénál, see Journal for December 1847.

for one kós, reach the halting-place, which is a village of good size, where plenty of provisions may be had.

8th Stage to Búngnám Kót, East, 4 kós.

Along the same low ridge to the village of Sailiáni, close to which you come successively to the villages of Chilounia and Pokhalia and Aisiálú, all within the compass of less than one kós. Beyond Aisiálú, one and a half kós, is a small pond, the water of which, though not rising from rock, never fails. Its name is Dhimilopáni, and on its left runs the ridge of Thária-dánra and Katonjia village; on its right, the Bhanda ridge and the village of Jaljalia. Beyond Dhimilopáni commence a descent of somewhat less than half a kós, leading to the Molang or Morang Khóla, before named. Cross the Khóla and ascend one kós to Búngnám Kót, a large village and residence of the rural authority, having the smaller village of Bari on its right.

9th Stage to Chúrkhú, East, 6 kós.

After one kós of descent reach the Lipia Khóla, which stream you cross at once and ascend the Lipia-dánra, or ridge, travelling along which you soon come to Okal-dhúnga, a village of Bráhmans and Khas. Thence to Jyá-miria, another village close by on the right. Thence going a kós you reach Charkhú-dánra, merely another name for the Lipia ridge. Descending slightly and advancing one kós you come to Rúmjátár, a celebrated and extensive pasture-tract, where the Gúrung tribe feed large flocks of sheep (Ovis Barúal).* Thence two and three-quarters of a kós of slight descent to Dhanswár, the head village of the rural arrondissement, where the Dwaria, or deputy of Rankésar Khatri, who holds the village in private property, resides. Had the village belonged to the first, it would have been called, as the Dwária's abode, not Dhanswár, but Kót.

*The more general character of Társ is described in the sequel. This one must be very unusually lofty and cool, else neither Gúrungs nor their sheep could dwell in it. It is probably only a cold weather place of resort, otherwise it must be 5000 to 6000 feet high, like the plateau of Liáng, spoken of at Stage 5. Both are exceptional features of the country, which nevertheless, with all its precipitousness, has more numerous, divers, and extensive level tracts than is commonly supposed

10th Stage to Háchika, East, 6 kós.

After half a kós of descent, we arrived at Thotnia Khóla, a hill torrent which joins the Dúd Cósi about three miles ahead. Proceeded down the rugged stony glen of the Thotnia to the junction, which is reached at Rasuá Ghát. Thence down the right bank of the Dúd Cósi for two kós to Katahar Biási, where the river, which had thus far run through a narrow glen, encumbered with boulders, has a wider space on either bank, capable of cultivation, and yielding fine crops of wet rice, but hot and malarious. This sort of tract is what is called in the Parbattia language a Biási. Katahar Biási belongs to Brahmans, who dwell on the heights above. The road leads down the Biási, which is above half a kós wide for more than one kós, and then ascends the ridge of Kúvindia for one kós to the halting-place, or Háchika, which is a village inhabited by Kirántis, whose country of Kiránt is bounded on the west by the Dúd Cósi, and begins on this route, where the Dhanswár estate ends. The Arún is the eastern boundary of Kiránt. The Dúd Cósi is the fourth great feeder of the Mahá Cósi, which latter enters the plains as one river at Váráha Kshétra above Náthpúr in Purneah. We have already passed three of these great tributaries, or the Sún Cósi, the Támba Cósi, and the Likhú Cósi. The remaining ones are three, or the Arún Cósi, Barún Cósi, and Tamór Cósi. Thus there are seven in all; and Eastern Népál, or the country between the great valley and Sikim, is called Sapt Cousika, or region of the seven Cósis, from being watered by these seven great tributaries of the Mahá Cósi. Kiránt and Limbúán are subdivisions of the Sapt Cousika, so called from the tribes respectively inhabiting them; the Kirántis dwelling from the Dúd Cósi to the Arún, and the Limbús from the Arún to the Tamór. The country between the great valley and the Dúd Cósi is not so especially designated after the tribes inhabiting it; but the Néwárs and Múrmis of Népál Proper are the chief races dwelling there. Of all these tribes, the Néwárs are by much the most advanced in civilisation. They have letters and literature, and are well skilled in the useful and fine arts.

*

* See Memorandum at the end of the Itinerary and annexed Sketch.

Their agriculture is unrivalled; their towns, temples, and images of the gods are beautiful for materials and workmanship; and they are a steady, industrious people, equally skilled in handicrafts, commerce, and the culture of the earth. The rest of the highland tribes of people are fickle, lazy races, who have no letters or literature, no towns, no temples nor images of the gods, no commerce, no handicrafts. All dwell in small rude villages or hamlets. Some are fixed, others migratory, cultivators perpetually changing their abodes as soon as they have raised a crop or two amid the ashes of the burnt forest. And some, again, prefer the rearing of sheep to agriculture, with which latter they seldom meddle. Such are the Gúrungs, whose vast flocks of sheep constitute all their wealth. The Múrmis and Magars are fixed cultivators; the Kirántis and Limbús, for the most part, migratory ones; and the Lepchas of Sikim still more completely so. The more you go eastward, the more the several tribes resemble the Bhótias of Tibet, whose religion and manners prevail greatly among all the tribes east of the valley of Népál, though most of them have a rude priesthood and religion of their own, independent of the Lámás.

11th Stage to Sólmá, South-East, 3 kós.

Leaving Hachika, which is itself lofty, you ascend for two kós through heavy forest by a bad road, exceedingly steep, to the Kiránti village of Dórpá, which is situated just over the brow of the vast hill of Hachika, the opposite side of which, however, is far less steep. Going half a kós along the shoulder of the hill, you then descend for half a kós to the village of Sólmá, the halting-place.

12th Stage to Lámákhú, East, 24 kós.

An easy descent of one kós leads to Lapché Khóla, a small stream, which crossed, you ascend the ridge of Lámakhú við Gwálúng, a Kiránti village situated near its base. Thence the acclivity of the hill is steep all the way to the halting-place, which is about half-way to the hill-top, and one and a half kós from Gwálúng. Lámakhú is a Kiránti village like Gwálúng, but smaller.

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