Tartar tribes, but is by far more strongly marked in the Chinese. Their fkins are remarkably fmooth, and moft of them arrive at a very advanced age before they can boaft even the earlieft rudiments of a beard: they cultivate whiskers, but the best they produce are of a fcanty ftraggling growth. In this heroic acquifition I quickly furpassed them; and one of my Mogul attendants, for the luxuriancy of his, was the admiration of them all. Many of thefe mountaineers are more than fix feet high; and, taken altogether, they have a complexion not fo dark by several shades as that of the European Portuguefe.

Though it be fomewhat to their difcredit, yet impartiality obliges me to own, that my new friends were far from having any very nice notions of cleanlinefs. The ablution I have juft noticed, is a practice connected with their religion, and not repeated more frequently than it enjoins. The minifters, it may be observed, are totally a diftinct clafs, confined folely to the duties of their faith; and the common people, pretending to no interference in matters of fpiritual concern, leave religion, with all its forms and ceremonies, to thofe who are attached from early habit to its obligations, prejudices, and prefcriptions: and hence, no doubt, many find an apology for abjuring the ufe of water, as nature offers it, either on their perfons, or at their meals.' P. 84.

The fwelling of the neck, to which they are subject, is the goître of the Alpine regions.

Taffifudon is fituated in a glen, three or four miles in length, and about one in breadth, furrounded by moft ftupendous mountains. Its houfes are fcattered in groups, in the glen and on the fides of the furrounding hills, while the receffes of the religious devotees are, as in Montferrat in Spain, placed in fome of the most inacceffible parts: fo uniform are the effects of the fame principle, in men most different in manners, customs, and climate. The defcription of the refidence of the raja, the chief lama, and of the fubordinate ones, admits not of an abstract; but the infcription on the religious buildings, often on a wail erected for the purpofe in different places, and with infmenfe ftones on the fides of mountains, fo as to be visible at vaft diftances, is a fingular one-Oom maunie paimee oomThefe terms, however, are obviously Chaldee; and are almost literally Om-ain-ai' the region or temple of the emanation of Ham and Pi- or P'-ain-ai-Om the place of the oracle of the emanation of Ham.' The other religious term found upon the walls is not lefs confpicuoufly of the fame origin, Chauscha (Chris-Cai) the temple of Chus.' It is from the fame radicals the Greeks derive the words Op, Пag, and Kou, (Coc-Chus, the lofty and fupreme Chus') adopted in their Eleutinian yeries: And the whole proves obviously that, on the deftruction of the city of Babel, thortly after the deification of

thefe patriarchs, and the inftitution of folar worship, which we might easily prove connected therewith, the defcendants of Chus branched forth in different directions from the plains of Shinar,and propagated their idolatrous opinions along with them. Indeed, the very name of Booteea is itself of Chaldee origin,Bad, or Bout, implying a boat or ark, and was often peculiarly applied to that of Noah: whence Bouros, the city of the ark,' was facred to the arkite deity Ifis. The pampered bull, like the Brahmennee, or facred bull of Hindoftan, wanders about the glen and mountains in fecurity; the monkeys play their mifchievous gambols unmolefted; and the fithes rife to the river's edge, requiring fuftenance from the friendly hand, which never churlithly refufes it. All animated nature is apparently protected by the Booteeas; but the wild and mifchievous creatures are almoft unknown among them. The ingenuity of the Booteeas feems by no means inconfiderable; yet they know not how to construct a chimney. They prepare butter by a fimple churn like a chocolate mill; and manufacture paper from the bark of a tree ftronger, and perhaps coarfer, than ours, though in a very fimilar way. It may not be amifs to hint at this time, when paper is fo fcarce, that the vegetable pulp is feparated by beating, and that many of our barks will afford it in great abundance. The mountaineers of this country we have faid are robuft, but we do not perceive that they are bold and active warriors. Captain Turner defcribes fome little scenes of warfare which occurred in a rebellion during his refidence at Taffifudon, which do not fpeak highly in favour of the Booteeas' military prowess.

An occafional refidence of the rajah is Wandipore, fituated on the west of the capital. European fruits, fuch as peaches, apricots, &c. abound in this part of the country; and the apples are harsh, rather from the want of a good fort, than a deficiency of fun. The caftle of Wandipore is feated on a rock, which projects like a wedge, at the junction of two confiderable rivers. Its fituation is ftrong, and the building anfwerable to it; nor is it lefs tenable in confequence of the adjoining hills, which rife in eafy flopes, terminating at a diftance, and greatly increafing the beauty of the profpect, without affording affiflance to an enemy.

• We discovered fnow, on Sunday the 6th of July, upon the moft diftant mountains towards the north; but the clouds hung about them, and they were only a fhort time visible. In the hollow below the caftle, on the eastern fide, was a large garden; a fituation judiciously chofen for its uncommonly fine thelter. found orange, citron, pomegranate, peach, apple, and even mango trees, thriving extremely well. Of culinary vegetables, it boatted no great variety: there were, however, cucumbers, bangun, chili;

We

and it was much over-run with weeds. Though we varied our evening's walk, we faw few objects that were not familiar to us, Having been fo long accustomed to the noife of rapid currents, and the view of lofty mountains, diverfified with populous villages, groves, and hermitages, the repetition of fuch fcenes could impart to us no pleasure, which we had not already experienced.

'On the north-eaft end of Wandipore-hill, grew a cluster of tall fir-trees, that had an extremely fingular appearance: not a single branch of them pointed towards the eaft, on which fide art could not poffibly have rendered them more bare; but on the other fide, the branches grew with great vigour, and were full of luxuriant foliage. This curious effect refulted from the peculiar conformation of the hills, which throws a conftant current of wind with great fury across that corner. A perpetual hurricane feems to prevail at Wandipore. This character of the fituation would have forced it, felf upon our notice, had we been lefs particular in our obfervations, in confequence of the utter want of fhutters, or any other provifion made to exclude it from our apartments. To fupply this capital defect, we barricadoed the windows and balconies of our house with coarse mats; yet it was with difficulty we could keep a candle burning. The wind ftill whiftled rudely through our matted fence, and, aided by the roaring of the rapid river below, rivalled in noife the uproar and turbulence of a wind or water mill, when going in full force.' P. 134.

The palace of Punukka is on the north of Wandipore, and to the north-weft of Taffifudon. It refembles in a great degree the former, but is probably fituated in a ftill more genial climate, as the fruits attain a greater perfection. Punukka is the winter refidence of the rajah, and he has expended great fums in ornamenting it. Either from its lefs elevated or theltered fituation, it affords fufficient protection for the lemon, lime, citron, mango, pomegranate, peach, apple, pear, and walnut-trees. Our European fallads had fuffered by injudicious care, having been apparently treated as exotics. The lettuces were weak and bitter, the cabbages equally degenerated, and the potatoes not larger than a boy's marble. All these were introduced by Mr. Bogle, who visited Thibet before our author's arrival, and the potatoe was called by his name. Though indifferent gardeners, they appear to be active judicious hufbandmen. In the ponds, the nymphea nilotica was obfervable in full bloom, and it is equally facred as in Indoftan and Egypt, by being placed before their gods. The narratives of the raja aie foinewhat marvellous, but we fhall fele a fpecimen.

In the first place, he mentioned a race of people, of uncommon ftature, inhabiting a prodigioufly high mountain, whose bafe was many days' journey in circumference. The country lay east of

Bootan; and being far diftant, his fubjects had never had any intercourse with it; but two of these people had, fome years ago, wandered hither, and they were the admiration of all the inhabitants; being not lefs, according to his defcription, than eight feet high. They ftayed but a fhort time, and feemed happy at the thoughts of returning to their gigantic brethren.

In the fame range of mountains, north of Affim, he informed me there were a fpecies of human beings, with fhort ftraight tails, which, according to report, were extremely inconvenient to them, as they were inflexible; in confequence of which they were obliged to dig holes in the ground, before they could attempt to fit down.

He had a very curious creature, he told me, then in his possession; a fort of horse, with a horn growing from the middle of his forehead. He had once another of the fame species; but it died. I could not difcover from whence it came, or obtain any other explanation than burra dûre! a great way off! I expreffed a very earnest desire to see a creature fo curious and uncommon, and told him that we had reprefentations of an animal called an unicorn, to which his description answered; but it was generally confidered as fabulous. He again affured me of the truth of what he told me, and promised I fhould fee it. It was fome diftance from Taffifudon, and his people paid it religious refpect; but I never had a fight of it.' P. 156.

These ftories are related at a villa of the rajah, which is defcribed as a very pleasant retirement, and it is followed by a narrative of a bull-fight, or rather a combat between two bulls. Thefe are feparated at the moment when the most powerful is in the act of conqueft, and the animals, little injured, are referved for future battles. The Durga Pooga, the great autumnal feftival of the Hindus, is obferved at Taffifuden.

From the capital of Bootan, the afcent is ftill more fleep; the mountains fucceffively more abrupt and inacceffible- Alps on Alps arife.'

On the fummit of this mountain, which is named Pomæla, we found an extenfive monaftery, confitting of many feparate buildings: the most commodious of the clufter was occupied by a fenior gylong, who, as prefident, is ftiled Lama; the rest were inhabited by the inferior monks. The religious of this description are numerous in Bootan. Their fole occupation lies in performing the duties of their faith. They are exempt from labour; enjoined fobriety and temperance; and interdicted all intercourfe with the other fex. Though many become voluntary members of this establishment, yet its numbers depend moft upon the cuftom, which obliges every family that confifts of more than four boys to contribute one of them to the order: and the fame rule, under particular circumstances, extends fometimes to all the males of a village. At the age of ten, they are received into the affociation, and commence their

tutelage. Their firft years are paffed in learning the rudiments of their profeffion, and in performing a variety of fervile offices to their inftructors; in which drudgery, unlefs elevated by fuperior talents, they continue beyond the age of twenty. However, though cut off from the enjoyment of fome of the most exquifite pleasures of life, there are yet many advantages annexed to this clafs. They are certain of a liberal education; and, as their minds are more cultivated than the rest of their countrymen, they have the best prospect of being felected for public offices: and, in fact, the greater part of all who are employed in fuch fituations are chofen from among them. Yet whether the following peculiarity be imputable to early tuition, inability, or difgult, I cannot determine. It very frequently happens, that those who have long enjoyed posts of honour or emolument take the fudden resolution of retiring for ever from the bufirefs and the cares of life; afterwards, under the fanction of a religious impulfe, the infpired devotee choofes fome folitary station, perhaps the fummit of a mountain, where he builds himself a cottage, and having depofited a hord of grain in it, fots himself up, determined never again to return into the world, or hold any intercourfe with mankind.

Thus fecluded from fociety, if, in confequence of an erroneous calculation, he fees his ftock of food about to fail, while life maintains its poft in full vigour, and is by no means inclined to quit its hold, the fole reliance of the retired devotee, for future fupport, must then reft on the adventitious vifits of fuch as hold converfe with the buried living. The benevolence which thus minifters to his neceffities has alfo its appropriate merit; fo that the reclufe may yet exift, for months or years, upon the bounty that places his daily food at his door, without the leaft knowledge of the hand that feeds him; till at length the feeble principle that animates the human frame, and preferves it from diffolution, ceafes to perform its functions, and the individual is no more. It is true, he might long have ceafed to be of any earthly importance, whatever fpiritual efteem is attached to the devotee, the hermit, or the mifanthrope, term him which you will: yet this fingular bent of character, all circumftances considered, is not very much to be wondered at. Let it be remembered, that, in the first career of life, by a continuance in a state of celibacy, the Booteea is recommended to diftinction: as, on the contrary, any matrimonial contract proves almost a certain hindrance to his rife in rank, or his advancement to offices of political importance. Having therefore made the firft facrifice to ambition, and remained long fingle, in the hope of attaining to higher dignities and emoluments; chagrined, at length, by a series of difappointments, if a bare competency has been the fruit of his long fervice, he withdraws himself from public life: being at the fame time fomewhat advanced in years, his paffion for connubial connection is weakened, and his natural apathy confirmed. Hav. ing been detached by early habit from faciety, uninfluenced by ties