the Deb Rajah, is in general inhabited by a people who, although they associate and intermix with the natives of Bhutan, are plainly of a different race, and resemble the Bengalis in colour, in shape, and features.[1]
Set out early. The chain of mountains which stretches along the northern frontier of Bengal, 18 miles distant, seemed over our heads. As we approached the hills there were strong marks of a change in the climate and face of the country; forests crowded with sals, pines,[2] and trees different from and more robust than those in Bengal; rivulets clear, and running on sand, pebbles, and stones. The road became uneven; and we reached the foot of the hills at about two o'clock; walk; ascent at first easy; way through a wood; some fine groves of first-rate trees; grows steep; narrow path zigzag up the hill; what a road for troops! about four miles to climb; many little springs to drink at; from the bottom of the hills to their summit covered with wood; variety of well-grown trees of the largest size; some grand natural amphitheatres, with the noise of waterfalls. We arrived at Buxa-Dúar[3] towards evening; situated on a hill, with much higher ones above it, glens under it, and a 3-feet wall of loose stones about it; a fine old banian tree;[4] that's all.[5]
The commander (Pasang Katam,[6] vulgo Buxa Subah) being at Bahar, I was visited by his dewan with presents, a white Pelong[7] handkerchief (the general nazir throughout Bhutan), butter, rice,
- ↑ The Dúars are chiefly inhabited by Rajbangsis, an agricultural caste in Rangpúr, of the Koch tribe.
- ↑ The pine no longer exists here, if it ever did.
- ↑ Dúar is simply the English word Door. The door or entrance to the mountains. Buxa-Dúar is 1809 feet above the sea.
- ↑ This tree still exists. On the morning of the 20th of March, 1865, Colonel Haughton found a party of artillery-men cutting it down, and his intervention saved it.
- ↑ Turner makes the distance from Chichakotta to Buxa-Dúar as 20 miles. He here gives an account of the method of making a spirit from rice or wheat, called choug. Facing p. 39 he has an engraving of Buxa-Dúar, from a drawing by his companion, Captain Davis.
- ↑ Katam is the title of office, and Pasang is the name we render Buxa. But it should be Pas-aka. Turner gives a curious account of the origin of the word Buxa, at p. 41. The Katam of Bogle is the Geatong of Turner, p. 41. The correct form is Jadu, as given in the narrative of Kishen Kant Bose, at p. 193.
- ↑ The Tibetans call the English in India Peling (Pelong), a word signifying stranger (Hue's 'Tibet,' p. 276). A Pelong handkerchief is one from India, or from Europe coming through India. P is used by the Chinese for F, and l for r. So that Peling may be nothing more than Fringy, or Feringhi (Frank).
