226 NEPAUL river, flowing southward. At the foot of these hills a helt of forest occurs, running E. and W. throughout the length of the country, and reaching within 10 m. of the S. frontier. Although a dry region, this line of forest is exceedingly malarious. It is rich in valuable timber, of which the saul tree is the most im- portant. Succeeding this on the south is the Terai or Tarai (a Turanian word signifying lowlands), a black, level, humid, malarious re- gion, from 10 to 20 m. broad, skirting the frontier of the Bengal provinces and Oude, an open waste covered with heavy grass. The Terai, the forest belt, and a low sandstone range just above the latter, all belong to the lower region of elevation, throughout which malaria prevails. Above these tracts the cli- mate is remarkably equable and healthful. During the N. E. monsoon, from October to March, the weather is cold and dry, while it is wet and hot from April to September, during the prevalence of the S. "W. monsoon. In the central region the temperature for months at a time will vary but a few degrees from 55 F. While these are the general characteristics of the climate, great differences, due to variations of altitude and local causes, will be found be- tween different districts. The geological for- mation of the central region consists of granite, gneiss, and schists. Iron, lead, copper, and sulphur are found ; and gold and silver have also been said to exist, but it is thought that they are very scarce if not entirely wanting. The soil is remarkably rich, and the produc- tions vary with the degrees of elevation. The bamboo, rattan, sugar cane, pineapple, and va- rious other tropical fruits between the ridges of the hills and mountains, in the lowlands, give place to the oak, pine, barley, and millet, as the country rises toward the interior. Much land is cultivated in terraces, great attention being paid to its irrigation. Rice, maize, wheat, cotton, three kinds of pulse, and tobac- co are grown. Rice is the staple food ; several varieties of it are cultivated in cold and dry places, and even where snow falls. Various roots and herbs form a considerable part of the sustenance of the poorer inhabitants. The number of horned cattle is not great, but there are large flocks of sheep, some of great size with fine wool, from whose milk the Nepaulese make cheese. Horses are brought from Thi- bet. Among the wild animals, the elephant, the tiger, the leopard, deer, antelopes, and mon- keys are found in the lower region ; the sun bear, wild cats, and wild dogs, in the middle re- gion ; and in the upper region, the Indian bull (bos gaunis), the true bear, wild goats, wild sheep, ounces, and foxes. The woods are in- habited by great numbers of peculiar birds, and the rivers are abundantly stocked with fish. The inhabitants consist of a variety of races, the dominant people being the Gorkhas, a tribe of Mongol origin, Hindoos in religion, who con- quered the country about the close of the 18th century. They have enlisted in large numbers in the British Indian army, and their services during the sepoy mutiny of 1857, particularly at the siege of Delhi, have caused them since to be regarded as valuable soldiers. They are faithful and courageous, though not very ca- pable of endurance. (See GORKHAS.) Many Hindoos from Chitore settled in Nepaul at the time of the Mohammedan invasion, and some of them have preserved their blood pure to the present time, while others have intermarried with Chinese and Tartars. The Hindoos are found chiefly in the west; the east is popu- lated by aboriginal tribes, among which are the Newars, Magars, Gurungs, Jariyas, Dhen- wars, Booteas, Mhanjees, and Bhanras. The Newars, who are the most important of these, are an industrious agricultural and commercial people, more advanced in the mechanical arts than the mountain tribes, ingenious and peace- able, excessively dirty, of middle size and great strength, with round flat faces, small eyes, broad noses, and open countenances. They are Buddhists, but have a priesthood of their own, and reject the Thibetan model of Buddh- ism .which prevails among the other aboriginal tribes of Nepaul. Most of their arts appear to have been introduced from Thibet. Poly- andry prevails to a limited extent. Thirteen dialects are spoken in the kingdom, of which but two possess any literature: the Newari, or language of the Newars, and the Parbattia, an Indian Prakrit, spoken by the Gorkhas. Some coarse cotton cloth is made, and the natives work very well in iron, copper, and brass, and are good carpenters, though they never use the saw. The trade of the country is not of much importance, being injured by numerous government monopolies. A con- siderable quantity of timber is floated down the rivers, and finds a market principally at Calcutta. The government is strictly des- potic, and essentially military in its charac- ter. Every male inhabitant is liable to mili- tary duty for one year, and there is a stand- ing army of about 35,000 men, armed and dis- ciplined in some measure after the model of European troops. Of the history of Nepaul little is known until the invasion of the Gor- khas (1768) ; it seems never to have been sub- ject to the Moguls or any other great Asiatic conquerors. A war in which it became in- volved with Thibet in 1790 led to hostilities with the emperor of China, who, regarding himself as the protector of the lamas, in 1792 sent an army of 70,000 men against the Nepau- lese and checked the extension of their territory to the northward. A treaty of commerce was concluded with the British in 1792, and from 1802 to 1804 a political resident at the court of Katmandu represented the British government. In the mean time the country had been a prey to intestine feuds, during which it is remark- able that its boundaries were enlarged on all sides, except toward Thibet. In consequence of the repeated encroachments of the rajah upon the East India company's territories, the
