tails I have had made into chaunrīs by having them fastened into leaves of embossed silver, which have been affixed to the horns of deer of the Himalaya. The hair on the chaunrī (fly-flapper) is on the original bone as it was on the yāk; and the hair, which is perfectly white, is considered the most valuable, the dark coloured hair being reckoned inferior. They were brought by some Hill-men from Bhootan. The horns came from Landour, brought from the interior of the Himalaya, by the Pahārees (Hill-men). Three more of the same sort were also sent me from Almorah, but they are very scarce.
The horn is said to be that of a deer of the Himalaya, which, when first brought down, was supposed to be unicorn. These two horns came from Landour, brought down by Hill-men. Three more were sent me from Almorah. The men described the animal as having but one horn in the centre of its forehead; when questioned particularly on this point, they were firm; and, being ignorant that we believe the unicorn fabulous, could have no motive for the assertion. During my residence in the East, I saw only five of these horns, which are all in my possession, and not one of them will pair with another. The men were requested to bring the head of the animal with the horn upon it; they have not done so, and there is no further proof to convince unbelievers of the existence of the unicorn of the Himalaya. Chaunrīs of peacock's feathers are emblems of royalty, and are used by servants in attendance on the Governor-general, who stand behind his chair and wave them over his head. The sā'īses carry them of horse-hair, to wisk the flies off the horses; and a very common sort are made of grass. Very beautiful white chaunrīs are also made of strips from the quill of the peacock's feather. The chaunrīs are represented in the frontispiece, over the head of G[)a]nésh[)u]. The Brahmans use them in pooja, waving them over the idol.
A lady has sent me a great curiosity—a common dark brown-red shawl, worn by low caste women at Hissar. It is worked all over in large flowers, in orange silk; the centre of the flower contains a circular bit of looking-glass about an inch and a half in diameter, round which the flower is worked in coarse silk.
