with broad flakes of talc between the layers, and a
peacock’s feather at the side. The umbrella consists
of a large hood much like the ancient boat called a
coracle, which being placed over the head reaches to
the thighs behind. I t is made of platted bamboo,
enclosing broad leaves of Phrynium. Lepchas running
along in the pelting rain, with these on, are very droll
figures ; they look like snails with their shells on their
hacks.
The Lepchas are fond of ornaments, wearing silver
hoops in their ears, necklaces of cornelian, amber and
turquoise, brought from Tibet, and pearls and corals
from the south, with curious silver and golden charm-
boxes or amulets attached to their necks or arms.
These are of Tibetan workmanship, and often of great
value: they contain little idols, charms of written
prayers, or the bones, hair, or nail-parings of a Lama:
some are of great beauty and highly ornamented. In
these decorations, and in their hair, they take some
pride, the ladies frequently dressing the latter for the
gentlemen: thus one may often see, the last thing at
night, a damsel of discreet port, demurely go behind a
young man, unplait his pig-tail, tease the hair, thin it
of some of its lively inmates, braid it up for him and
retire. The women always wear two braided pig-tails,
and it is by this they are most readily distinguished
from their effeminate-looking partners, who wear only
one. When in full dress, the woman’s costume is extremely
ornamental and picturesque ; besides the shirt
and petticoat, she wears a small sleeveless woollen
cloak, of gay pattern, usually covered with crosses, and
fastened in front by a girdle of silver chains. Her neck
is loaded with silver chains, amber necklaces, &c., and
her head adorned with a coronet of scarlet cloth,
studded with seed-pearls, jewels, glass heads, &c. The
common dress is a long robe of indi, a cloth of
coarse silk, spun from the cocoon of a large caterpillar
that is found wild at the foot of the hills, and is also
cultivated : it feeds on many different leaves, Sal,
castor oil, &c.
These people are gross feeders; * rice, however,
forming their chief sustenance; it is grown without
irrigation, and produces a large, flat, coarse grain,
which becomes gelatinous, and often pink, when cooked.
Pork is a staple dish; and they also eat elephant, and
all kinds of animal food. When travelling, they live on
whatever they can find, whether animal or vegetable.
Fern-tops, roots of Scitaminece, and their flower-buds,
various leaves, and fungi, are chopped up, fried with a
little oil, and eaten. Their cooking is coarse and dirty.
Salt is costly, hut prized; pawn (Betel pepper) is never
eaten. Tobacco they are too poor to hujr, and too
indolent to grow and cure. Spices, oil, &c., are
relished.
They drink out of little wooden cups, turned from
knots of maple or other woods; these are curious on
several accounts ; they are very pretty, often polished,
and mounted with silver. Some are supposed to
* Dr. Campbell's definition of the Lepcha’s Flora cibaria is, that he
eats, or must have eaten, everything soft enough to be chewed; for, as he
knows whatever is poisonous, he must have tried a l l ; his knowledge being
wholly empirical.
Qt 2