Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/424

 BHUTAN.

4H

Tibetan, more or less blended with words and idioms of the countries

on which their own territory touches. The extensive Natural Products.

—

many

of Bhutan abound in

forests

Among them

of stately trees.

varieties

and yew.

are

the

beech,

ash,

and pines cover the mountain heights and below these, but still at an elevation of 8000 or 9000 feet, is a zone of vegetation consisting principally of oaks and rhododendrons. The cinnamon tree is also found. Some of the roots and branches were examined by Turner during his journey to Tibet but the plant birch, maple, cypress,

Firs





being neither in blossom nor bearing

was impossible to decide whether it was the true cinnamon or an inferior kind of cassia. The leaf, however, corresponded with the description given of the true The lower ranges of the hills teem with cinnamon by Linnaeus. animal life. Elephants are so numerous as to be dangerous to travellers; fruit, it

but tigers are not common, except near the river

abound

The musk

large species.

deer on every tions.

hill-side.

abound.

Pheasants,

jungle

The Bhutias

are

fowls,

Bears and rhinoceros are also

and other small game

pigeons,

no sportsmen.

and brings down

valleys,

a very

is

objection to firing a gun, thinking that

woods and

Leopards

found in the snows, and the barking Wild hogs are met with even at great elevadeer

Large squirrels are common.

found.

Ti'std.

some of them of

deer everywhere,

the valleys,

in

it

They have

A

rain.

a superstitious

offends the deities of the species of horse or rather

pony, which seems indigenous to Bhutan, and is used as a domestic animal, is called tdngan, from Tangastan, the general appellation of that assemblage of mountains which constitutes the territory of Bhutan.

not being found in any of the neighbouring Assam, Nepal, Tibet, or Bengal, and unites in an eminent degree the two qualities of strength and beauty. The tdngan pony usually stands about 13 hands high, and is short-bodied, cleanhis colour inclines to limbed, deep in the chest, and extremely active It is peculiar to this tract,

countries

of



piebald.

Afanu/actures, etc

.

of the people

is,

produced being

as

— In so rude a country, the manufacturing industry might be expected, at a low stage, the few articles home consumption. These consist of

destined for

all

coarse blankets and cotton cloth made by the villagers inhabiting the Leather, from the hide of the buffalo, imperfectly southern tract. Circular bowls are neatly tanned, furnishes the soles of snow boots. turned from various woods. A small quantity of paper is made from a

plant described as the

arrow-heads, and

Daphne

papyrifera.

Swords, iron spears, and

a few copper caldrons fabricated from the

metal

The obtained in the country, complete the list of manufactures. In 1809, the trade foreign trade of Bhutan has greatly declined. between Assam and Bhutin amounted

to


 * ^2o,ooo per annum, the

lac,