Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 1.djvu/173

 LEPCHAS.

HE "Lepchas," so called by us, and indeed by themselves in conversation with strangers, are divided into two races—viz. "Rong" and "Khamba."

The former are believed to be the aborigines of the forests around Darjeeling. Rong, in colloquial intercourse among them, is a generic term, and equivalent to "Lepcha" with us. But a man who announces himself as a Lepcha to an European, Nipalese, or Hmdostani, may, on being questioned, turn out to be a Khámbá. The country inhabited by the Lepchas occupies an extent of about 120 miles from north-west to south-east, along the southern face of the Himalaya; to the west, the Zambar branch of the Koori bounds it, but on the east its limits are undefined hi the mountains of Bhootan. Thus Lepchas are found among the subjects of eastern NipaL throughout the whole of Sikhim, and extend to an unknown distance into Bhootan. The Hindoo restrictions as to caste are not admitted by the Lepchas, although those who live under the Nipal government are obliged to conform to the Hindoo laws of that state. This, however, they do with a very bad grace, and rarely forego an opportunity of crossing into Sikkim, or coming to Darjeeling, to indulge their beef-eating propensities. They are gross feeders, eating all kinds of animal food, including the elephant, rhinoceros, and monkey, and all grains and vegetables known to us, with the addition of many roots and plants altogether excluded from our culinary lists. Pork is their favourite meat; next to that, beef, goat, and mutton. The yák is considered the best beet; next to that, the flesh of the Sikhim cow (a fine animal); and last, the Bengali and common cow. All birds are included in their list of eatable game. Of the carrion of wild animals, that of the elephant is most prized. The favourite vegetable food is rice; next to it, wheat, barley, maize, millet, murwa, and a fine species of yam called "bookh," which grows all over these mountains, at elevations of from 1500 to 3000 feet. During the rams, when grain is scarce, they put up contentedly with ferns, bamboo roots, several sorts of fungi, and innumerable succulent plants fomid wild on the mountains. Though fond of fermented and spirituous liquors, they are not given to drunkenness. Their common drink is a kind of beer made from the fermented infusion of Indian corn and murwa, which is weak, but