Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 2.djvu/44

 GOORUNG (NIPAL).

HE Goormungs of Nipal are a division of the "Purbuttiahs," and therefore nominally Hindoos. They live on the hills, uniformly selecting an altitude of 5000 or 0000 feet, especially between Jumla and Kirant, where they rear immense flocks of the Barwal goat. They exhibit, in common with most of the aboriginal tribes of Nipal, a modified form of the Mongohan type, retaining, like the Magars, their own vernacular tongue, though, from long intermixture with the Khas, they have also acquired the language of the latter. Their original seat is supposed to be in the valleys around the peak of Gosainthan; and they retain to a certain extent the manners and religion of their ancestors, though the latter has in some degree been mixed with Hinduism; mainly, it would seem, because this is the religion of the reigning family, whom they serve largely in the capacity of soldiers. From their "energy of character, love of enterprise, freedom from the shackles of caste, unadulterated military habits, and perfect subjectibility to discipline," they are eminently fitted for a military life. The Goorungs are subdivided into no less than forty-two branches.