estic by the
side of these men, while in their turn their own strong Chinese
characteristics were thrown completely into the shade by some regiment
from the north-east, almost pure Bootyan or Mongolian.

There are not, however, many Newars employed as soldiers, and the army is
chiefly composed of Muggurs, Gurungs, and Krats. These tribes differ
only in their religion, according as it combines in a greater or less
degree the superstitions of the Hindoo worship with those of Bhuddism.
But none of these races differed from one another more completely than
did the Ghorka from them all; he was the only man among them born to be a
soldier, and he looked with contempt upon the mongrel races that
surrounded him.

The country from which he himself originally sprang is nevertheless a
matter of speculation; he certainly is not of trans-Himalayan origin, but
no doubt the comfortable life he leads in Nepaul prevents his caring to
inquire whence he came. The Rajah claims descent from the Rajput
princes. The capital town of the country from which they descended into
the valley of Nepaul is Ghorka, situated about fifty miles westward of
Katmandu. The Ghorkas had already possessed themselves of the whole
territory to the westward for some hundred of miles until their border
touched the kingdom of Runjeit Singh and the vale of Cashmere; they then
turned their conquering arms eastward in 1716, and, overrunning the
valleys of the Newars, their progress was only arrested on the Sikkim
frontier.

The conquest of the valley of Katmandu was attended with circumstances of
the greatest barbarity; thousands of the inhabitants were starved to
death by the Ghorka King, Prithi Naraim. There were then in Nepaul a few
Christians, converted by a Jesuit mission. These were all compelled to
fly the country, some taking refuge in Thibet, others crossing our
frontier and settling at Bettiah, where a Christian community at present
exists. Not long after he had conquered Nepaul, the Ghorka monarch
organized an expedition into Tartary, which was so signally successful
that the H'Lassa Government was obliged to treat on humiliating
conditions. This advantage was followed, in defiance of the treaty, by
another invasion, which was only arrested by the forces of the Emperor,
who, having heard of the violent proceedings in this distant part of his
dominions, sent an army of 70,000 men to oppose the Ghorka invaders, who
were completely overwhelmed and ob