at liberty to
follow the details of either one population or of both. The history of
a Bodo from his cradle to his grave is as follows. The birth is attended
with a _minimum_ amount of ceremonies. Midwives there are none; but
labours are easy. Neither has the priest much to do with ushering-in the
new-comer to the world. A short period of uncleanness is recognized, but
it is only a short one; the purification consisting in the acts of
bathing and shaving performed by the parties themselves. Four or five
days after delivery, the mother goes out into the world; and at that
time, the child is named. Any passing event determines this; as there
are no family names, and no names taken from their mythology. The
account, however, of Mr. Hodgson, in this respect is somewhat obscure,
"A Bhotia chief arrives at the village, and the child is named Jinkhap;
or a hill peasant arrives, and it is named Gongar, after the titular, or
general designation of the Bhotias."

As long as a mother can suckle a child (or _children_) she continues to
do so, sometimes for so long a period as three years, when the last and
last but one may be seen sucking together.

The period of weaning is thus delayed; and, notwithstanding the current
notion as to the prematurity of marriages in warm climates, that of
wedlock is delayed as well: the male waits till he is twenty or
twenty-five, the female till between fifteen and twenty. The parties
least concerned are the bride and bridegroom; the parents do the
courtship. Those of the lady take a payment. This is called a _Jan_
amongst the Bodo, and varies from ten to fifteen rupees. With the Dhimal
it is a _Gandi_, and amounts to a higher sum, ranging from fifteen to
forty-five. Failing this, service must be done by the youth; and a wife
be earned as Jacob earned Leah and Rachel. This is the _Gabor_ of the
Bodo, and the _Gharjya_ of the Dhimal.

Such marriages are easily dissolved, _i.e._, at the option of either
party. In case, however, of infidelity on the part of a wife having
caused a divorce, the wedding-money is repaid. Adoption is common,
concubinage rare; each being on a level with marriage in respect to the
_status_ of the children. Of these, all males inherit alike; but the
rights of the female are limited.

The ceremony itself begins with a procession on the part of the
bridegroom's friends to the bride's house, two females accompanying
them. Of these, it is the business to put red-lead and oil o