ain, is independent. Such being the case, the line of frontier
between the Hindu populations and the populations of the Bodo and Garo
character lies beyond the pale of the British dependencies.

But in proceeding westward, we pass Nepal, and reach Kumaon.

This is British, and, as it extends as far north as the Himalayas, it
may contain monosyllabic languages, and tribes speaking them. It may
present also instances of intermixture like those which we have already
found in Behar--the line of demarcation being equally difficult and
undefined. Difficult and undefined it really is--because, although it is
an easy matter to take a portion of the Sirmor, Gurhwal, or Kumaon
population, and say, "this is Hindu because both language and creed make
it so," it is by no means so easy to prove that the blood, pedigree, or
descent is Hindu also. To repeat an illustration already in use--many
such populations may be Hindu only as the Cornishmen are English.

Now the populations of the Tibetan stock to the west of Nepal, so little
known in detail, must be illustrated by means of our knowledge of the
tribes of Nepal and Tibet most closely related to them--by those of
Nepal on the east, and those of Tibet on the north.

For neither of these areas are there any very minute _data_. For the
aborigines of _eastern_ and _central_ Nepal, we have plenty of
information. They are tribes speaking monosyllabic languages, and tribes
in different degrees of intercourse with the Hindus; being by name--1.
The Magars. 2. The Gurungs. 3. The Jariyas. 4. The Newars. 5. The
Murmis. 6. The Kirata. 7. The Limbu; and 8. The Lepchas, common to the
eastern boundary of Nepal, to the western part of Butan, and to Sikkim.
This, however, will not bring us far west enough for the Kumaon
frontier; indeed, for the forests of Nepal _west_ of the Great Valley,
we have the notice of one family only--the Chepang. For this, as for so
much more, we are indebted to Mr. Hodgson. It falls into three tribes;
the Chepang proper, the Kusunda, and the Haju. Its language (known to us
by a vocabulary) is monosyllabic; its physical conformation, that of the
unmodified Indian.

So much for analogy. In the way of direct information we simply know
that the Pariahs, or outcasts, of Kumaon[33] are called _Doms_. These
have darker skins and curlier hair than the Hindus. Are these enslaved
and partially amalgamated aborigines? Probably. Nay more; in the
eastern part of the province, ami