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JUNE, 1876.)
VILLAGES IN THE HIMALAYAS, &c.
161
NOTES ON VILLAGES IN THE HIMALAYAS, IN KUMAON, GARHWAL,
AND ON THE SATLEJ.
BY THE LATE C. HORNE, B.C.S. THE following notes are the results of observa-, of the filth of the sheds is taken away to the
1 tions made during a tour of many months fields in kiltas, or baskets, on the backs of in the mountains, and of a residence of some five women; but it is always disagreeable to pass or six years in Kumaon, and as thoy chiefly refer through a hill village, however picturesque it to races who have retained their primitive habits máy look from a little distance. They have no and customs unchanged for many centuries sanitary arrangements whatever, so that when they may be found of interest. I propose to marching or shooting I never, if I could avoid touch on agriculture and the implements em- it, passed through or to leeward of a native ployed in it, and such manufactures as came village, and when, from positive absence of room under my notice, on architecture, as well as to pitch my little tent, eight by six feet, I was general matters.
obliged to lodge in the village, I had to lodge A Himalayan village generally consists of in the small village square or space in front of a cluster of houses, sometimes connected in the temple, which was the only clean place ranges, but more generally separate, and mostly to be found. There is no arrangement for a perched on a hill-side in terraces. In the higher chimney, saving a hole in the roof, and scarceranges where firs abound, these are often built ly any for light, so that the state of an interior of stones and mud, with alternate layers of can be better imagined than described. Owing squared timbers crossing one another and pro- to the coldness of the climate, the people are jecting at the corners, with wooden balconies more clad than in the plains; but as they never supportod on wooden projections from the walls, wash they are very filthy, their abodes being in which are placed pierced carved wooden mostly full of smoke. Some of the houses extend windows, or solid wooden shutters with slits in to a great length, and I was told that several them.
generations often lived under one roof-tree, ad. Each floor is boarded with rough planks ditions with separate entrances from a common hewn out of a single fir-tree by cutting it on either front verandah having been made from time side, and mud plaster is used. The walls exte- to time. riorly are often plastered with mud and then the above remarks apply pretty generally to whitewashed. On this whitewash I often ob- all Kumaon and Garhwal. served patterns roughly painted in red ochreous The roofs are nearly flat, and upon these in earth. The roof varies but little. When stone fine weather many may be seen sitting. They is procurable, huge blocks are made as thin as also use them for spreading out their grain, possible and used as slates. Thus I have seen corn, and fruit to dry, as well as clothes when slabs twelve feet in length and of prodigious rarely they wash them, and over these they weight. In other parts trees are cat in lengths often train their gourds and cucumbers. The of one foot or more, and their shingles are split shorings are very low, but solidly built, and off with wedges. As usual in all countries, the the whole edifice will stand for a long time, as poor thatch how they can, although in these it is solidly constructed, and the smoke appears regions there are but few real paupers, the vil. to preserve the timber of the roof. lage system caring for all, and we therefore find One peculiarity runs through all their houses, nearly every hovel either stone or timber roofed. viz. the wood-carving. This is particularly
The lower part of the houses, which are often noticeable in the temples in the Satlej valley, of two storeys, is generally devoted to the live where the Chinese or Tatar inflaence, displays stock of sheep. cows, and cattle generally; and itself; but it is seen more or less everywhere, only the upper floor is inhabited by the family, notably is the little projecting balconies with who appear utterly reckless of the horrid fumes their carved wooden pillars and pierced open arising from the dang-heap below. Occasion work, and it is carions to see how handy the ally-generally about once a year--the dung-heap hill carpenter is with his tools, few and rough which has collected at the door from the removal as they aru.
