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AUGUST, 1877.]
THE STORY OF KHAMBA AND THOIBI.
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young brother, and she lived in the quarter of quantity of fish for herself and her brother to Chingai. Thoibî pitying her, replied, “Let eat. you and me be friends and eat together;" and Now Thoibi had been very much pleased with she took her among the other royal ladies and Khamba, and could not forget him, so she told made her eat, and gave her rice and vegetables Khamnu she would pay her a visit at her own for her brother, and had it well cooked, and house, and then went away, and they all went told her to take home with her all the rice, fish, each to his own house. In the evening Thoibi and salt that was left ; and it was as much as took her servant Senu with her to carry some she could carry. Thoibi then asked her brother's food, and went to Khamba's house. Khamnu gaw name, and Khamnu told her it was Khamba. her coming and saluted her, and Thoibi asked Thoibi then said, “Sister, all the royal ladies her how she and her brother managed to live. are going to-morrow to fish in the Logtâk (a She replied that through their poverty they were lake in the south of Manipur); come with me forced to live by begging. Thoibi replied, "Your and steer my boat; but it is not proper that house does not look like the house of poor you should come among so many people with people, but seems to belong to some great officer : such ragged clothes; stop a little." And she tell me the truth.” Khamnu said, "My father sent her servant Senu into the house and was an officer under the king of Kumal,-80 I brought a dhuti, chadar, and pagrí for Khamba, have heard my father and mother say." Thoibi and a phanek and chadarg for Khamnu, and was secretly rejoiced to hear that, and said, “It is gave her some sel| as well.
very late, we cannot go alone; tell your brother Khamnu returned home and gave the rice to see us home." So Khamba went with them and clothes to her brother. Khamba, finding and on the way he and Thoibi agreed that they the food very good, asked her where she had would be betrothed, and took an oath to be got it, and she told him how she had formed a faithful to each other, and Khamba came back friendship with Thoibi, who had given her the after seeing Thoibi home. food and clothes, and invited her to steer her | Some time after this the two divisions of the boat next day when she went a-fishing; and she village of Moirang played a match at hockey; told Khamba to stay at home and guard the Kongyâmba was captain of the lower division, house. Early next morning the ladies of the and Khamba of the upper division. Previous royal family, with Thoibi and Khamnu, went to this, Khamba had not been renowned among down to the Logták, and cast their nets and the people, but God made him victorious at caught many fish.
hockey, and he defeated Kongyamba, and all Towards evening Khamba, thinking that he the people of the upper division were glad ; and might meet Thoibî, determined to go to the after this his father's friend Nongbål Chouba lake, so he took a boat and fortunately came introduced him to all as the son of Purelba. to the very place where his sister and Thoibi In a short time afterwards all the people were. Directly he and Thoibi met they fell in assembled and obtained leave from the king to love with each other, and she asked Khamnu if hold a festivalo in honour of the god Thángshe knew who he was. The girl replied that he jing, and Kongyamba was appointed to collect was her own brother, and turned to him and flowers to decorate the lower division of the asked him why he had come. He said she had village, and Khamba to do the same for the been a long time returning, so he had come to upper division, and Nongbål Chouba then inmeet her. His sister said she would follow, and troduced him to the king. Early next morning he returned home. Thoibi, Khamnu, and the Kongyâmba and Khamba went to pick flowers, rest followed, and Thoibî gave Khamnu a great as the festival was to be held on the following
The dress of a Manipuri woman consists of a skirt called planek, worn straight across the breast under the armpito, jacket called Phurit, and #chadar; the two latter are often dispensed with
A small brown corn used in Manipar; about 450 go to the rupee.
Hockey is the great national game of the Manipuris, whether on foot or horseback; it is played by all classes, from the Raja downwards. Even now to be a good hockey.
player is a sure way of rising to notice in the state.
This festival is called Laiharouba, and is still commonly held; it is remnant of paganism which has not succumbed to the Hinduism now prevailing in the country. The god in whose honour the festival is held is placed in the midst, and all the men and women, both married aud unmarried, dance round it gaily decked with flowers, BODK'S are sung, and the village fiddlers attend. There appears to be very little idea of religious worship in it.
