the appellation of the Scots fir, and between Jumbo and Kashmire are many pines, but these grow exclu sively on the northern face of the mountains. The cli mate is unfavourable to fruits and vegetables, as it is too hot for the products of Persia, and rather too cold for those of India, though we must except the white mulberry, which at Jumbo attains to a large size and a delicious flavour. The villages, or hamlets of the mountaineers, are generally built on the brow of an eminence, and contain from four to eight small scat tered houses, constructed of clay and rough stones, and usually flat roofed. The resinous parts of the fir, cut in slips, supply the uses of a lamp, in all the parts where that tree abounds; but the method of extracting its turpentine is totally unknown. The natives of these mountains are composed of several classes of Hindoos, and there is little more difference between their manners and those of the southern quarters of India, than is found among a people who inhabit the high and low lands of the same country in Europe. The scarcity of wealth has depressed the growth of luxury, and marked their character with a rude simplicity. They have no spacious buildings for public or private use, nor do they observe, in the performance of their religious offices, those minute and refined ceremonies that are practised by the southern Hindoos.

At Taullah Mhokee, situate about nine miles to the northward of Nadone, a small volcanic fire issues from the side of a mountain, on which the Hindoos have erected a temple. Fire being the purest of the elements, it is considered by this people as the fittest em--blem to represent the Deity. Hence every place is accounted sacred that produces a subterraneous flame, insomuch that no image is permitted to stand near it, lest the proximity of other symbols should sully the purity of this representation. Our author frequently observed in the course of his travels, that those Hindoos

who were most conversant in the rites of their religion, never omitted at the first sight of fire, to offer up a prayer of adoration. The mountaineers universally permit their beards to grow, and, instead of bowing the head in salutation, as is practised in Lower India, they embrace the object of their address, and incline the head over his left shoulder.

the men.

The women are of an olive complexion, are delicately formed, and have a degree of freedom in their behaviour, which is strictly consonant with virtue, and seems the result of the confidence reposed in them by Their usual dress consists of a petticoat, with a variegated border; a close jacket, covering half the waist; and a loose stomacher attached to the fore part of it, which reaches to the girdle. Their hair, which is as highly estimated as by the loveliest females of Europe, is plaited with silk or cotton strings, and hangs down the back, beneath a light veil, which sel dom touches, and never wholly conceals the face. The females, belonging to persons of distinction, are kept in private apartments, in the manner of the Mahometans. The existence of this practice, in a country secured by nature from the dread of invasion, affords a strong presumption, that the concealment of women of a higher class was an established custom of the Hindoos, before the subjugation of India to the Mahometan arms. At the same time it appears, from certain usages of the Hindoos, noted in their history, though now obsolete, that they did not, in more ancient times, confine any class of their women; but as their manners gradually lost their

The growth of the beard is probably encouraged from a certain ferocity, predominant in the disposition of mountaineers, which prompts them to express, in different modes, a contempt for the softer manners of the people, who inhabit the low country.

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original simplicity, in consequence of the influx of wealth, and its constant attendant, luxury, the inno vation was introduced by the rulers, from a desire of impressing the populace with a higher veneration for their families. Several ancient legends clearly prove that women were admitted into the Hindoo assemblies, and often possessed an extensive share in the governOne passage, in particular, is seen in the his tory of the celebrated Ram, who appears to have been a powerful warrior, that serves to illustrate this position, and likewise to trace to a high source, an absurd mode of trial, formerly established in Europe.

ment.

To introduce this eastern tale to our readers, it is necessary to remark, that Sree Mun Narrain, the imaginary deity of the Hindoos, together with his inseparable associates, Mhah Letchimy, and the snake, for the purpose of correcting certain evils, which had deranged the world, deemed it expedient to personify human creatures. Narrain accordingly assumed the martial form and appearance of Ram; Letchimy bore the character of his wife, under the name of Seetah Devee; and the snake was metamorphosed into the semblance of Letchimun, the brother and companion of Ram. It seems that these personages mixed freely in the societies of the world, nor does any part of the history mention the seclusion of Seetah, but, on the contrary, she is represented as coming forth on every occasion which could, with propriety, allow of a female's interference. A service of importance demanding Ram's personal exertion, he consigned his bride to the charge of Letchimun, with whom she remained some time in peace and security. At length, however, a famous magician came that way, and became violently enamoured of Seetah. This man having discovered by his diabolical art, that the eyes of a woman are easily ensnared, caused a bird of exquisite beauty to cross the sight of Seetah. This artifice had the desired effect,

for the deluded lady immediately conjured her protec tor, by every pledge he held dear, by the affection he bore to her, and by his friendship for her husband, to procure her this charming bird. Letchimun, equally troubled and astonished at this request, expatiated warmly on the imprudence of quitting her in so dangerous a situation. The brilliant plumage of the bird, however, had so effectually filled the mind, and dazzled the judgment of Seetah, that she was utterly incapable of attending to the salutary counsel of her friend. She declared that she must either possess the charming object of her wishes, or become the most wretched of women; and when Letchimun prudently refused to grant so perilous a request, she flew into the most violent passion, and accused him of the design of seduction, which she alleged to be the reason of his refusal to leave her. Letchimun now convinced of the inefficacy of his argu ments, and of the necessity of complying with her hu mour, went in search of the bird, but first drew a magic circle around his fair charge, and told her, that no calamity could befal her while she continued within the limits of that space. No sooner had Letchimun disappeared, than the plotting necromancer assumed the appearance of a decrepid old man, and approached, with a feeble and tottering step, the place where Seetah stood. He then fell, as if completely exhausted, to the ground, and earnestly requested her to give him a little water to quench his thirst, and restore his strength. The humane, but ill-fated lady was touched with compassion at the sight of the aged mendicant, and, with a heart overflowing with benevolence, she stepped beyond the bounds of safety, and fell immedi ately into the power of the deceiver. Here the story wanders into a wide field of fiction, which tends but little to the credit of its author, we therefore content ourselves with observing, that, after Seetah had been recovered by her husband, he commanded, for the re

moval of his own private suspicions, and for effectus ally silencing the tongue of slander, that she should be judged by the ordeal trial. This mandate was joyfully received by the heroic lady, who was impatient to satisfy her lord, and to exhibit a public test of her purity to the world. She accordingly walked undauntedly over the burning iron. "But the feet of Seetah," says the historian, "being shod with innocence, the scorching heat was to her a bed of flowers." We readily join with Mr. Forster, in his opinion, that the same benefits may be derived from this tale, as from the perusal of the Arabian Nights, where, amidst the olio of genii, talismans, and demons, we are enabled to extract some just relations of the manners and dispositions of the people.

There is another circumstance which may corrobo、 rate the position, that the Hindoo ladies were not debarred the sight of men, by ancient usage. When a female of the chittery, or royal, race was marriageable, or supposed to possess a sufficient discernment, for so' weighty a transaction, she was conducted to an apart ment, where several youths of her own tribe were assembled; and, on being requested to select her future husband from among them, she distinguished the ob ject of her choice, by throwing over his neck a wreath of flowers.

It is now necessary to return to the subject of Kash, mire, and to describe the natural beauties of a valley, which may perhaps be justly stiled, incomparable, on account of its air, soil, and rich diversity of landscape.

The northern part of the Bannaul hill, already mentioned, is about a mile and a half shorter than the southern side; a difference which arises solely from the declivity of the southern face of the eminence. Yet it is clearly evinced by the precipitated current of the rivers, that the valley of Kashmire is considerably more elevated than the Punjab plains. This height of situ