The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-30

tOOrkndS, fastened through the WdlSt-
. band. A strong sapling serves as a
walking stick and as a support for the
basket, which is not unstrapped from
the back until halt is made. When
tired, they relieve themselves by ball
ancing their load on the stick.
The first stoppage in their march is
generally made near arunning stream,
when they remove the burdens off
their backs and light fire or two of
brushwood by the aid of flint and steel
carried in the sheaths of their kukris.
They do not drain the water off the
rice, as is generally done, but eat it in
a moist mass on big leaves fetched ont
of the jungle, with vegetables fried in
oil, and an amazing number of hot
chillies. One hour sees them through
their meal and ready to continue their
march again. When evening comes on
they make a second halt in some desir-
able place to spend the night, where
they knock up temporary shelters
made of bamboos, to keep off the light
dew, squat around the fires they
have lighted, and crack jokes and
relate adventures they have met with.
The head man, who is usually the CEN
ter of attraction, has fund of stories
at his comma nd. Or if a lama-as is
not infrequently the case-is the leader
of the party, he gives extracts out of
their religious writings 1t is an in
teresting sight to see him perched on
raised bit of ground, with his followers
lying around him in all postures, gaz-
ing with rapt attention while he gives
=. episodes out of their sacred books.
The Bhotiahs are of the Buddhist re-
ligion, and own as their.spiritual head
the great lama of Thibet: but the
Buddhism to which they adhere is
much interviewer with demon worship
As night advances. and the party
think it is time to retire, they disap-
pear within their bamboo shelters,
taking the precaution to put their
kukris under their heads in case of
night attack from the robber tribes
who hover about the frontier. Some of
the harder of the Sirbas sleep in the
open air with blanket about them,
needless of the cutting winds and Their
mometer at zero. They are generally
followed by big woolly Thibetan dog.
a ferce-looking animal esembling a
bear, with large blue eyes. 1t sleeps
during the day and keeps watch at
night, giving low growls every now
and again.
As soon as the party has arrived at the
slopes where aconite is plentiful, they
build bamboo huts about five feet high,
| with leaves for the roofs. and make
the place generally habitable. After
| their morning meal. each shoulders his
basket and takes spade, for which
handle has been made from Jungle
sapling. They start for the slopes
lower down, leaving the dog and one
of the company behind in charge of the
camp. Before beginning operations, a
ceremony has to be performed.
The Nepalese seldom take up the
trade of aconite collecting. as they
have a superstition that the presiding
demon of the hills imprisons evil spirits
in this plant. which fly out as soon as
it is dug up, and infiict dire calamity
superstition also, with a remedy. They
always have in their party destroyer
Of these spirits; and every morning be-
fore digging. the lama, standing on a
convenient hill with his crowd around
him, makes a fire and burns some
dhuna, sort of resin, then putting
two fingers in his mouth, he gives sew
eral shrill whistles. All wait in breath
less silence till an answering whistle
is heard, an echo, the cry of a bird
pheasant as rule-from the gorge be-
he 90 r..
among the pines, which they take as
the dying dirge of the spirits.
Thus satisfied they commence the
digging. shake out the mud and throw
the roots into the basket By evening
you can see them ciimb iug up the hill
sides from various directions. making
for the encampment, where they
empty out the contents of their baskets I
in heaps, and cover them with |
bamboo leaves, to keep out the heavy !
frost of the night. The collectors |
work in couples, and during the day
the roots are spread out to dry in the !
sun. When dried, bamboo frames are
made. with fire below. on which the |
aconite is placed when the fame has |
died out Three or four days over this |
artificial heat dries up the root While |
the firing process is going on the man
attending to it has a cloth tied round 4
his head. covering his nose, as IL is in |
furious to inhale the fumes II causes |
a feeling of heaviness. followed by .
symptoms rot unlike intoxication.
While the aconite is drying the COL /
lectors fill in their time sharing pleas
ants, which come to the open country i
to feed; trapping musk deer, which are
plentiful on the Singalilas. and shoot
ing various other kinds of game TO /
supply their immediate wants The
live pheassnts and deer they put into /
bambo baskets and bring into the
stations for sale.
The whole trip generally lasts q
month; and when sufficient aconite has
been collected and dxied. the roots are /
packed in baskets, with other goods
and chattels on the top, which make
very decent load. varying from one
hundred and twenty To two hundred |
pounds Chambers Journal
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