Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-01-29
Strange Customs OF
A Little-known People

churchwardcnship of the Sonada
church, In the heart OF the I1imalayas,
and In which service was held once
every month. a band Of hill men came
down one night aud tried to dcsecrate
one of the graves in which the found
er of the little colony had been pre-
viously buried. This man during his
lifetime was known to be Of great
xtaturc. The bones from heavily.set
men are much priced. hence the visit
Of these ghouls, which was very op.
perfume y frustrated by the appear.
apcc OF II chowkidar. The iron rail.
ings around the grave had been torn
down and part Of the masonry was
damaged. but SO far as ] know the
bones we're not reached.
Each year the priests hold what tx
called divinity dance.' on which
occasion certain Of them dress up az
devils and specters. and go through
all manner OF gyrations and move.
ments, representing the various dc.
mons who make life hideous to man
during his sojourn oh earth; ana It
is only through the intercession and
exorcism Of the Lamas that temper.
airy relief can be obtained This
dance lasts several days. and during
the whole Of this period first one side
and then the other appears to get
the mastery. The eliminating act is
reached on the last day. In grand
finale-when the whole band Of de.
mons give battle to the monks, and
It is only on the advent of the father
superior, who is escorted to thte scene
OF battle by some OF the elders of the
monastery. and by the liberal use
OF holy water with which he sprinkies
the demons. that calm is at last re-
stored.
Valuable Timber.
This dance acts In twofold man
ner; first. II is an object lesson to >
the masses, pointing out TO them how
hopeless II Is for them to undertake
to overcome the demons who daily OPP
press them except through the In.
PREVENTION Of the Lamas; and, sec
ondly. as means OF extorting money
from the people with which to re-
plenlsh their Golfers.
The forests are heavily timbered
with many useful and magnificent
trees; teak. beach, cherry, and yes
being perhaps the most frequent,
while at elevations OF from 5000 to
10000 feet cryptomerias and rhodo-
dendrons are met with.
The lower regions TEEN with annual
life, such beasts as the elephant and
tiger being numerous, the former do.
ing considerable damage to crops.
Leopards and bears are also very nu.
merous. and several kinds OF deer,
some being of a large species, such
as the Sambhur; In the Dooars and
Terai, rhinoceros are found. and. as
the Bhutias themselves are not sports.
men. the forests are vertically alive
with game, so hunting parties. often
organized and led by some OF the
great Indian pOtentates, take adj
vantage Of these conditions and man
use W name idtSc Jugs, Ut tHe sdine
time leaving plenty for some future
days sport.
The Bhutias are good horsemen. al
though they look rather clumsy In the
saddle. Their ponies and horses are
OF fine and sturdy breed. and one
species seems to be purely indigen-
Gus to Bhutan and Is called flanagan"
which name IL derived from Tangas-
tan. the group OF mountains which
Bhutan.
The Bhutias make periodical raids
into the Dooars and the Assam Val.
ley. but punitive expeditions have
taught them such lesson that these
hill tribes think twice now before ven.
turing down to the lowlands for the
sake OF pillaging and carrying OF
heads as trOphies,