The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-25
ODD CONTEST
IS THE WATER
ANg Mud FIGHT
Which is indulged in Annually
by the Men and Women of
Bhutan in Rice Field.

WASHINGTON, ID, ca April 70
One OF the oldest annual contests in
the world, mud and water fight.
during which the women of far-on
and little known Bhutan, in the heart
of the HimaIayas, seek to prevent
the men from taking possession OF
an Inundated rice field, is described
by John Claude White late political
officer of charge Of Sikhim, Bhutan.
and parts Of Tibet within the sphere
OF British influence, in . communt-
cation to the National Geographic So
Getty, at Washington, D. G. The event
is known as the spring ceremony of
blessing of the rice fields. Victory
for the women portendS, during the
coming season, fertility of the soil
and increases among the hocks ana
herds.
Women Win.
early one morning the sound OF
a sweet-toned gong warned US that
the spring ceremony Of blessing the
rice fields was about to begin,
writes Mr.. White. "A long and pic
turesuue procession of men and wo-
men, Ned by tho donyer, came Wend-
ing down the hillside until the hrst
rice field, in which water had been
running all the day before was
reached. The field below was still
dry, and turning in these they all sa1
down and had some refreshments
Suddenly the men sprang up, throw
ing off their outer garments; this was
the signal for the women to rush to
the inundated field and to commence
throwing clods of earth and splashes
of muddy water on the men below
as they tried to climb up. Then FOL
lowed a wild and mad. though always
good-natured, struggle between the
men and the women in the water, the
men doing their utmost to take pos
session of the watery field, the women
equally determined to keep them OUT
The donyer, the leader of the men,
suffered severely, though the courte-
sizes of war were strictly observed,
and ii one of the assaiIants fell his OPP
ponents hepled him up and gave him
breathing space to recover before
another onslaught was made. But
gradually the women drove the men
down the whole length of the held
until the last stand was made by
very stout and powerful official, VINO,
cl!nging to an overhanging rock,
with his. back to his foes, used his
feet to scoop up such quantities OF
mud and water that no one was able
to come near him. However, all the
other men having been driven on,
he and the donyer were allowed at
last to crawl up on the path and the
combat for the year was over. Inc
victory of the women was looked
upon as a very propit!ous ending;
so they disappeared to their varlels |
homes rejoicing
Capable Housewives
Mr.. White writes of being enter +,
tanned by one of the oncaIs, as FOL
lows: I'VE mere saw what capable
housewives the Bhutan ladies re.
Everything was done very systenlat-
ically In the morning the provisions
for the day were given out-no easyt
task. with some hundreds OF retain
ers to feed-and the store rooms re-
locked. orders issued, and tasks ap-
pointed in spinning, weaving, etc, 70
be carried out by the large house
hold of women, and 1t was interest
ing to see the Difference in which
these danes are held. We were
shown all the industries Of weaving I
in cotton, wool and silk, the pro-
cess of casting metals, chiefly Del!sl
and images, the making OF SWORDS
and gold and silver smiths work.
Many pieces turned out by the Slat- !
ter we're OF exquisite design and nm
ish. 1t was all most interesting ana
obstructive We visited somewhat
gruesome spot, where the bodies OF
the higher families are exposed on !
a slab of rock after death to be eaten
by lammergeiers. It was beSutl-
full, though terrible spot, close uni
der the SHOWS and glaciers of their
sacred mountain, Cho-mo-Lha-ri.
This country was so little known
that as recently as 1890 high In
dian official wrote most unreserved-
~, as my explorations proved: NO
one wishes to explore that tanSle OF
jugIe-cIad and fsver-strtcken Mis-
infested with laecaes and pipsa-hy,
ana offaring no compromising ad-
vantages to the most enterprising
pioneer. Science passes 1t by as
region not sufficiently Characteristic