The country between Catmandoo and the eastern fron tiers is almost entirely mountains, and gives rise to a number of rivers. On the western side, south of Ket towra, and around that place, the country is composed of hills confusedly heaped together, and separated in various directions by narrow glens. This is the general appearance of the mountainous districts in Nepali], as no uninterrupted range occurs, after passing the Cite riaghauti ridge on the suuth-cast quarter of the empire. 'Ile sides of the hills are every where covered with lofty trees, chiefly of the saul or sessoo, or partially cul tivated with tne difterent sorts ol grain. Along the whole of the southern boundary, stretching from the Teesta to Scrinagur, is the great forest, about ten miles deep, which contains a great quantity of excellent tim ber, which forms a considerable article of traffic, even to the distance of Calcutta. This tract is a low marshy district, called Teony or Turryarn, a name which is sometimes also applied to the flats below the hills in the interior parts of Nepaul, where the heat and moisture arc apt to produce an infectious fever called the Owl. The seasons of Nepaul arc much the same as in the upper parts of Hindostan; but the rains commence a little earlier, setting in from the south-east, and arc usually very copious till towards the middle of October. During this period the torrents arc often extremely violent, and sometimes occasion injurious inundations. Though the northernmost of the valley of Nepaul scarcely reaches a higher latitude than 273 degrees, yet the climate is equally temperate with somc of the southern countries of Europe. During winter, the tops of the mountains are sprinkled with snow for several days together; and ihe cold is occasionally sufficiently intense, during the space of three or four months, to freeze the pools of standing water. From the 7th to the 25th of AIarch, the thermometer was usually between 50° and 54° a little after sun-rise, between 81° and 84° about noon, and between 62° and 66° in thc evening. But the inhabitants of the valley, by ascending the sides of the surrounding mountains, may pass at pleasure, in the space of a lew hours, through a variety of tempera tures; and, in a few days, may exchange a heat equal to that of Bengal for the cold of Russia. On this ac count, it is considered that a short residence in the country or Nepaul, which affords so many varieties of temperature, might supply to invalids in India all the benefits of a voyage to Europe. The more elevated valleys are highly salubrious, as far as can be judged from the healthy appearance of the inhabitants. The lower valleys only are subject to fever; but, in several places, guttural tumours, resembling the goitres of Eu rope, prevail among the natives, which they ascribe to an insect in the water, or to some mineral impregna tion.
Ncpaul contains excellent copper and iron mines ; and some veins of silver are said to have been discovered ; but these are supposed to have been nothing more than specimens of galena or lead ore, sortie ol which are very rich, and well worth the working. In the westein dis tricts, arsenic and pyrites arc: abundant; but the govern ment has desisted from working the sulphureous ores, on account of the deleterious effects of the operation. Except a few grains procured from the sand of the ri vulets flowing through the territory, the country of Ne paul does not yield auy gold; and the quantities of the metal imported into Bengal hy the inhabitants, were procured by them from Thibet in exchange for goods. No volcanoes have been observed in the country by Eu ropean travellers ; but some eruptions are said to have taken place in the western districts. There is a great
variety of stones, adapted for the purposes of building, and several kinds both of marble and jasper. Lime stone and slate abound every where; but instead of the former the natives employ a kind of mud, as cement. Many curious natural grottos, full of crystals and calca reous incrustations, are scattered over this romantic country; and a considerable mass of rock-crystal is said to exist in the vicinity of Goorkha. But the mineralogy of Nepaul is only so far known as to prove, that many interesting objects remain to be discovered in that de partment of knowledge.
The native vegetable productions of Nepaul are very numerous and valuable. The northern mountains are covered %%kit the different kinds of Alpine plants; and the country is in a manner overrun with !lowering shrubs, aromatic herbs, medicinal plants, and dyeing stuffs. Among its spontaneous productions are several edible roots and herbs, particularly a species of yam called tooral, and a kind of wild asparagus named kur raila, besides many others, which form the principal subsistence of the poorcr inhabitants. The peach, the raspberry', the walnut, the mulberry., grow freely with out culture; and it is supposed that, with proper atten tion all the fruits and esculent vegetables of England might be successfully raised in the country.
The soil under cultivation generally produces from twenty to thirty fold, and yields two or three crops in the season. Many spots produce one of Oct, one of wheat or pulse, and one, or even two, of a useful ve getable called tori. Some grounds yield two crops of rice in succession, (one fine and the other coarse) be sides affording, in the same year, a crop of wheat. Se veral kinds of dry rice, called ghya, are raised in situ __ ations exposed to falls of snow ; and others flourish in the loftiest and driest spots, without being flooded at all. It is conjectured that some of these kinds might succeed in England. The sugar-cane is cultivated pro fitably in some districts, but only for the consumption oi the grower. The ground undergoes repeated plough ings, and the expen,e of agricultural operations appe.ars to be considerable. In Nepaul Proper, where the inha bitants have too much reverence for the bullocks to em ploy them in labour, the plough is little used; awl the fields are prepared for the rice by digging witti a sort of spade. The sovereign is considered as the absolu:c proprietor of all the lands ; and even the highest suoject has a very precarious hold of his possession, which may be exchanged for others, or taken from him entirely, at any meeting of the grand council, w'nich cor.sists of the principal officers of government, and such other per sons as the sovereign may think proper to invite. The prince has extensive crown lands in almost every dis trict, which he farms out to others, or which are culti vated by husbandmen, with whom he equally divides the produce, or which he puts under the care or agents, who require the neighbouriog husbandmen to dedicate so many days of every year to their tillage. Other lands al given in grants, and are rent-free, saleable, and hereditary; but a considerable sum is paid at the original investiture of the proprietors, which must be renewed under every succeeding prince, and occasional presents are at the same tinte expected. To the pro prietors, or jaghieredars, the husbandmen usually pay, as rent, a part of the produce, or a certain cess, accord ing to thc number of his ploughs or spades. Usually one half of the produce, or one quartet., and so many maunds of oil of sissoo, is paid as rent, while the culti vator bears all the expense of tillage.