Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/354

340 N E P N E P legends of Epirus and of Delphi. He was the ancestor of the Molossian kings, who therefore claimed to be of pure Hellenic stock. His grave was at Delphi, and the festival in his honour every eighth year is described in the romance of Heliodorus as one of the most beautiful ceremonies in the Delphic ritual. It was said that he protected the temple in the Gaulish invasion. NEPAL, NEPAUL, or NIPAL, is a small independent state, situated on the north-eastern frontier of Hindustan. It lies between 80 15 and 88 10 E. long, and 26 20 and 30 10 N. lat. Its extreme length is about 525 miles, and in breadth it varies from 90 to 140 miles. It is bounded on the N. by Tibet; on the E. by Sikhim and the British district of Darjeeling; on the S. by the British districts of Purniah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Champarun, Gorakhpur, and Oudh ; and on the W. by Kumaon, from which it is separated by the Kali river. Its population is estimated by the natives at about 5,000,000, the common phrase used by the rulers in speaking of popular opinion being, " but what will the Bawan [i.e., fifty-two] Lakh say to this." Probably, however, this is an exaggerated statement. Nepal consists of two very distinct kinds of land : (1) the terai, or strip of level cultivated and forest land lying along the southern border ; and (2) the great mountainous tract stretching northwards to Tibet. Along the northern frontier stand many of the highest peaks of the Himalayan range, such as Diwalgiri (26,861 feet), Mutsiputra and Yasa (24,000), Gosaln Than (26,000), numerous peaks varying from 20,000 to 24,000 feet, Mount Everest (29,000), and Kinchinjunga (28,156). In clear weather this magnificent snowy range may be seen in an almost continuous line from the top of some of the lower ranges near Kathmandu. South of these are numerous parallel lower ranges, varying from 16,000 to 6000 feet in height, which are broken up at intervals by cross ranges, thus forming a series of glens with a few hill-girt valleys inter spersed. These mountain ranges determine the course of the rivers, which are divided by the cross ranges into four groups. The first of these extends from Kumaon eastward as far as Diwalgiri, and consists of the affluents of the Kali, Sarju, Kurnali, Eastern Sarju, and Rapti, all of which ultimately form the Gogra or Gogari, and flow into the Map of Nepal. Ganges. The second group, known to the Nepalese as the Sapt Gandaki, rise from the peaks between Diwalgiri and Gosain Than, and unite at Trebeni Ghat to form the Gandak. The third is a group of smaller rivers draining the great valley of Nepal, the valleys of Chitlong, Banepa, and Panouti, and portions of the terai around the Chiriyaghati range of hills. These are the various branches of the Bur Gandak, the lesser Rapti, the Bagmati, and Kumla. East of this again is the fourth group, known to the Nepalese as the Sapt Kusi, rising from the peaks between Gosaln Than and Kinchinjunga, and uniting to form the San Kusi, which falls into the Ganges. Natural There is thus a natural division of the country into four divisions, portions. The most western is the country of the Balsi (or twenty-two) rajas, and contains the towns of Jumla, Doti, and Sulliana. The second is the country of the Chaubisi (or twenty-four) rajas, and contains the towns of Malebum, Palpa, Gorkha, and Noakote. The third is the district containing Nepal proper, with the capital and many large towns to be mentioned afterwards. The fourth is the eastern portion of Nepal, comprising the country of the Kiriitis, and many small towns, such as Khatang and Bijapur. In a country possessing such a range of altitudes the flora and fauna are of course very varied, and the transi tions from those of tropical to those of temperate and alpine regions are very rapid. For descriptive purposes, Nepal may again be divided into three longitudinal zones. These are (1) the terai and lower ranges of hills up to 4000 feet in height ; (2) the central ranges and high-lying valleys, up to 10,000 feet ; and (3) the alpine region, from 10,000 to 29,000 feet in height. These zones are not, however, sharply defined, as the climate varies according to the latitude, the height of intermediate ranges, and the depth of the valleys ; so that tropical plants and animals are sometimes found far in the interior, and the more northern species descend along the loftier spurs into the southern zones. The low alluvial land of the terai is well adapted for Flora. cultivation, and is, so to speak, the granary of Nepal ; but owing to scantiness of population and other causes the greater portion of it consists of swamps, jungles, and forests. The productions here are those of British India, consisting of cotton, rice, wheat, pulse, sugar-cane, tobacco, opium, indigo, and the fruits and vegetables familiar in the plains of India. The forests yield a magnificent