among whom Buddhism of the Red sect continued to prevail, who inhabit the valley of Nepal, which is about 16 miles long and broad, and 4200 to 4700 feet above the sea. The Mal dynasty of Newar encouraged the arts, agriculture, and commerce, and in their time a flourishing trade was carried on between Tibet and the plains of India, through the passes of Nepal. The sixth king of the Mai dynasty, at his death, divided his dominions into three principalities with capitals within the valley, Kathmandu, Lalita Patau, and Bhatgaon. In these towns there were mints for coining money, and they seem to have formed centres of trading enterprise in the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth century. The Kashmiri merchants carried their goods by Ladak to Kuti, at the head of the pass, to procure wool; and their manufactures went thence partly for use in Tibet, partly to China by Sining, and partly to Patna by the valley of Nepal. Tibet merchants brought woollen cloths, ponies, shawl goats, yaks, sheep, musk, salt, borax, gold, silver, and paper to Kathmandu, and the lamas sent much bullion to the Nepal mints. From India came cotton cloth, cutlery, glassware, coral, pearls, spices, camphor, betel, and hardware, which were passed on, from Nepal, over the passes to Tibet.[1]
As long ago as in 1583, Ealph Fitch, a traveller who visited India at that time, had evidently heard of the trade which then flourished between Tibet and Bengal.[2] His quaint account of this trade leaves no doubt as to the region and the people he has in his mind. The trade in musk, camhds (evidently the blankets still imported), silk, and agates; the use of the cow-tails; the names of Bootanter and Booteah; the mention of lofty mountains; the merchants coming from China, Tatary, and Persia, all prove that Kalph Fitch had heard an account, and a correct account, of the intercourse which then prevailed between India and Tibet, through the passes of Bhutan and Nepal.
