OF NORTHEASTERN BENGAL. 115 



and come nearer to the Aryan races ; but Chinese admixt- 

 ure has greatly modified the lower classes of all these 

 races, so thai it is difficult to find one of pure blood. 



It is impossible to determine how much the Dravidiau 

 element enters into many of the Kolarian tribes; it is cer- 

 tain that many of the Hinduized aborigines are Dravidiau, 

 characterized by speaking the Tamil language, and num- 

 bering over a million in Bengal alone; they also have in 

 their language Sanskrit elements, especially among the 

 more civilized. 



I will not discuss the point whether the so-called Dra- 

 vidians have any .Mongolian admixtures or characteristics, 

 as I think the whole race in question must he dated hack 

 as very ancient branches of a pro-Malay common stock. It 

 is probable that, alter the separation of what afterwards 

 became what is styled the .Mongolian stock, in the moun- 

 tains to the north, these races mingled together and it is 

 certain that in modern times they have been mixed with 

 the Aryan Hindoos. 



I recognized a national resemblance hetween the de<;en- 

 erated Santhals, both physically and mentally, and the 

 present inhabitants of eastern and southern India, and 

 Ceylon, and by their wanderings, in Singapore. In the 

 last named place 1 saw the Telingas or Klings, who, though 

 dark as negroes, have very tine heads and bearded face-, 

 non-negroid black hair, Hashing eyes and pleasing features ; 

 hut the body and limbs are poorly developed, as they 

 prefer house Bervice to hard out-door work. The men 

 often wear ear-rings and bracelets, and are savagely hand- 

 some fellows, hut good-natured and industrious. The 

 women have a more barbaric look, wearing armlets and 

 anklets, jewelry in the lobe and top of the ears, ornaments 

 in each wing of the nose, and often a ring in the middle 

 cartilage of considerable size; you sec among them many 



