36 Dr Hamilton's Account of' the 



as much as the nature of the process will admit ; and on the 

 levels, there are Mugg-villages (para) surrounded by many 

 plantain-trees, and gardens or small plots, in which are reared 

 gino-er, betle-leaf, sugar-cane, indigo, tobacco, and capsicum. 

 These are their permanent places of abode ; but, at their 

 jooms, they have temporary villages called Kamar, which are 

 changed almost every year, and are only occupied by the la- 

 bourers in the season of cultivation. 



Each para is under the authority of an officer, termed 

 Dewan, who communicates his name to the place ; so that 

 the names of the paras undergo frequent changes. In the 

 paras, the huts are better than in the kamars, although each 

 has only one apartment ; but the stage, on which it is raised 

 about twelve feet from the ground, is about forty feet by 

 twenty, affording a platform before the door for air and do- 

 mestic work. The ascent to the house is by a notched stick, 

 which serves for a ladder, and is drawn up when the family 

 wishes to avoid intrusion. Except the houses of the chief 

 and of his brother, all the huts of the country seemed very 

 much alike ; and the wealthy, as usual in India, rather oc- 

 cupy a greater number of huts, than build houses on a large 

 scale. On the whole, however, the huts in the Mugg paras 

 seem more comfortable than those of the Bengalese cultivators. 

 The people have abundance of poultry and hogs ; and, as 

 there are many plains of some extent, which are not fitted for 

 the joom cultivation, the Muggs keep some oxen and buffa- 

 loes, which pasture there, and are probably fattened for eat- 

 ing, although, to avoid offence, this is concealed from the 

 Hindus ; but they are not used in the plough. The country, 

 however, is in a poor unproductive state ; and, if cultivated 

 like the West Indies, which its hills equal in soil, it might 

 become of great value. 



Every Mugg cultivates as much land as he pleases, and the 

 revenue of the chief arises from a poll-tax, and not from a 

 land-rent. Each man pays in proportion to the strength of 

 his family. It is said, that a married pair, living without any 

 assistance from children or servants, pays annually five ru- 

 pees ; and that other families, in proportion to their strength, 

 pay ten, or even fifteen rupees. If the cultivator disposes of 



