INDIA 



191 



the fact that he has thoroughly adapted himself to his environment, and this he must do or 

 starve" (Journal of the Anthropological Institute, New Series, Vol. I., p. 223). 



THE KHONDS. 



ANOTHER Dravidian race is that of the Khonds. In old days they practised human sacrifice, 

 but this custom has been suppressed. They also used to kill the baby-girls, saying that they 

 were too poor to support useless children. In 1835 they became subject to English rule; their 

 stock of human victims was delivered up, and they had to be content with sacrificing goats 

 and buffaloes. They have a strange belief that certain persons can change themselves into 

 tigers. General Campbell, when in their country, saw fourteen of their great wooden elephant- 

 figures on which human victims were offered, tied on to the trunk and hacked to pieces 

 while the whole image was spun round. He ordered these images to be destroyed; but it 



Photo by Messrs. Frith & Co.] 



NAUTCH-GIRLS OF KASHMIR. 



[lieigate. 



was no easy matter to overthrow a practice so deeply rooted, which had existed from time 

 immemorial. They even believed that he wanted to sacrifice the very victims whom he 

 released, in order to bring back water into a certain large tank made for his elephants! One 

 day at this very place the English officer was told that a human victim was acutally being 

 offered up. It was a handsome girl of about fifteen years of age. Instantly, therefore, he set 

 off with a large party. On arrival they saw the aged priest ready to give the signal, and the 

 onlookers mad with excitement. He came to the rescue and demanded the girl's release, 

 which was granted -but only from motives of fear. No sooner had the soldiers gone out of 

 sight than the Khonds broke out into loud murmurings. They would not be disappointed; 

 and so, at the suggestion of one of the party, they sacrificed the aged priest himself, because, 

 being seventy years old, he could be of no further use! And so he was forthwith tied on to 

 the wooden elephant-image and cut to pieces. 



They kidnapped their victims from the plains, and a thriving Khond village usually kept 

 a small stock in reserve "to meet sudden demands for atonement." The victim, on being 



