THE MAHADEO HILLS. 107 



cause of this sudden renewal at lono; intervals of the 

 whole crop of bamboo. 



This diet of herbs is varied and improved by the 

 flesh of wild animals, procured by extensive drives in 

 which the whole population of a tract will unite ; and 

 many small fish are also captured in the mountain streams, 

 chiefly by poisoning the pools with various vegetable 

 substances, of which I am acquainted only with the 

 leaves and fruit of the species of stryclmos that grow 

 wild in these hills. 



Those of the wild men who live in the neiMibourhood 

 of the plains, and have got accustomed to contact with 

 their inhabitants, add considerably to their means of 

 subsistence by trooping out in large numbers, after they 

 have cut their own dhyas, to the reaping of the wheat 

 harvest of the plains in the month of March, much after 

 the fashion of the gangs of Irishmen who cross the 

 Channel about harvest time. But the genuine hill-man 

 of the far interior cannot yet bring himself to this, and 

 is often put to severe straits by the failure of his scanty 

 crop. 



Such was now the case with the Gonds and Korkus 

 in and about the Puchmurree hills ; and I soon saw that 

 to make anything of them I must appeal to their bellies. 

 I accordingly sent down to the nearest large market in 

 the plains, and purchased a mighty store of wheat and 

 millet — about twenty-five bullock luads, I think — and 

 had it sent up by the agency of some of the Banjara"^'' 



* These liaiijaras are a curious race of nomads Avho are found 

 everywhere in Central India, acting as carriers with herds of pack 

 bullocks. Their name means " Forest Wanderer," and they appear 

 to be perfectly distinct both from Hindus and from the known 

 aboriginal tribes. It has been conjectured with some probability that 

 they are gipsies. They are a line, stalwart, light-coloured people. 



