164 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



orioines. Almost the whole of this trade had sjot into the 

 hands of the Kulars, or spirit-dealers, by means of the 

 power they had obtained over the tribes by tlieir devotion 

 to strong potations. Badly off as the poor Gond was in 

 the hands of the agricultural money-lender, he was at least 

 paid in wholesome grain or hard coin ; but here the 

 universal practice was to pay him in liquor, all except 

 the pittance necessary to keep body and soul together 

 in the way of food and raiment. Often the Kulars 

 united the three trades, making the Gond cultivate an 

 autumn crop of grain for his own subsistence and the 

 trader's profit at a season when forest operations were 

 impossible, exchanging his surplus grain for liquor 

 immediately after, until he had him deep in his books 

 ao"ain, and then sending him out to the forests to cut 

 wood to repay him, and to purchase back some of his 

 own orain for subsistence. He was clean done and 

 cheated at every turn, having to labour like a horse, and 

 getting out of it nothing but a scanty subsistence, and as 

 much vile liquor as he could swallow without interfering 

 too much with his working power. This trade had 

 become enormously profitable. The numbers of the caste 

 of Kulars, who alone can legitimately deal in spirits, 

 were limited ; and they soon were rolling in w^ealth. 

 A dissolute flaunting set by nature, they did no good 

 with the money they thus earned, spending it chiefly in 

 gambling and debauchery, and in loading themselves 

 and their women with massive golden ornaments. The 

 evils of the system were incalculable. In his wild state 

 the G6nd or Korkii has been recognised to be truthful 

 and honest, occasionally breaking out into passion which 

 might lead to violent crime, but free from tendency to 

 mean or habitual criminality. Now he became a thief 



