Ctiap. XXIV. RYOTWARRY TENURE. 399 



their heads, were perfect models of beauty ; but they had 

 black ugly faces, flabby ear-lobes, and large studs stuck in 

 their noses. To be admired their backs must be turned. 



The Tamil people, who inhabit this part of India, are an 

 exceedingly black and ugly race, and the Brahmins are the 

 only people who have any pretensions whatever to fair skins. 

 On the wliole the peasantry in the country between the 

 Neilgherry and Pulney hills appeared to be tolerably well off, 

 and the country was well cultivated, considering the unpro- 

 pitious climate and poor soU. As is well known, the people 

 in this part of India hold their land by what is called the 

 ryotwarry tenure, which is a settlement for the land assess- 

 ment with each individual ryot or cultivator, without the 

 intervention of any zemindar or renter. The land is made 

 over to the actual cultivator, who is regarded by the Govern- 

 ment as the proprietor of the soil, and the arrangement for 

 the payment of land-tax is made directly with him, while he 

 receives assistance by remissions of assessment in unfavourable 

 seasons, and cannot be ejected so long as he pays his dues. 



The land is classified as u-rigated and un-irrigated, and then 

 according to its different degrees of fertility ; and this settle- 

 ment is permanent so long as the land remains ui the same 

 condition. The Collector of each district makes an annual tour 

 of inspection, called jummabundy, to ascertain the extent to 

 which the Government demand ought to be reduced, owing to 

 particular circumstances of season ; but in ordinary times the 

 duty of collection is intrusted to the Tahsildars or native offi- 

 cials, and their subordinates the Sheristadars. These officials, 

 who visited me in the villages tkrough which I passed, 

 appeared intelligent respectable men, and all the younger 

 ones talked English fluently. 



Sir Thomas Munro, who was Governor of Madras from 

 1818 to 1827, established the ryotwarry system, and since his 

 time the conditions on wliich the ryots hold their land liave 



