MANUAL OF THE NILAGIEI DISTRICT, 



29 



Tills population was dwelling in 13,922 houses, of which all CEAP. III. 

 save 1,914 were thatched. The average number of inmates was pop^^ioN. 



low, viz., 3'6 : and excluding the cantonments it was S'l only. 



The excess in the proportion of males over females is noteworthy, p^^^^^^^^^^j^^^ ^^ 

 This is mainly due to the fact that native traders, servants, sexL. ' 

 coolies, and other temporary residents on the Hills are not, to 

 any great extent, accompanied by their women. Among the 

 hill tribes the proportion, except in the case of the Todas and 

 Kurumbas, is fairly satisfactory, as appears from the following 

 table : — 



After making every allowance for the incorrectness of the Increase in 

 earlier statistics, the increase in the number of some of the hill g^Jf^'ribes. 

 tribes is very satisfactory. There is no evidence in support of the 

 assertion that the Todas are gradually dying out. In the case of Incorrectness 

 the other wild tribes and the Kotas, the defectiveness of these early f^^^^^^ 

 figures is manifest, but as regards the Badagas, the returns are 

 probably not so incorrect. The average annual percentage of 

 increase, howevei', in the periods noted below, after including the 

 as, shows the great inaccuracy of the early retm^ns : — 



1 The census of 1825-26 gave 326 Tddas. 



* The villages at the foot of the ghats have been included, 

 itatement. 



See following 



