210 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. TX, 

 PART III. 



" They have a shortish and spare form of body, with a peculiar 

 wedge-shaped face and obtuse facial angle, cheeks hollow, with promi- 

 nent malars or cheek-bones ; slightly-pointed chin ; eyes moderately 

 large and frequently blood-shot. Color of irides dark brown, the 

 nose has a deep indentation at the root about If inches in depth, 

 which is general, and when contrasted with the profile or line with 

 the ridge of the nose and os froutis, it gives them a very peculiar 

 expression of feature. 



Caste and 

 Divisions. 



" The hair is long and black and is grown matted and straggling, 

 somewhat wavy, and is sometimes tied into a knot, with a piece of 

 cord on the crown or back of the head, while the ends are allowed to 

 be free and floating. They have scarcely any moustache or whiskers 

 and a straggling scanty beard ; occasionally one is met with full 

 moustache, whiskers, and beard. They are, as a body, sickly-looking, 

 pot-bellied, large mouthed, prognathous, with prominent outstanding 

 teeth and lips ; frequently saliva dribbles away from their mouths. 



" The women have much the same physiognomy as the men, only 

 somewhat softened in expression and slightly modified in feature with 

 a small pug nose and surly aspect. An average of 12 gives 54-25 as 

 their height. They are very shy and dislike seeing strangers or 

 being questioned by them." 



The men seldom have any covering except the " linguti ;" some 

 of the women have only a waist cloth, and others wear a square ^ 

 cloth which reaches from under the arms to the knee. Occasion- 

 ally, when they can afford it, both men and women adopt the 

 ordinary dress of natives. The women, too, are fond of ornaments, 

 and wear necklaces and nose rings, earrings, and bracelets of glass 

 and iron. 



According to the last census they numbered 613. 



The following table gives the different castes and divisions and 

 the localities in which they live : — 



Called tdndu, lit. a piece. 



ii 



