MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 273 



the Badagas had not only reached the present western limit of CHAP. XI. 

 their settlement on the Nilagiris, Melklinda, but that the early 

 plateau was divided into four districts, and that the Badagas History. 

 were already in a relatively superior position to the Todas ; but 

 at the same time it must be noted that the Todas are said to be 

 scattered pretty equally over the four districts, whilst two hundred 

 years later they had been pushed back to the unculturable 

 uplands of the plateau, and that their number had decreased 

 to a half of what it was estimated to be by the Jesuit Ferreiri, 

 but it must not be forgotten that those two hundred years 

 comprised a period of endless turmoil and internecine strife. I 

 now quote in extenso from Mr. Breeks' work Mr. VVhitehouse's 

 abstract of a manuscript in the British Museum, 



" At the Synod of Udiamparur in the State of Cochin,' held 

 under Archbishop Menezes in 1599, information having been received 

 that there were certain villages of Christians in a country called 

 Todamala, who anciently belonged to the Syrian Church of Malabar, 

 but then had nothing of Christianity except the bare name, it was 

 ordered that priests and preachers should be sent thither immediately 

 to redeem them to the Catholic faith, baptise them, &c. Francisco 

 Key, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Syrian Christians, in 

 1G02 sent a priest and deacon of the Christians of St. Thomas with 

 a good guide to find out the place and collect information. They 

 reached the Todamala ; but, as the account brought back by them 

 was not so sure and complete as was desirable, Bishop Roy requested 

 the Vice-Principal of the Jesuits to depute a priest of his own order 

 to make further inquiries. The Rev. jacome Ferreiri was selected 

 for this mission. He started from Calicut, the place of bis residence, 

 and was permitted to return safely, after undergoing great exposure and 

 fatigue, with a good deal of information about the hill tribes, their 

 manners and customs ; but with no tidings of any Christian colony, 

 which had either become extinct or removed elsewhere, if it had ever 

 been there at all. At Calicut he wrote a formal report, dated April 

 1st, 1603, from which the following particulars are gleaned: — 



He proceeded via Manarecate 13 leagues inland from Tanur. A 

 native convert, a nephew of the Samuri Rajah, accompanied him and 

 some others. Their route led them over steep and rugged mountains 

 infested with elephants and tigers. At Manarecate they were told 

 that the Todamala was 6 Canarese or 12 Malabar leagues distant, and 

 that it would take them two days and a half to reach their destination. 

 Here they provided themselves with extra clothing as a protection 

 against the cold of the mountains, and also provision for their journey. 

 The Nairs who accompanied them wisely left their weapons behind 

 them, lest the hill people should take alarm. The evening of the 



* Todamala is included in a list of Christian Churches given in Assemani 

 Bible, Orient., but this only refers to the date of this same synod. 



35 



