OP THE NiLAQIRI DISTRICT. lix 



washing ; they go bareheaded and barefooted in all weathers ; they 

 speak a language different from, and not understood by, the Tode- 

 wars ; they are small men, but stout and muscular ; the hair of very 

 many of them is bushy and usually tied behind in a knot. 



This caste arc the cultivators of the soil ; they have a tradition Burghers, 

 amongst them that they emigrated from Mysore many years ago ; they 

 wear a turband and shave the beard ; sandals are not in use in the 

 hills ; like the former caste they do not employ a washerman on any 

 occasion. 



The mai'riagos of this caste remind one of what is called bundling Their 

 in Wales. The bride and bridegroom being together for the night, mnrriage 

 in the morning the bride is questioned by her relatives whether she is 

 pleased with her husband elect ; if she answei*s in the affirmative it is a 

 marriage ; if not the bridegroom is immediately discharged, and the 

 lady does not suffer in reputation if she thus discards half a dozen 

 suitors. 



Liquors of an intoxicating quality arc never distilled on the hills Intoxicating 



nor drunk by any of the castes : opium is chewed, but I believe \iq"o*'s o^' 



•^ -^ ' ^ drugs, 



seldom or never to excess. 



As drunkenness is unknown here, so likewise is its usual attendant Crimes, 

 crime, robbery or murder being unheard of, and I believe petty 

 pilfering even seldom if at all practised. 



All the castes worship one God — the creator of heaven and earth ; Their 

 they sometimes make images, but they say these are not gods, but serve '"orsbip- 

 to remind one of him. Idols ai'e not common, and I have never seen 

 one. They pay a yearly visit to Rungasamy coil, which is, I believe, 

 the only pagoda in the country. They make offerings of the fruits of 

 the soil, but do not sacrifice. 



They have two holy-days or days of rest in the week (Saturday and Days of rest. 

 Monday), on which they will' on no account work their cattle ; though 

 they will do nothing for themselves on these days, they count it no 

 sin to do service for me. 



This caste eat animal food ; but individuals born on a Friday are Eat animal, 

 prohibited this indulgence ; their diet must consist exclusively of milk ^°°<^- 

 and vegetables. 



Cultivation is carried on with much pains and wonderful neatness. Mode o£ 

 They plough the field five times and weed it carefully before they cultivation, 

 deposit the seed ; the weeding is performed by the women and children 

 with a crooked iron instrument. They make an enclosure or pound And 

 of loose stones near the field to be cultivated in which the cattle are ^^^1^"'"^° *^° 

 confined at nights for a certain period, and they thus preserve and ripen 

 the manure until it is fit for use. 



Of the grains most of them may be said to be put in the ground Grains when 

 soon after the first rains, that is, about the end of May and beginning sown. 

 \ of June, and reaped towards the end of August and beginning of 

 September. It is singular that they make no use of their forage ; they 

 leave it to rot on the cri'ound. 



