THE LAY OF SAINT LINGO. 



197 



IV. SETTLEMENT OF THE GONDS, 



LINGO. 



AND PASSING OF 



Then they rose and followed Lingo, 

 Followed onwards to the forest, 

 From the mountain Dewalgiri ; 

 Followed on till night descended, 

 And before them saw a river, 

 Dark and swollen with the torrent 

 Bursting down from Dewalgiri, 

 From the snows of Dewalgiri. 

 On that river nothing saw they, 

 Boat nor raft, to waft them over. 

 Nothing saw they in the torrent 

 But the Alligator Puse, 

 And the Eiver-Turtle Dame, 

 Playing, rolling, in the water. 

 Then our Lingo called them to him, 

 Called them brother, called them mo- 

 ther ; 

 Bound with oaths to bear them over. 

 And the Alligator Puse, 

 Looming long upon the water, 

 Bore the Gonds into the torrent, 

 Through the black and roaring water : 

 And the Eiver-Turtle Dame 

 With our Lingo followed after. 

 Soon the faithless Alligator, 

 In the deep and roaring water, 

 Slipping from below his cargo, 

 Left them floundering in the water. 

 Then our Lingo stretched his hand out, 

 Fished them out upon the Turtle ; 

 Faithful Dame bore them onward 

 O'er that black and roaring torrent, 

 Bore them on across the river. 

 And the Sixteen vowed to cherish 

 Name of Dame with them ever, 

 Who had borne them safe and hurtless 

 O'er that dark and foaming river. 

 Then they travelled through the 

 forest, 

 Over mountain, over valley, 



To the Glens of Seven Mountains, 

 To the Twelve Hills in the Valleys. 

 There remained with Holy Lingo. 

 He, the very wise and prudent, 

 Taught to clear the forest thickets, 

 Taught to rear the stately millet, 

 Taught to yoke the sturdy oxen, 

 Taught to build the roomy waggon, 

 Eaised a city, raised Narbumi ; 

 City fenced in from the forest. 

 Made a market in Narbumi. 

 Eich and prosperous grew Narbumi 

 So they flourished and remained. 



Then our Lingo called them round 

 him, 

 Eanged them all in rows beside him, 

 Spake in this wise "Hear, Bre- 

 thren ! 

 Nothing know ye of your fathers, 

 Of your mothers, of your brothers, 

 Whom to laugh with, whom to marry ; 

 Meet it is not ye should be so 

 Like the creatures of the forest." 



Then he chose them from each other, 

 Chose and named their tribes distinc- 

 tive ; 

 Chose the first and said, "Manwajja." 

 Thus began the tribe Manwajja. 

 By the hand took Dahakwali, 

 Bard he called him " Dahakwali." 

 Koilabutal named another, 

 And another Koikobutal 

 Koikobutal wild and tameless. 

 Thus he named them as he chose them, 

 Till the Sixteen Scores were numbered, 

 Till the Tribes had all been chosen. 

 Next among them chose the eldest, 

 Chose an old man hoary headed, 

 Chose and called his name ' 'Pardhana, ' ' 

 Priest and Messenger he called him. 



