BULLET AND SHOT 



they knew little about money, and seldom possessed 

 any ; but the more civilised families amongst those 

 who work for that department are now keenly alive 

 to their own interests in this particular, and they 

 have been so systematically swindled by native 

 subordinates that their morals have to some extent 

 been corrupted, and cases of their attempting to 

 outwit their oppressors by practices the reverse of 

 straightforward, are not uncommon, even amongst 

 this simple and naturally well-dispositioned people. 



There are, amongst the Kurrabas, two separate 

 tribes which do not intermarry, and which differ 

 in the fact that one tribe is rather more civilised 

 than the other. These tribes are termed respec- 

 tively the " Bett " (or hill) Kurrabas, and the "Jain" 

 (or honey) Kurrabas. Of these the former is the 

 more civilised, and certain families amongst them 

 have even begun to settle in villages outside the 

 forests, and to work in the fields as farm labourers. 



The ordinary attire of a Kurraba inhabiting the 

 forests is a strip of dirty cloth round his loins 

 a simple dress of most economical character, light 

 and airy, and affording free play to all the limbs. 

 The women, wear a cloth of larger size, but equally 

 dirty, and, as they run away and hide, should a 

 European approach their humble dwellings, it is 

 not often that they are seen by the sportsman 

 shooting in the forests which they inhabit. 



Kurrabas are very thankful for a blanket, should 

 one be presented to them, and the most civilised 

 among them are beginning to take a pride in dress, 

 and even in dressing their hair neatly the head- 



414 



