INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS. 141 



ly hair and flat noses [who I imagine were 

 the aborigines of that country] and the Ben- 

 galees. 



These are Hindoos, and probably their 

 casts go by other names in the S/iaster or 

 Barren Sunker. They have a great venera- 

 tion for Brahmins, but eat of almost every 

 kind of animal food, and few of them object 

 to drink spiritous liquors. They have always 

 been accustomed to decide their disputes by 

 punchite, which is an assemblage of a num- 

 ber of their own cast, to whom all injuries as 

 well as quarrels are referred for decision. 

 They have a thorough belief in witch-craft. 

 A very curious circumstance happened while 

 I was at Chittrah, during Earl Cornwallis's 

 Government. 



A man accused a woman of witch-craft, on 

 which,, a punchite assembled, and condemned 

 her. She was stoned to death,, and her father 

 or brother [I do not recollect which,] threw 

 the first stone. Several people, among whom 



