144 INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS 



man's brass ornaments weighing at least three 

 or four pounds; under it some human bones 

 were dug up,, which induced me to conclude 

 the spot to have been a place of burial, and 

 I imagine, the stones were intended as a de- 

 fence of the dead bodies against animals of 

 prey. 



Such a method of burying the dead was un- 

 known to any of the people of whom I made 

 enquiry, nor had they any tradition by which 

 they could account for such collections of 

 stones, which however, were supposed to be 

 marks where there had been villages, inhabi- 

 ted by Bouctas. 



There are other casts of Hindoos who in- 

 habit the district of Ramghur, and gain their 

 livelihood by manufacturing iron, with which 

 the whole country is more or less impregnated, 

 and it is the chief article of exportation. 



The first class of these people I shall des- 

 cribe are known by the name of Augureeas, 

 and are of the very lowest description of human 



