100 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



us, but they pressed on me some specimens of pretty white 

 and red-stained work as gifts. It was easy to guess what 

 would please them best in return : tobacco — and it did ! 

 They were given several strings each, and walked off, enroll- 

 ing themselves then and there among our people, though 

 what work they did we hardly knew beyond lazily chopping 

 wood or splitting a few bamboos. On the strength of 

 such light labours, however, they marched up boldly with 

 the rest, though careful always to keep at a distance from 

 them, to receive the daily rations of, to them, unac- 

 customed food, consisting of rice, curry stuff of sorts, and 

 a measure of raggi x flour, which they knew how to prepare 

 for eating by making it into cakes, and relished half -raw, 

 half -singed in the smoke of a wood fire. When the precious 

 tobacco was handed out each eyed the other's portion to 

 see that no one had more or longer strings than himself. 

 Our own people were not so particular, knowing that there 

 was plenty more that would be dispensed without stint. 

 F. paid attention to these things as to many others which, 

 to such childish minds, were far from being trifles. Besides, 

 it was well to keep these folk in a merry good-humour, for 

 though they were not of much use they had horrid little 

 ways of revenging themselves for any supposed slight or 

 unfairness, such as disturbing the fishing-grounds or shoot- 

 ing their arrows into the game coverts. As it was we got on 

 well with them, treating them like the grown children they 

 were, with impartial justice, too. This they evidently 

 appreciated ; for when disputes arose the ruled against, 

 equally with the ruled for, showed their approval by pulling 

 and cracking every finger-joint. 



Their usual food was roots and tubers, dug up and eaten 

 raw. Yams (sweet potatoes) they grew for themselves, 

 eating them raw also ; but once they were given some by 



1 Raggi is a coarse flour only used by natives. It is made from a cereal 

 and is pinkish in colour. 



