THE NEILGHERRY HILLS. 99 



upon the nature of his environment, or whether his suiToundinga 

 are favorable or unfavorable for his advancement. He reaches his 

 highest level in a temperate climate, and on good soil, where life 

 is not a continual struggle for bare existence. 



With the exception of a few changes which have been forced 

 upon them by the Government, as the cessation of infanticide, for 

 example, the Todas are to-day precisely as they were when, in 

 1814, Mr. Sullivan discovered them on the Neilgheriy plateau. 

 They belong to the Dravidian race, but are the least cultivated 

 of all its tribes. Although inhabiting this magnificent plateau 

 from time immemorial, a very Eden in itself, living in a mild and 

 salubrious climate, on bountifully fertile soil, and amid scenery 

 that ought to inspire a mummy, they have never tilled the soil, nor 

 planted fruit-trees, nor built cities, towns, or villages, or even com- 

 fortable dwellings. They have no domestic animals save buffaloes 

 and cats, whereas they might easily have flocks upon flocks of 

 sheep, goats, and fowls, and ponies and bullocks by the score. 



With time enough for anything, they manufacture absolutely 

 nothing, not even weapons ; build nothing except the flimsy huts 

 they hve in, and like the lazy, indolent brutes they are, subsist 

 wholly upon the milk from their buffaloes, and what grain they can 

 beg of the Badagas, a neighboring tribe which pays an uncertain 

 tribute to the Todas as the original possessors of all the land on 

 the NeOghen-ies. The drove of buffaloes belonging to the mund is 

 herded by the small boys, and milked by the dairyman only, the 

 " paulaul." The only occupation of the men, aside from the milk- 

 man, is visiting the neighboring villages of Badagas and begging 

 for tribute. 



In a country teeming with game, and also with a natural appe« 

 tite for flesh, the Todas are absolutely without weapons, or even 

 spears of the simplest sort, either for defence or capture. They 

 make no traps for game, set no snares, dig no pitfalls, nor capture 

 game in any way whatever. And yet they said they were fond of 

 sambur flesh, and two of the men we questioned informed us, with 

 the pride of men who recall a banquet, that they once had all they 

 could eat of a sambur killed by Morgan Doray. They have no 

 caste prejudices to prevent them killing and eating game, as have 

 many Indian natives, and nothing keeps them from the chase but 

 sublime laziness. What total depravity ! 



Having learned the above, I was quite prepared for the informa- 

 tion that the Todas have no written language, no songs, no history. 



