100 TWO TEARS IN THE JUNGLE. 



written or unwritten, no historical monuments nor compositions 

 of any kind ; in fact, nothing but buffaloes. I believe, however, 

 they have some religious notions and ceremonies, but I did not 

 succeed in getting anything like a clear idea of their nature, and so 

 prefer to omit all mention of them. This much I learned to a cer- 

 tain t}', however, that the milkman, the " paulaul," is regarded as a 

 sacred character, a god in fact, and is never touched by any human 

 being unless it be another sacred milkman of equal rank. The 

 dairy, or " paulchi," is a sacred place, which may not be entered 

 under any circumstances by any one but the paulaul. If there is 

 any surplus milk after the wants of the mund are supplied, it is 

 made into ghee, which, if not also used, he sells or trades to neigh- 

 boring tribes for rice, millet, wheat, sugar, salt, or tobacco. 



Even in India, Avith its many tribes and castes, the Todas are 

 people of remarkably fine appearance. To judge by their form 

 and features, one would suppose them capable of any degree of 

 progi'ess in the social scale. The men are tall and very erect, 

 large-framed, broad-chested, and finely built every way, many being 

 quite muscular. Their color is a blackish brown. The features 

 are well-moulded every way, with Jewish nose, full lips, massive 

 but not prominent cheek-bones, large eyes, and low forehead, but 

 otherwise the head is well shaped. 



Their hair is very abundant, wavy, jet-black, and rather coarse, 

 and the thick, bushy beard is also black. I never saw men whose 

 bodies were so densely hairy, especially on the breast and arms, as 

 are these Todas generally. Every man is an Esau. 



In height the women are, on an average, about six inches shorter 

 than the men. There was one comely face at Muddimund, but the 

 remainder of the women were not nearly so good-looking as the 

 men. Both men and women part their hair in the middle, and the 

 latter wear theirs either in curls or in a wavy mass hanging well 

 down their backs. 



The Toda garment is a sort of mantle of coarse cotton stuff of 

 native manufacture, with a figured border, and when new is white. 

 It is thrown over the left shoulder, brought forward under the 

 right ai-m, and the corner is again flung over the left shoulder, 

 which leaves the right arm entirely bare and free. The female 

 robe is of the same size and material, but it is worn like a mantle 

 over both shoulders. The priestly milkman usually wears nothing 

 except the loin cloth, and neither men nor women ever wear any 

 kind of head covering. - 



