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of civilised philosophers seem never to have clouded their 
child-like faith. But, teeming as is the unseen world with 
beings created by a savage imagination, we are not to look for 
an orderly and consistent arrangement of powers and spheres 
of activity among these deities, such as we find in the Pan- 
theons of Greece and Rome; rather, we are to expect the 
condition of things out of which these developed. Whenever 
such an elaborate system of theology is described as worked 
out by a tribe in other respects low down in the social 
scale, it is to be viewed with extreme caution, and by no 
means accepted as genuine, until attested by more than 
one skilful observer. An example in point is the account 
of the Khond religion by Major Macpherson. We shall be 
more likely to find confused and even flatly contradictory 
notions of the gods, blind attempts to properly adjust human 
relations with the higher powers. Though the gods served 
by these tribes are for the most part of a low or der, scarcely 
rising above the level of their worshippers, still there are 
here and there indications of a dim conception of a God 
throned far above these inferior deities, and more deserving of 
reverence and love. We will first search for these. ‘The 
Singphos have a tradition that in a former sinless state they 
worshipped a Supreme God, of whose attributes they can 
give no account; but that they fell from that condition, and 
have since adopted the superstitions of surrounding tribes. 
The Abors and Miris have a vague idea of a God who is the 
Father of all; but as they connect him with the abode of 
the dead, and call him Jam Raja, it is easy to see that their 
conceptions are derived from the Hindu god, Yama. The 
Kukis, who seem to have advanced farther in their reasoning, 
or borrowed more, believe in a Supreme God, whom they call 
Puthen, who not only created the world, but governs it and 
rewards men according to their deeds. It is in the last par- 
ticular that their views are in marked contrast with those 
generally held by these tribes. Puthen has a wife, Nongjar, 
whose good offices as an intercessor with her husband can be 
secured by suitable offerings. The children of this benevo- 
lent pair are, lke the other inferior gods, of a malicious 
disposition. With most of these tribes the sun is regarded 
as the impersonation of their highest god. The Garos call 
him Saljang, or Rishi Saljang, and sacrifice white cocks in his 
honour. ‘hey say that he resided for a time on the Garo 
hills with his wife, Apongma, andbegat children, but subse- 
quently returned to heaven, where he now dwells. The 
Bhuiyas call him Boram, and likewise offer to him a white 
cock at the planting season. He is worshipped by the 
