HILLS NEAR RA'jAMAHALL. 33 



traditional story, brought down from father to son 

 (but in what age it was received, is now not known) 

 that the Bedo Gossaih made heaven and earth, and 

 all that is therein. To people the latter, seven bro- 

 thers were sent from Heaven. At first they remained 

 together ; when the eldest brother was -sick, the six 

 younger collected all manner of eatables, which they 

 agreed to divide, and to separate, to go into different 

 countries ; one, a Hindu, got fish and goat's flesh in a 

 new dish, for his share ; a second, a Mussulman, was 

 allotted fish, fowl, and every sort of flesh, except 

 hogs, for his portion, in a new dish also; a third, 

 Kirwary ; a fourth, Keerrateer, got hog's flesh also 

 in a new dish ; a fifth, Kawdeer, got ail sorts of flesh, 

 fish, and fow r l, in a new dish ; a sixth, who was 

 destined for a foreign country, got some of every 

 sort of food, in a new dish -, and after his -departure, 

 it was not known what had become of him, till 

 Europeans made their appearance, when, from their 

 manner of living, it was concluded that they were 

 the descendants of the sixth brother $ the seventh, 

 Multure, who was the oldest, and sick brother, got 

 some of every kind of food, but put them in an old 

 dish, for which he was considered an outcast, and 

 ordered to inhabit these hills, where, finding neither 

 clothes nor subsistence, he and his descendants ne- 

 cessarily became thieves, in which practice they 

 continued, till such time as Mr. Cleveland wisely 

 conciliated their attachment to the English govern- 

 ment, by a liberal generosity and munificence, while 

 he entered their hills unattended, putting the utmost 

 Vol, IV. D con- 



