﻿KOOKIZS OR LUNCTAS. 187 



commodate four or five families in every bouse. They 

 construct them after the manner of the Choomeeas 

 and Mugs, that is, on platforms or stages of bamboo, 

 raised about six feet from the ground, and enter 

 them by ladders, or, more frequently, by a single 

 stick, with notches cut in it, to receive the foot : un- 

 derneath the stages they keep their domestic animals. 

 All these precautions of defence strongly indicate the 

 constant state of alarm in which they live, not only 

 from the quarrels of the Rajahs with each other, but 

 also from the hostile feuds of the different tribes ; 

 not excepting those who are attached to the same 

 Bajah. Depredations on each other's property, and 

 the not giving up of such refugees as nray i]y from 

 one Parah to another, are the most frequent causes 

 of quarrel, when tliey carry on a most destructive 

 petty warfare, in which the several tribes are more or 

 less involved, according as the principals are more 

 or less connected among then^. On tiicse occasions, 

 v/hen an enterprize is not of suiHicient importance to 

 induce the chief to head all the warriors of the Parahy 

 he always selects a warrior of approved valour and 

 address to lead the party to be detached. 



They always endeavour to surprize their enemy, 

 in preference to engaging him in open combat, how- 

 ever confident of superiority they may be. With 

 that view, M'hen on any hostile excursion, they never 

 kindle a fire, but carry with them a suificiency of 

 ready-dressed provisions, to serve during the probable 

 term of their absence ; they march in the night, pro- 

 ceeding with the greatest expedition, and observing 

 the most profound silence; >vhenday overtakes tliem,. 

 they halt, and lie concealed in a kind of hammock, 

 which they fasten among the branches of the loftiest 

 trees, so that they cannot be perceived by any person 

 passing underneath. From this circumstance of am- 

 buscade the idea has originated, of their living in 

 trees instead of houses. When they haye, in this 



manner, 



