﻿igS ACCOUNT OF THE 



record tlielr exploits. Each Avairior has his own 

 particular pile of heads, and according to the num- 

 ber it consists of, his character as a hunter and 

 ■warrior is established in the tribe. These piles are 

 sacred ; and no man dares attempt to filch away his 

 neighbours' fame, by stealing from them to add to 

 his own. They likewise worship the moon, as con- 

 ceiving it to influence their fortunes in some degree. 

 And in every house tiiere is a particular post conse- 

 crated to the Deity, before which they ahs'ays place 

 a certain portion of whatever food they are about to 

 eat. In the month of January they have a solemn 

 sacriiice and festival in honour of the Deity, when 

 the inhabitants of several neighbouring Parahs, (if 

 on friendly terms) often unite and kill Gyals, and 

 all kinds of animals, on which they feast, and dance 

 and drink together for several days. They have no 

 professed ministers of religion, but each adores the 

 Deity in such manner as he thinks proper. They 

 liave no emblem, as of Sheem Sauk, to represent the 

 Supreme Being. 



The Kookies having no coins among them, but 

 such as find their way from the plains, for the few- 

 necessaries they want they barter their produce witti 

 the Choomeeas, who are the medium of commerce ; 

 and on these occasions the Chcomeeas are ne\er 

 allowed to enter their Parahs, but are obliged to 

 remain at a certain distance, whither the articles of 

 exchange are brought : such is their extreme jea- 

 lousy of admitting any strangers within their Parahs, 

 as already noticed. They frequently visit a JMug 

 chief, commonly known by the name of the Com- 

 lahpore Rajah, who is settled among the hills, in the 

 southern parts of this district, and to whom they^ 

 make themselves understood from the similarity of 

 language. They can give no account of the coun- 

 try "to the eastward of their hills; but they have a 

 traditidn that it is an open level country, like the 



plain 



