KHASI HILLS. 203 



plains, where it meets a ready sale. It is brought on the Northern 

 flanks of the Hills to the several marts in Assam, and on the Southern, 

 to Pondua, Lacat, Chattuc, &c., where it is purchased in large 

 quantities, and chiefly, or at least very extensively used in the manu- 

 facture of the double hook-hke nails, with which the planks of boats are 

 united ; and for which there is a great demand at the large boat-building 

 villages on the Soorma River (Azmerigunj, Beetalung, &c.). 



Of the iron, which is converted within the Hills, the greater portion 

 is wrought into codalies (or the native form of shovels or spades), or into 

 the large chopper-like knives or dhows, which the Khasis use {a). In 

 all manufactures of this kind, an almost total division of labour has been 

 established by custom; the making of each being confined to different 

 individuals, and generally speaking even to different villages. 



The manufacture of codalies is carried on extensively in some 



villages, in workshops differing entirely from the huts in which the 



first smelting or reduction of the ore is carried on. Those in which 



this manufacture is conducted are generally open sheds, of an oblong 



shape, the fire being placed at one end. Under this rough cover, formed 



simply with poles supporting a roof, five men are engaged ; one sits at 



the end of the shed, on a sloping bank behind the hearth, and works 



the bellows with his feet. Another superintends the fire, and dii-ects 



the operations. One of the divided lumps, into which the smelted ore 



has been made, is then placed in the fire, and, being raised to a good 



red heat, it is roughly but rapidly reduced from its semi-circular form into 



a more regular and bar-like shape. It is now again fired, and when 



heated is with a single forcible blow united with the small piece of iron 



which is to form the handle ( Fig. 21a) and which has been pi-eviously 



(a) TheKhasi dhow is a straight cleaver-liiie knife, one edged, from 12 to 15 inclies iu 

 length, and set in a handle of 10 to 12 inches long. In a Khasi's liands, it is an efi'ective 

 tool, and forms his chief weapon, (offensive and defensive) his axe and his knife. Fortunately 

 of late years it has hcAiused almost exclusively in the felling of trees, &c., and in ordinary 

 labor. 







