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to any particular country ; but live in tents, and unite together for 

 mutual comfort and safety, in the transportation of their merchan- 

 dise. Each corps is governed by its own laws and regulations. 

 These people travel from interior towns to the sea coast, with 

 caravans of oxen, sometimes consisting of several thousand, laden 

 with corn, oil, and manufactured goods of cotton and silk. They 

 return with raw cotton, spices, woollen cloths, iron, copper, and 

 other articles imported from Europe, and distant parts of Aia: the 

 greatest number are laden with salt, which finds a ready sale in 

 every habitable spot, from the sea to the summit of the Ghaut- 

 mountains. 



The vanjarrahs from distant countries seldom make more than 

 one annual journey to commute their merchandize at the sea- 

 ports; travelling with their wives and children in the patriarchal 

 style, they seem a happy set of people, particularly at their meals. 

 A hundred fires are often blazing together in their camp, where 

 the women prepare curry, pilaw, or some savoury dish, to eat 

 with the rice and dholl, which constitutes their principal food. 

 Some of these merchants travel fifteen hundred or two thousand 

 miles during the fair season; and, as they make only one journey, 

 they contrive to give it every possible advantage. For this pur- 

 pose each bullock carries a double load, which they effect in this 

 manner: moving on one stage with their loaded oxen, wives and 

 children, they fix upon a shady spot, to unload the cattle; leav- 

 ing the family and merchandize under the care of a guard, they 

 drive back the empty oxen for a second load; which is brought 

 forwards, and deposited in their tents. The cattle having rested, 

 move on to the next station, with the first packages; returning 



