50 The Ethnology of India. 
as a charm, is shared with the Aborigines by all the Hindustanees. 
Another practice of the Aborigines the latter also have in hilly tracts, 
the heaping up cairns of stones at particular points, and tying bits of 
rag to a particular tree as votive offerings. This last may be seen 
anywhere, and these practices are probably very widely spread. 
If there really be such a distinction between the Dravidian and 
Kolarian religions as that at which I have hinted, it is very like a 
similar distinction in Africa. In a work on South Africa by the 
Rev. Mr. Grout, we are told that the gods of the Hottentots are 
above, the sun, moon, &c. while those of the Kaffirs and more war- 
like Negroes south of the line are below, demons and evil spirits. 
Among some of the latter too are seen the horrid rites and bloody 
sacrifices. It strikes me that there is some resemblance in appearance 
between Hottentots and Santals. 
A curious testimony to the ancient rights of the Indian ‘ Boomeas’ 
or people of the soil, is the practice in many parts of Central India 
where Hindu chiefs are dominant, that a new chief on his accession 
receives the teka or investiture from the blood of an Aboriginal Kole, 
Gond or Bheel. 
I proceed to mention the various tribes in detail, so far as my imper- 
fect knowledge of them permits. 
The Aboriginal tribes now living apart from the general population 
in the South of India, appear to be very small and scattered. They 
are there for the most part absorbed in the general social system. 
Pariahs and others, as is well known, merely form a lower social grade. 
The robber tribes, Beders and such like, seem for the most part to 
have robbed themselves into a respectable and even aristocratical posi- 
tion. The Beders in some parts of Mysore now form a consideravle 
portion of the population, and they have many Polygarships. There 
seems to be some doubt whether the Badagras and Kotas of the lower 
Neilgherry hills are properly Aborigines, they being, it appears, immi- 
grants in those parts, and the Carambers the true Aborigines. I have 
not been able to meet with any very connected or detailed account of 
the thoroughly Aboriginal tribes of the hills and forests of the 
Neilgherries, Pulneys, and Western Ghats. The word Maleasur seems 
to mean simply a hillman, and the more proper tribal designations 
appear to be Carambers, Irulars, Puliars, and Veders. These seem to 
