The Ethnology of India. 37 
In some places the word ‘ Soor’ or ‘Sourah’ seems to be used, as 
if the same as ‘ Santal;’ and Mr. Stirling, in an article on Cuttack, 
Gn the Asiatic Researches) enumerates ‘ Santals’ and ‘ Soors’ 
separately among the tribes of Coles. It would seem then ag if 
Soors or Sourahs were a tribe of Santals on the borders of the 
Cuttack division. But the Soors under the hills north of the 
Mahanaddee, while described as small, mean, and very black, and like 
the Santals naturally harmless, peaceable and industrious, are also 
said to be without moral sense and ready to cut firewood or other men’s 
throats indifferently, an accusation not, I think, brought against the 
Santals. 
Again, Macpherson tells us, that the hill tribes south of the Khonds, 
and running up to near the Godavery, are Sourahs. That is quite a 
different location, and I have not found any farther account of these 
Sourahs, Caldwell says that the Tamil people were anciently called 
“Sorahs,’ but as they are the most Dravidian of all the southern 
people, they can hardly be allied to the Kolarian Santals, and the 
word must be different. The whole subject requires a good deal 
of fresh light. 
Passing north, I have till now reserved, for separate notice, the 
tribes chiefly prevailing in the district of Palamow, the hilly country 
of Mirzapore and Rewah, and the borders of Benares and Behar. 
These are the Aboriginal tribes most directly in contact with the 
modern Hindustanees, and there is this difficulty about classifying 
them, that I have not been able to ascertain their original language. 
They now generally speak some sort of dialect of the Hindee, and 
are more mixed with the Hindustanees, perhaps I may say generally 
more civilised, than the tribes located farther in the interior of the 
hills. The principal tribe of these parts are called ‘ Kharwars’ or 
‘ Kharawars.’ There is also a widely spread tribe of ‘ Rajwars.’ A 
division of the Kharwars are called ‘ Bhogtahs.’ The Kharwars seem 
to be altogether the dominant tribe of .Palamow and Singrowlee 
(the Mirzapore hill country). Both Kharwars and Rajwars are also 
found in considerable numbers westward, in parts of Sirgoojah and 
Jushpore, while to the north-east, in the parts of the plains adjoin- 
ing the hills, they are numerous. In the Gya district, near the 
hills, the Rajwars are the chief labouring class. They live in the 
