44 The Ethnology of India. 
territory the country of the Lurka Coles is called “ Kothan.” The 
Bheels are the proper possessors of the hills farther in the interior 
and east of the Koolees, there occupying both the Sautpoora and 
the Vyndia ranges, and extending into Rajpootana. In the latter 
direction and about the Vyndians some of the tribes claim to be 
crossed with Rajpoots, and these are called Beelalahs. The Bheels 
are numerous in Candeish, and are found in some parts of the adjoining 
Deccan. They sometimes find their way to the Coast where they 
are stated to be known as ‘ Dooblas’ or the “‘ Kala Pooruj” or ‘ black 
men.’ The Koolees seem to be scattered down the Coast country 
nearly as far as Goa, and: north again into the ‘ Thurr’ and the 
neighbourhood of Scinde. While the wilder Koolees of the hills 
are like the Bheels, the mass of more civilised Koolees are said to 
be not only fairer and more Caucasian in feature, but also more sly 
and cunning and less truthful. A large proportion of both races 
have been much diluted in point of ‘aboriginality’ of feature by 
intermixture, but the Bheels less than the others. Many of the 
Koolees live in villages and adopt some Hindoo practices. They are 
stated to average about 5 feet 3 inches in height. Though most of 
them are now quiet agriculturists and labourers, they were not always 
so. The wilder tribes of the race are still predatory, and Forbes 
mentions the Koolees as by far the most numerous of the arm-bearing 
castes who in former days, living in the hills between Goozerat and 
Rajpootana, disturbed the country. He describes them as of dimi- 
nutive stature, with eyes which bore an expression of liveliness and 
cunning, clothes few, arms bow and arrows, habits swift and active, 
bold in assault, but rapid in flying to the jungles, independent in 
spirit, robbers, averse to industry, addicted to drunkenness, and quar- 
relsome when intoxicated ; formidable in anarchy, but incapable of 
uniting among themselves. This description seems exceedingly well 
to apply to the wild Bheels of modern days, whom indeed Forbes 
classes with the Koolees. 
Many of the Bheels are so independent and so much apart in their 
own hills and jungles, that it seems very strange that they should 
have no language of their own; I think that the search for such a 
language, or the remains of it, should not be abandoned without very 
careful inquiry. ' 
