The Ethnelogy of India. 125 
- The result is that, in my view, in Hindustan, after 3,000 or longer 
years of juxta-position, the Arian element has quite prevailed in 
feature over the aboriginal type, and the population, take them all in 
all, are in this particular about as Arian as Huropeans, but dark in 
skin and usually smaller, 
It is on the authority of one of the most learned native members of 
the society that I have alluded to the Bagdees, one of the most numer- 
ous non-Mussulman castes of Bengal, as aboriginal, but I have no 
particular description of them; and though I have observed the 
much greater frequency of aboriginal feature in Bengal, I am not 
sufficiently acquainted with the people to distinguish the special per- 
sonal characteristics of the different inferior classes. The Bagdees 
seem to be cultivators, fishermen, watchmen, and dacoits. On the 
borders of Bengal and Behar, the work of labourers is done by Raj- 
wars, Bhooyas and other aboriginal tribes whom I have noticed. 
The unclean tribes seems to be very various, and to have among 
them a system of castes more particular than that of many Bramins. 
I was lately obliged to dismiss the lowest servant in my establishment, 
an excellent man, because he respectfully but firmly declined to wash 
the cat, as impossible under the rules of his caste. 
In the Prison Returns there is a large entry under the head of 
‘ Chandals,’ the orthodox low caste name, and others appear under the 
titles of ‘ Dosads,’ ‘ Harees,’ ‘ Bhoomallees,’ &c. Altogether they 
must be numerous in Bengal. There is in the list a considerable 
easte of ‘ Mooshers,’ but I cannot find what they are. 
I consider that in Bengal there is still a very great field for ethno- 
logical exploration. 
In the plains of Goozerat, the Kolees seem to fill the place of the 
inferior grade in the social scale, as labourers and lower cultivators, 
being there rather members of the ordinary community that a separ- 
ate aboriginal tribe. The unclean outcastes are there called Dhers 
and Olganas. 
_ In the Maratta country, the ‘ Mhars’ seem to perform the functions 
of ‘ Begars’ (forced bearers of burdens), watchmen, and Helots gener- 
ally, much as the Punjab Helots do among the Jats. There is also a 
low caste of Mhangs. The lowest unclean caste are called ‘ Dhers’ 
there too, but I have also seen it asserted that the ‘ Mhars’ are really the 
