The ‘ Kols” of Chota-Nagpore. 155 
We find the Moondah settlements chiefly in the eastern and 
southern parts of Chota-Nagpore, the Oraons predominating in the 
western; and this strengthens the hypothesis that the Moondahs ascend- 
ed from the eastern side of the plateau. | 
: The intimate connection between the Sonthals, the Bhoomij and 
the Chota-Nagpore Moondah tribes has long been known. I have 
pointed out their affinity with the Korewahs of Sirgoojah and 
Juspoor, and have given some account of that wild clan.* Ihave 
now to add to the list the “ Kheriahs,” another aboriginal tribe 
settled on the plateau of Chota-Nagpore, and the ‘‘Jwangas’”’ of 
the Cuttack tributary mehals, whose women are so conservative in 
their notions, that they still adhere to the fashion in dress first 
introduced by mother Eve and wear nothing but leaves. I had 
often met with individuals and families of the Kheriah tribe, living 
in mixed communities, but from contact with other races they 
had lost much of their individuality, and I found it difficult to place 
them. 
This year, I happened to come upon some of their principal settle- 
ments in pergunnah Bussiah, on the southern borders of the portion 
of the plateau occupied by the Moondahs, and collected round me the 
elders of the tribe. These settlem@nts all lie near the Koel, one of the 
streams from the watershed of Chota-Nagpore, which, after its union 
with the Sunkh in Gangpore, becomes the Bramni and terminates 
its career at Point Palmyras. 
The Kheriahs venerate the Koel as the Sonthals the Damoodah. 
They were in all probability once settled on its banks in the low- 
lands, and clinging to it in their retreat and adopting the place of 
refuge that it led to, regard it still as communicating with their 
fatherland, and with this idea the urns containing the ashes: of their 
dead are dashed into a rock-broken rapid of the river, so that their 
contents may be rapidly borne away by the current to mingle with 
the ashes of their forefathers. 
They say their first settlement was Pora, a village on the Koel, and 
that there were no Moondahs in the country,.at least in that part of 
it, when their ancestors first came there. There is sufficient resem- 
blance between the Kheriahs and Moondahs in language and customs: 
* As, Soc, Journal, Vol, XXXIV. p. 1. 
