156 The “ Kols” of Chota-Nagpore. 
and appearance, to make us certain of their consanguinity, and at the 
same time sufficient divergence to lead to the mference that the 
relationship is a remote one, and that the two branches of the family 
had been long separated when they met again on the banks of the 
Koel. These points of resemblance and divergence I will describe, 
when treating of the manners and customs of the race generally. 
The Juangas or Puttoons (leaf-clad) are noticed in a paper by 
Mr. EK. A. Samuells.* They are found in the Cuttack tributary 
mehals of Keonjur, Pal Lehra, Dhekenal and Hindole. They are 
thus isolated from all other branches of the Moondah family, and 
have not themselves the least notion of their connection with them ; 
but their language, a specimen of which is given in the table 
appended, shews they are of the same race, and that their nearest 
kinsmen are the Kheriahs, a fragment of the tribe left behind when 
the remainder ascended the valley of the Koel. The Hos of Sing- 
bhoom have a tradition that they once wore leaves only, and not 
long ago threatened to revert to them, unless eloth-sellers lowered 
their prices ! 
The Bhoomij form the majority of the population in all the estates 
of the Manbhoom district to the south of the Kassae river. As they 
approach the confines of Chota-Nggpore, they appear to be called 
indiscriminately Moondahs or Bhoomij, and they intermarry. More 
to the east the Bhoomij have become Hindooized, or rather Ben- 
galeeized, toa great extent, and many of them have acquired consider- 
able estates, like the Mankees of Chota-Nagpore, and positions of 
influence as “ Sirdar Ghatwalls,” the hereditary custodians of the 
passes. 
The characteristics of the tribe that they most tenaciously cling to, 
are the national dances and songs. The Bhoomij appear to have 
been the first to colonise the large pergunnah called Dhulbhoom or 
Ghatsillah, attached to the Singbhoom district. The Rajah or 
Zemindar is, in all probability, himself a Bhoomij by race, though 
(without thereby improving his pedigree, so far as I can see) he 
endeavours to conceal his extraction under one of those hazy traditions 
that Bramins always have ready for families in want of them. His 
ancestor, according to their version, was a washerman, a Dhoby who 
* As, Soc, Journal, Vol. XXYV, p. 295, 1856, 
