168 The “ Kols” of Chota-Nagpore. 
found settled in the heart of the Colehan, occupying villages apart 
from the Hos, but without demur placing themselves under the Ho 
Mankees of Peers. For their own system of government is, as far as 
possible, preserved, and the Mankees are officers of police as well as 
the tuhsildars or rent-collectors of their circles. One great change is 
now being peaceably introduced, the old system of assessment on 
ploughs is under process of commutation toa light assessment on the 
land. 
This is undoubtedly the nucleus of the Moondah nation, the most 
compact, the purest, most powerful and most interesting division of 
the whole race, and in appearance decidedly the best looking. In 
their erect carriage and fine manly bearing, the Hos look like a people 
that have maintained and are proud of their independence. Many 
have features of sufficiently good cast to entitle them to rank as Arians ; 
high noses, large but well formed mouths, beautiful teeth, and the 
facial angle as good as in the Hindu races. The figures both of 
male and female freely displayed by the extreme scantiness of the 
national costume are often models of beauty; but this description 
applies only to the people of the highly cultivated part of the 
country who have seldom been subjected to severe privation and who 
generally fare right well. The inhabitants of the imperfectly reclaimed 
hill forests are more savage-looking, but they seldom deteriorate to 
the almost simian physiognomy that the Oraons are found with 
under similar circumstances. When the face of the Moondah varies 
from the Arian or Caucasian type, it appears to me rather to merge 
into the Mongolian than the Negro. High cheek bones, small openings 
for the eyes, having in some rare instances a tendency to the peculiar 
oblique set of the Mongolian, and flattish faces without much beard or 
whisker. They are of average stature, and in colour vary from brown 
to tawny yellow. 
Il.—Tue Oraons. 
The Oraons have a tradition that they were once settled in Guzerat. 
They were expelled from that part of India, and, retreating east, made a 
stand at fort Kalinjur where they fought the “ Loorik Sowrik” of “ Pali- 
pipri,” were defeated, and, retreating still east, settled on the Rhotas 
hills. Here they say, they remained unmolested till attacked and 
