PRIMITIVE TREATMENT OF FORESTS. 65 
them to a rude tribe, called Melayar or Malay-cudies. The 
Malayar, who dwells on any hill of this kind, has the 
exclusive hereditary right of cultivating it ; but while not 
occupied by this labour he and his family must work for 
the proprietor, Mulcara, at the allowance of provisions 
usually given to slaves. The Malayar may give up his 
possession when he pleases, which secures him from being 
ill-used -by the proprietor; for such people on an estate 
add greatly to its value. They work for their master ten 
‘months in the year; but have six or seven miles to come 
and go;frem their hills to their master’s fields ; they labour 
only six heurs in the day. In this neighbourhood no tax 
is imposed on:this kind of land ; but in some districts the 
Malayars, pay annually a small sum to Government for | 
each hill. 
‘The following is the manner in which this sort of 
cultivation, called Cumri, is performed. In the beginning 
of the dry season the Malayar cuts down all the trees and 
bushes from a certain space of ground, and before the 
YTains set in-he ‘burns them, the ground is then dug with 
a sharp:bamboo, and sown with shamay (panteum miliare), 
ragi (cymosurus corocanus), rice, and various cucurbitaceous 
plants. The grains are sown separately ; but seeds.of the 
cucurbitaceous fruits are mixed with all the farinaceous 
crops. With the ragi are also mixed the seeds of hibary 
(cytisus cajan), and of abary (dolichos lablab), Next year 
another ;piece of ground must be.cleared, the former not 
being fit for cultivation in less ‘than twelve years. In 
Tulava, this is the only kind of cultivation of dry grains, 
although much of the ground seems fit for the purpose; 
but ‘the natives have a notion that no high ground can 
produce anything, unless a great:deal of timber has been 
burned upon it. 
‘They theréfore consider the greater part of the country 
totally useless, except for pasture or hay, and very little of 
it produces the proper grass. One kind of grass only that 
is produced in Tulava is eatable ; and when I proposed to 
the natives to destroy the bad kinds, and sow the seed.of 
F 
