424 Report on the Island of Chedooba. [No. 114. 



In felling trees of very large diameter, an axe is made use of, it is a sort 

 of thick chisel, with about a two inch blade, inserted into a handle knobbed 

 at the end for its reception, where it is further secured by a seizing of 

 rattan. This is a formidable weapon in a Mug's hand, and he fells his 

 tree with it quickly and clean. 



With a disposition greatly averse to any continued or fixed labour, the 

 Mug yet is always on the move, either at work, or half amusement 

 with his dah in the jungles, or wandering through them from village to 

 village ; this constant out door exercise and use of limb, gives a supple- 

 ness, and developement of muscle to their legs and thighs particularly, 

 which constitute him an untiring walker, and is very perceptible even in 

 very old age, rendering him to the last independent of all other means of 

 progression, and able still to indulge his love of rambling with those 

 he was born with. 



I found to my astonishment that the oldest man on the Island, number- 

 ing 106 years, had walked from his own village, a distance of 13 or 14 

 miles, in order to meet me at another, and walked back again on being 

 disappointed. He subsequently came two miles from his own village to 

 where we did meet, and during our interview, I could not but be much 

 struck with the exhibition he made in illustration of the above remarks. 

 "While on his body the skin lay quite loose, and was perfectly festooned 

 with wrinkles, his legs and thighs exhibited as much plumpness, and ful- 

 ness of flesh and muscle, as they could have done, when they had performed 

 but half their over century of work, and though in other cases I found old 

 men, whose faculties had broken down under years, I never heard of one 

 whose limbs had given way, or who was bedridden; a staff was all 

 the assistance the above old gentleman required. 



Beside the above out door duties and amusements all the heavier la- 

 bours of agriculture fall to the share of the man ; but the cleaning of 

 the rice for ordinary consumption after it is brought in', is done by the 

 women, with the instrument in common use for this purpose in other 

 parts of India. This falls to her lot as one of the household duties 

 which are assigned to her ; but in none any more than in her general 

 treatment and place in society, has she ought to complain of. Besides her 

 household affairs, she goes to market, and prepares the family meal, at 

 which she invariably eats out of the same dish with her husband. No 

 restraint is imposed on her liberty, and she may attend all places of 

 amusement and religion, unaccompanied by her husband. In the per- 

 formance of religious duties, the women are more punctual and attentive, 

 than the men. But she is restricted during her monthly state from 





