June, 1850. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE KHASIAS. 273 



natural to them ; and murders continued very frequent as 

 preludes to the most trifling robberies, until the extreme 

 penalty of our law was put in force. Even now, some of 

 the tributary Rajahs are far from quiet under our rule, and 

 various parts of the country are not safe to travel in. The 

 Garrows, who occupy the western extremity of this range, 

 at the bend of the Burrampooter, are still in a savage 

 state. Human sacrifices and polyandry are said to be 

 frequent amongst them, and their orgies are detestable. 

 Happily we are hardly ever brought into collision with them, 

 except by their occasional depredations on the Assam and 

 Khasia frontier : their country is very unhealthy, and is said 

 to contain abundance of coal, iron, and lime. 



We seldom employed fewer than twelve or fourteen of 

 the natives as collectors, and when travelling, from thirty 

 to forty as coolies, &c. They are averse to rising early, 

 and are intolerably filthy in their persons, though not so 

 in their cottages, which are very poor, with broad grass 

 roofs reaching nearly to the ground, and usually encircled 

 by bamboo fences ; the latter custom is not common in 

 savage communities, and perhaps indicates a dread of 

 treachery. The beams are of hewn wood (they do not use 

 saws), often neatly carved, and the doors turn on good 

 wooden pivots. They have no windows, and the fire is 

 made on the floor : the utensils, &c. are placed on hanging 

 shelves and in baskets. 



The Khasia people are of the Indo-Chinese race ; they 

 are short, very stout, and muscular, with enormous calves 

 and knees, rather narrow eyes and little beard, broad, high 

 cheekbones, flat noses, and open nostrils. I believe that a 

 few are tattooed. The hair is gathered into a top-knot, 

 and sometimes shaved off the forehead and temples. A 

 loose cotton shirt, often striped blue and red, without 



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