1844.] Natives in Central India. 5 



coming day, and is thus initiated into the practice of her domestic 

 duties. The Binjarries are not restricted to one wife. It is rare, how- 

 ever, to have more than three or four in a house. 



In the roving life they lead, exposed to the vicissitudes of a tropical 

 climate, and liable to accidents and disease, we would fancy that 

 necessity would have taught them some acquaintance with simples and 

 the arts of life ; but that custom, fatal to improvement, which obtains 

 throughout India, binding each community to follow only those pur- 

 suits which their predecessors have been engaged in, prevails with 

 equal effect among this migratory tribe, to whom every art is equally 

 unknown. When sickness occurs, they lead the sick man to the feet 

 of the bullock called " Hatadia," for, though they say they pay re- 

 verence to images, and that their religion is that of the Sikhs, follow- 

 ers of Nana Govind, the object of their worship is this " Hatadia," a 

 bullock devoted to the god Balajee. On this animal no burden is 

 ever laid ; but decorated with streamers of red dyed silk and tinkling 

 bells, with many brass chains and rings on neck and feet, and strings 

 of cowrie-shells and silken tassels, hanging in all directions, he moves 

 steadily on at the head of the convoy, and the place he lies down on 

 when tired, that they make their halting ground for the day ; at his 

 feet they make their vows when difficulties overtake them, and in ill- 

 ness, whether of themselves or cattle, they trust to his worship for a 

 cure. This bullock is their god, their guide, and their physician. 



From their migratory life, we are deprived of all means of calculat- 

 ing their numbers ; but spread throughout the whole of India, in large 

 bodies, they no doubt far exceed any amount of people which are 

 brought to one individual's notice. 



They bury the people who die unmarried, but the bodies of the 

 married are burned. Food is placed at the head and foot of the grave, 

 but no omen of the state of the deceased is drawn from the creature 

 that eats it. 



HIRN-SHIKARRY OR HIRN-PARDY, THE HUNTERS. 



The Hirn-shikarry or Hirn-pardy, the Indian hunters, term them- 

 selves Bhourie. They are of short stature, greatly wanting in intelli- 

 gence, and timid in their intercourse with their fellow-men ; while 

 constant exposure to the vicissitudes of the seasons and their familiarity 



