1851.] Notes upon a Tour through the R/tjmahal Hills. 551 



buried in thick jungle, with small cleared patches of ground near the 

 village, bearing crops of rice, Junera, (Indian corn,) mustard and several 

 kinds of pulse. The villages are composed of upright log huts, with 

 thatched roofs, arranged so as to form a long street one house deep. 

 Almost to every house is attached a pig-stye, or a dove-cot ; and bul- 

 lock or buffalo sheds are distributed throughout the village. 



The sides of the street are plentifully planted with the Sohajna 

 (Hyperanthera morunga) whose mutilated branches proclaim the Son- 

 thal's fondness for its pungent alburnum, which is eaten with their food. 

 Their food consists principally of Junera (Sorghum vulgare), Indian 

 corn, seasoned with the Byre (Ziziphus jujuba), chillies, mustard oil, 

 Sohajna alburnum, or onions ; and accompanied with eggs, poultry 

 and occasionally swine's flesh, goat or kid ; the supply of meat depend- 

 ing principally upon the sacrifices. A large white bean as well as the 

 petal and legume of the Bauhinea variegata are also used as vegetables. 



In every village there is a small thatched roof supported upon one 

 or more wooden posts ; the roof gives cover to a small earthen plat- 

 form raised a foot above the ground ; this spot is termed the Mangi ; 

 at this spot is buried the memory of some former Mangi or village- 

 governor, who, for his good conduct, abilities, or for some other good 

 quality, has been, with the unanimous consent of the villagers, cano- 

 nized ; and the spot named after him ; thus at Jhilmilli Bora Mangi 

 is the name of the village Sanctum. At these spots the head-men of 

 the village meet, talk over the affairs of the village, threaten the un- 

 ruly, punish the guilty, collect the rents and sometimes make small 

 votive grain offerings to the defunct Mangi, which offerings are placed 

 on the ground under the roof, when not occupied by the villagers the 

 holy spot is generally occupied by pigs, dogs or cattle. 



In some of these Mangis I have seen pots of water fixed on a wooden 

 stand or depending from the roof; their use or meaning I failed to 

 ascertain. 



The working dress of the male Sonthal consists of a mere strip of 

 cloth, not passed round the body but being fastened to a hair or cotton 

 string that goes round the loins, it is passed between the legs thus 

 merely hiding his nakedness ; the women on the contrary are well 

 clothed with an ample flowing cloth, one end of which is fastened 

 round the waist the other is passed over the left shoulder leaving the 



