1851.] Notes upon a Tour through the Rajmahal Hills. 555 



matrimony of both sexes are permitted to have promiscuous intercourse 

 with each other during these six days ; at the close of which, the 

 whole party are supposed to have paired off as man and wife ; feasting 

 and drinking according to the ability of each couple closing the cere- 

 mony. 



The Sonthals are very expert with the bow and arrow, so expert 

 that nothing with life is to be found near their villages when of any 

 standing ; I have seen the bear fall an easy prey to their well planted 

 arrows, also a hare knocked over when at full speed ; birds on the 

 wing I have also seen killed, but with blunt or knobbed arrows ; their 

 bows are either made of Dhamin wood or bambus, the string is gene- 

 rally made of bambu or of the fibre of the Bauhinea scandens ; the 

 arrows are made of a light reed, tipped with barbed iron-heads and 

 feathered with the brown feather from the peacock's wing. 



The hill-man is much shorter than the Sonthal, of a much slighter 

 make, is beardless or nearly so, is not of such a cheerful disposition, 

 nor is he so industrious ; his great delight appears to be attending the 

 neighbouring markets where decked out with beads and chains, his hair 

 fastidiously combed, oiled and ornamented, he will in company with 

 his friends both male and female, while away the greater part of the 

 day. Labour is the hill-man's abhorrence but necessity compels him to 

 cultivate a small portion of the land for his actual existence ; beyond this 

 trifling labour he never exerts himself. He will nevertheless fish, or hunt 

 or roam over miles of the forest searching for honey-combs, wild yams, 

 and other edible roots ; he will travel many miles to get a shot at a 

 deer or to secure a peacock, such labour he considers in the light of 

 amusement, but to have to clear away the forest for his crop he con- 

 siders a great hardship ; but clear it he must, and the hill-man gene- 

 rally chooses the most precipitous hill sides as the ground best fitted 

 for his crops. In these spots an iron shod staff or a pointed stick 

 hardened by charring is used instead of the plough — with this imple- 

 ment, holes are made in the soil at the distance of a foot or less from 

 each other, into which are dropped a mixture of the following seeds, 

 Indian corn, junera, bora beans and the seeds of several small pulses. 

 The tall and robust Indian corn and junera form an ample support to 

 the twining bora bean, which in its turn affords a beneficial shade to 

 the more delicate pulses at its feet. 



4 b 2 



