498 Aborigines of the Nilg iris. [No. 6, 



Aborigines of the Nilgiris, with Remarks on their Affinities. — By 

 B. H. Hodgson, B. C. 8. 



In the autumn of last year I forwarded to the Society a series of 

 Nilgiriau vocabularies. This paper was printed soon after in the 

 Journal, but without the accompanying prefatory remarks, which 

 seem to have been accidentally mislaid and omitted. 



I now forward some corrections and additions to that paper and 

 shall take the opportunity to mention what, in substance, those 

 prefatory remarks contained. 



The Nilgiriau vocabularies were prepared for me by the German 

 Missionaries at Kaity, particularly Mr. Metz, and were then exa- 

 mined and approved by the venerable Schmid, who is now residing 

 at Uttakamund, and who added some remarks, partly referring to 

 his own valuable labours in Indian Ethnology, and partly consisting 

 of corrections of my Ceylonese series of vocables. The latter are 

 appended to the present paper. 



When the Nilgirian vocabularies reached me, I immediately per- 

 ceived that the verbs were not uniformly given in the imperative 

 mood as required; and I therefore wrote again to Uttakamund 

 desiring that this anomaly might be rectified, and also supplying 

 some further forms, the filling up of which might furnish me with 

 some few essentials of the grammar of the tongues in. question. 



The subjoined paper exhibits the result, and from it and from 

 some further remarks furnished by Mr. Metz and others, I derive 

 the following particulars relative to the people and to the grammar 

 and affinities of their speech. 



The form and countenance of the Nilgirians and especially of the 

 Todas have now been spoken of for years as though these people 

 differed essentially in type from the neighbouring races and had 

 nothing of the Tartar in their appearance. The like has been said 

 also of the Ho or Lerka of Singhbhum. I have always been inclined 

 to doubt both these assertions and I have lately had opportunity 

 to confirm my doubt. My friend, Sir J. Colvile, our Society's able 

 President, having lately visited the Nilgiris I requested his atten- 



