10 Notes of a tour in the Tributary Mehals. [No. 1, 
latter coming in contact with Brahmins, have at once succumbed and 
become their farm labourers. It appears to make little difference in 
the condition of Oraon emigrants, whether they are farm servants or 
farmers on their own account : they have the same wretched huts, scanty 
apparel, and generally uncared-for appearance, as if they had in despair 
given up all ideas of rendering themselves attractive; but the wonder 
is that they remain in this dependent position, when they can get land 
on such easy terms and become farmers themselves. 
The village pays direct to the Rajah a rent of Rs. 34, magun or 
contribution Rs. 34!, and 64 maunds of rice. The price of rice is from 
one maund to two maunds for the rupee. On births, deaths and mar- 
riages in the Rajah’s family, the villagers are called on for additional 
contributions, and when that family, as it is just now, is a large one, 
the extra charge comes to from Rs. 30 to 40 a year. The total demand 
is therefore about Rs. 160 a year, and from the extent of land under 
cultivation, I do not think this would amount to more than 3 annas a 
beegah on the cultivated area. It is evidently a very old village site, 
surrounded by extensive groves of mangoes, and with several tanks of 
very insalubrious water overgrown with water lillies. Hills are seen 
on all sides, but the most remarkable feature in the landscape is the 
great Mahabeer hill; a mass of rock tilted up, and shewing towards 
Borgaon, an uneven wall of disrupted ends, forming a cliff of fantastic 
outline, nearly 2000 feet high. 
The tutelary deity of this hill is a favourite object of worship with 
the Bhooyas, and is more or less revered by all the country. The top 
of the hill or rock being difficult of access, Mahabeer has studied the 
convenience of his votaries, and entered an appearance down below in 
the form of a stone, in a sacred grove or ‘Surna’ at the foot of the 
hill. The idea of a ‘ Surna’ is pretty and poetical. It is or ought to 
be a fragment of the primitive forest left when the first clearance was 
- made, as a refuge for the sylvan deities whom the clearing might have 
disturbed. The best villages and most thriving portion of the popu- 
lation in Gangpore are found on both banks of the Heb river, as we 
approach the boundaries of Sumbulpore. Here the very industrious 
and respectable looking caste called Agureahs are first met with. They 
are found in Gangpore, Sumbulpore, Raegurh, Raipore and Rutten- 
pore. They number about 5000 in the three first places named. 

