The Ethnology of hull a. 31 



be tribes in the very lowest stage of savageness, with in fact scarcely 

 any agriculture, mere men of the woods. They are represented as of 

 very diminutive stature, with thickly matted locks and supple limbs, 

 living under trees in caverns or in the rudest wigwams, keeping 

 sheep or collecting forest produce, very stupid but also very mild and 

 inoffensive, except that they have a great reputation as sorcerers, and 

 themselves believing in a religion of demons and witchcraft, are by 

 their neighbours believed to be highly gifted that way. Altogether 

 they seem to be very inferior to the simple but sturdy and industrious 

 Coolees of the north. 



The Chenchwars, already mentioned, and several very petty and 

 isolated tribes exist in the Eastern Ghats about and north of Madras. 

 I can only give the names of " Chendaurs" and " Yende" as near the 

 Kistna and Pulicat Lake. Allusions seem to be made to the existence 

 of Aboriginal or quasi-Aboriginal tribes at different points in the 

 Western Ghats and Coasts ; the name of " Chermars" and " Neade'' 

 are mentioned in Travanoore and Cochin, but they are no doubt the 

 same as Chermars and Nagadees, the slaves of Malabar. The Dhers 

 and Ilamooses of the centre and west of the Peninsula seem to be mixed 

 with the general population. On all these points more precise informa- 

 tion is much required. 



It is not till we cross the Godavcry to the north, that we come to 

 the country really held by the Aborigines. 



In the highlands between the Grodavery and the Mahanaddee, the 

 savage Khonds, notorious for their human sacrifices, are to the East, 

 the barbarous and less known tribes of Gronds to the West and more 

 in the interior. 



The Khonds appear to be in contact with Hindus and to have some 

 of that race among them. Their blood is probably somewhat mixed, 

 and they are not described as so ugly and ultra- Aboriginal as some 

 other tribes. 



Of the Gronds of the forests of Bustar and thence running up towards 

 the Wyngunga we know very little, except that they are extreme 

 savages, black, ugly, barbarous and dangerous. The name " Marees" 

 seems to be there applied to them, and they appear to be nearly inde- 

 pendent, owning a scant allegiance to chiefs whose blood is for the most 

 part G-ond. From thence the Gonds extend a long way North, and 





