34 The Ethnology of India. 



I believe that tliey cultivate quietly, and there appears to be now 

 little complaint against them. Organised and serious raids on the 

 plains are, I understand, unknown. The Rajmahal men are those who 

 were enlisted into the British military service to form the local corps 

 known as the Bhaugulpore Hill Bangers ; but when the usually quiet 

 Santals were impelled by a sense of wrong to a headlong sort of 

 rebellion, the other (and it was supposed more military) race forming 

 the Bangers, when opposed to them, by no means distinguished 

 themselves, and they have since, I think, been disbanded. 



I now pass to the Kolarian tribes. The more civilised and numerous 



tribes of this race, occupying an extensive country about 150 miles 



west from Calcutta, and known as Moondahs, Bhoomiz, Hos, and 



Santals, speak languages so nearly identical, that they may all 



be regarded as Sub-divisions of one people. They are in fact very 



like one another in many ways. They occupy most of the British 



districts of Chota-Nagpore, Singbhoom, Maunbhoom, and the hilly part 



of Bhaugulpore (Bajmahal hills excepted) now known as the Santal 



Pergunnahs ; also parts of West Burdwan, Midnapore and Cuttack. 



They are a simple industrious people, and are reputed to be 



remarkably honest and truthful. Their country is healthy and, 



unlike most aboriginal tribes in most parts of the world, they seem 



by no means to be dying out, but multiply and supply the labour 



market. Partly on account of the cheapness of labour in their 



country, partly on aecount of their tractable disposition and freedom 



from all caste and food prejudices, and more especially, I think, because 



of that want of attachment to the soil which distinguishes the 



Aboriginal from the Arian, they are much sought after and highly 



prized as labourers. Many of them are settled in the service of Bengal 



Indigo-planters ; they are very well known as labourers on the Railways, 



roads, and other works of Western Bengal"; and they are now, I believe, 



the favourite material for emigration to Assam. Unfortunately, 



however, coming from a healthy high and dry country, they have not 



that capacity for resisting malaria for which the wilJer tribes are 



remarkable, and seem to die very rapidly. 



In the Chota-Nagpore country, the ' Moondahs' seem to have so far 

 adopted Arian manners, as to live together in considerable villages, 

 instead of apart in detached houses or ibolated hamlets, according to 





