TJie Ethnology of India. 37 



In some places the word ' Soor' or c Sourali' seems to be used, as 

 if the same as ' Santal ;' and Mr. Stirling, in an article on Cuttack, 

 (in the Asiatic Researches) enumerates ' Santals' and ' Soors' 

 separately among the tribes of Coles. It would seem then as if 

 Soors or Sourahs were a tribe of Santals on the borders of the 

 Cuttack division. But the Soors under the hills north of the 

 Mahanaddee, while described as small, mean, and very black, and like 

 the Santals naturally harmless, peaceable and industrious, are also 

 said to be without moral sense and ready to cut firewood or other men's 

 throats indifferently, an accusation not, I think, brought against the 

 Santals. 



Again, Macplierson tells us, that the hill tribes south of the Khonds, 

 and running up to near the Godavery, are Sourahs. That is quite a 

 different location, and I have not found any farther account of these 

 Sourahs. Caldwell says that the Tamil people were anciently called 

 * Sorahs,' but as they are the most Dravidian of all the southern 

 people, they can hardly be allied to the Kolarian Santals, and the 

 word must be different. The whole subject requires a good deal 

 of fresh light. 



Passing north, I have till now reserved, for separate notice, the 

 tribes chiefly prevailing in the district of Palamow, the hilly country 

 of Mirzapore and Rewah, and the borders of Benares and Behar. 

 These arc the Aboriginal tribes most directly in contact with the 

 modern Hindustanees, and there is this difficulty about classifying 

 them, that I have not been able to ascertain their original language. 

 They now generally speak some sort of dialect of the Hindee, and 

 are more mixed with the Hindustanees, perhaps I may say generally 

 more civilised, than the tribes located farther in the interior of the 

 hills. The principal tribe of these parts are called ' Kharwars' or 

 { Kharawars.' There is also a widely spread tribe of ' Raj wars.' A 

 division of the Kharwars are called ' Bhogtahs.' The Kharwars seem 

 to be altogether the dominant tribe of Palamow and Singrowlee 

 (the Mirzapore hill country). Both Kharwars and Raj wars are also 

 found in considerable numbers westward, in parts of Sirgoojah and 

 Jushpore, while to the north-east, in the parts of the plains adjoin- 

 ing the hills, they are numerous. In the. Gya district, near the 

 hills, the Raj wars are the chief labouring class. They live in the 



