74 The Ethnology of India. 



do not seem to be very conspicuous in Madras itself, which, though in 

 the Tamil country, is not far from the Telagoo frontier. 



In the Canarese country (comprising Canara, Mysore and parts of 

 the Bombay Southern Districts ajid adjoining Nizam's country) the 

 Bramins are not rivalled by a specific writer class, and have a large 

 share of literate office, very generally (it appears) occupying that of 

 Shanbogue or village accountant, besides many higher offices. But a 

 very large proportion of the Canarese people are of the ultra- Si vite 

 or Lingayet sect, who altogether ignore Bramins in their sacerdotal 

 character ; and there are energetic mercantile and other classes. The 

 rule of the Marattas in one quarter, and of the Mahommedans in another 

 was also unfavorable to the power of the Canarese Bramins, and thus 

 they are by no means dominant. Maratta Bramins, Mahommedans, 

 East Indians and others have a large share of the higher offices and 

 occupations. 



In the North "Western part of the Canarese country, in the district, 

 of North Canara, in the high and hilly country above and about the 

 ghats, and the adjoining parts of Mysore, there is a large population 

 of Bramin cultivators who are on all hands represented as exceedingly 

 industrious, thriving, and in every way good. Most of these people 

 are called * Haiga' Bramins, and they seem to be of pure race and of 

 no bastard or doubtful caste. They especially affect the cultivation 

 of the betel-nut, and both own and cultivate the land over a large 

 extent of country. In the Canara District they constitute one of 

 the most numerous castes, being given by a census taken some years 

 ago as 147,924, to 146,309 Banters (corresponding to Nairs), and 

 151,491 of the inferior class called Billawars. In the Nagar district 

 of Mysore they are also numerous, and they are there described as 

 " very fair, with large eyes and aquiline noses," a description which 

 would seem to imply for them a derivation from an uncorrupted 

 and little intermixed northern source. They are stated not to be 

 very literary or highly educated, being more devoted to agriculture, j 



In South Canara and what is called the Talava country, there are 

 again many Bramins who do much cultivation, and on the whole 

 West Coast, down to the extreme South of India, the country is said 

 to have been extensively colonised by the Bramin colony led from 

 Calpee by Parasram, who caused the sea to retire for their convenience.. 



I 



