Tlie Ethnology of India. 125 



The result is that, in my view, in Hindustan, after 3,000 or longer 

 years of juxta-position, the Arian element has quite prevailed in 

 feature over the aboriginal type, and the population, take them all in 

 all, are in this particular about as Arian as Europeans, but dark in 

 skin and usually smaller. 



It is on the authority of one of the most learned native members of 

 the society that I have alluded to the Bagdces, one of the most numer- 

 ous non-Mussulman castes of Bengal, as aboriginal, but I have no 

 particular description of them ; and though I have observed the 

 much greater frequency of aboriginal feature in Bengal, I am not 

 sufficiently acquainted with the people to distinguish the special per- 

 sonal characteristics of the different inferior classes. The Bagdees 

 seem to be cultivators, fishermen, watchmen, and dacoits. On the 

 borders of Bengal and Behar, the work of labourers is done by Raj- 

 wars, Bhooyas and other aboriginal tribes whom I have noticed. 

 The unclean tribes seems to be very various, and to have among 

 them a system of castes more particular than that of many Bramins. 

 I was lately obliged to dismiss the lowest servant in my establishment, 

 an excellent man, because he respectfully but firmly declined to wash 

 the cat, as impossible under the rules of his caste. 



In the Prison Returns there is a large entry under the head of 

 1 Chandals,' the orthodox low caste name, and others appear under the 

 titles of ' Dosads,' ' Harees,' ' Bhoomallees,' &c. Altogether they 

 must be numerous in Bengal. There is in the list a considerable 

 caste of ' Mooshers,' but I cannot find what they are. • 



I consider that in Bengal there is still a very great field for ethno- 

 logical exploration. 



In the plains of Groozerat, the Kolees seem to fill the place of the 

 inferior grade in the social scale, as labourers and lower cultivators, 

 being there rather members of the ordinary community that a separ- 

 ate aboriginal tribe. The unclean outcastes are there called Dhers* 

 and Olganas. 



In the Maratta country, the c Mhars' seem to perform the functions 

 Of 'Begars' (forced bearers of burdens), watchmen, and Helots gener- 

 ally, much as the Punjab Helots do among the Jats. There is also a 

 low caste of Mhangs. The lowest unclean caste are called ' Driers' 

 there too, but I have also seen it asserted that the ' Mhars' are really the 



