150 The Ethnology of India. 



inquiry, and to suggest how great a service any one would render, who 

 would briefly classify and describe these tribes. There are endless 

 distinct tribes, even the names of which I do not attempt to give. 



POSTSCRIPT. 



When this paper had nearly passed through the Press, Colonel 

 Barton's paper on the Kols (to the want of which I have alluded) was 

 received in the office of the Society, and it will be printed along 

 with this. I have only had an opportunity of hastily glancing at it, 

 but have seen enough to be sure that it will admirably fill up just 

 what was wanting in regard to our knowledge of the aboriginal 

 tribes, and will be read with extreme interest. The two papers, thus 

 published together, having been written without concert, may be found 

 to express or assume different opinions on some points ; but I hope 

 that the general result of Colonel Dalton's paper will tend rather to 

 confirm than to contradict most of that which I have written. In 

 regard to the general Negrito character of the Dravidian tribes he 

 fully bears me out. At the same time he seems to point to a consi- 

 derable difference in the type of the Moondahs, Hos, Sontals, and 

 others speaking the language which I have called Kolarian. He 

 seems in some degree to support Major Tickell's account of the supe- 

 rior physical qualities of the Hos, but he also tells us that other 

 tribes of this race are much more degraded and less good looking. 

 In fact, the principal tribes of the race, the Moondahs and Sontals, are 

 now extremely well known, and it is patent to all that they are 

 among the ugliest of mankind. The Sontals are a proverb for a 

 combination of simple good nature and ugliness. Still, I quite admit 

 that most of these people are less black and Negrito-looking than the 

 Savage Dravidian tribes. I think I have already suggested, and I 

 am inclined to repeat, that they look in some respects more like 

 Hottentots than Negroes. It is very much to be desired that a more 

 complete study of their language should in some degree break 

 through the complete isolation which has been hitherto attributed to 

 it. It seems to have no affinity to the more Eastern tongues so far as 

 has yet been discovered. 



