The " Koh" of Chota-Nagpore. 155 



We find the Moondah settlements chiefly in the eastern and 

 southern parts of Chota-Nagpore, the Oraons predominating in the 

 western ; and this strengthens the hypothesis that the Moondahs ascend- 

 ed from the eastern side of the plateau. 



The intimate connection between the Sonthals, the Bhoomij and 

 the Chota-Nagpore Moondah tribes has long been known. I have 

 pointed out their affinity with the Korewahs of Sirgoojah and 

 Juspoor, and have given some account of that wild clan.* I have 

 now to add to the list the " Kheriahs" another aboriginal tribe 

 settled on the plate.au of Chota-Nagpore, and the " Juangas" of 

 the C attack tributary mehals, whose women are so conservative in 

 their notions, that they still adhere to the fashion in dress first 

 introduced by mother Eve and wear nothing but leaves. I had 

 often met with individuals and families of the Kheriah tribe, living 

 in mixed communities, but from contact with other races they 

 had lost much of their individuality, and I found it difficult to place 

 them. 



This year, I happened to come upon some of their principal settle- 

 ments in pergunnah Bussiah, on the southern borders of the portion 

 of the plateau occupied by the Moondahs, and collected round me the 

 elders of the tribe. These settlements all lie near the Koel, one of the 

 streams from the watershed of Chota-Nagpore, which, after its union 

 with the Sunkh in Gangpore, becomes the Bramni and terminates 

 its career at Point Palmyras. 



The Kheriahs venerate the Koel as the Sonthals the Damoodah. 

 They were in all probability once settled on its banks in the low- 

 lands, and clinging to it in their retreat and adopting the place of 

 refuge that it led to, regard it still as communicating with their 

 fatherland, and with this idea the urns containing the ashes of their 

 dead are dashed into a rock-broken rapid of the river, so that their 

 contents may be rapidly borne away by the current to mingle with 

 the ashes of their forefathers. 



They say their first settlement was Pora, a village on the Roel, and 

 that there were no Moondahs in the country, at least in that part of 

 it, when their ancestors first came there. There is sufficient resem- 

 blance between the Kheriahs and Moondahs in language and customs 

 * As. Soc. Journal, Vol. XXXIY. p. 1. 



