178 TJie " Koh" of Chota-Nagpore. 



plain rice cooked by others, provided they are left to salt it themselves. 

 The salt, it would appear, thus applied, removes the " Taboo," and 

 makes fas what is otherwise nefas. 



As a rule, marriages are not contracted till both the bride and 

 bridegroom are of mature age. It is sometimes left to the parents 

 to select wives for their sons, but the young people have ample 

 opportunities for studying each others characters, love-making and 

 following the bent of their own inclinations ; and it very often happens, 

 that plans concocted by the parents are frustrated by the children. 



In Chota-Nagpore, amongst the agricultural classes, and in Sing- 

 bhoom amongst all classes of Kols, the girls have all a price fixed upon 

 them, and this the lover or his friends must arrange to pay, before the 

 parents of the bride will give their consent. In Singbhoom, the price 

 is so high, especially for young ladies of good family, that marriage is 

 frequently put off till late in life ; and girls valued not so much for 

 their charms and accomplishments as for their pedigree, often grow 

 grey as maidens in the house of their fathers. Singbhoom is perhaps 

 the only place in India in which old maids are found ; they have 

 plenty of them there. But though urged to change this practice by 

 all who take an interest in them, the old Mankees of Singbhoom are 

 inflexible, not only in demanding a high prfee for their girls, but 

 in insisting that it shall be paid, according to ancient custom, chiefly 

 in cattle. A Mankee of the old school will not take less than 

 forty head of cattle for his daughter ; but the eyes of the rising 

 generation are opened to the absurdity of the practice, and some of us 

 may live to see it changed. 



In consequence of this custom, the grown up boys and girls are 

 quite a separate institution in every Kol village ; there is very little 

 restraint on their intercourse, they form a very pleasant society of 

 their own, from which the old people sensibly keep aloof. If a 

 flirtation is known to have gone too far, the matter is generally settled 

 by the young man being made to pay the price for the girl and 

 marry her. 



In Chota-Nagpore the daughter of a Mankee was, some years ago, 

 valued at about 36 Rs , but they are gradually adopting the custom 

 of the Hindoos in regard to their marriages, and giving up the 

 objectionable practice of putting a price on them. The price paid by 



