198 The " Kols' of Chota-Nagpore. 



discard on embracing Christianity, and the converts may be always 

 recognised by the total absence of all such adornment. The converts 

 do not join in the dances, or festivals, and must not even be seen as 

 spectators, when they are going on. They appear indeed to lose all 

 relish for their old amusements, and shrink with horror at the idea of 

 resuming their discarded ornaments. And as Christianity is rapidly 

 spreading amongst them, and in all probability will continue to spread 

 more and more rapidly every year, it is quite possible that in the course 

 of a few generations, the most marked characteristics of the races I am 

 describing, will have been effaced for ever. It is marvellous with what 

 firmness old prejudices are abandoned, old customs discarded, and even 

 tastes changed, when they become Christians ; and there is now a wide- 

 spread feeling amongst the Kols themselves, that this change will 

 inevitably come upon them all. 



The Moondah-Oraon are a rapidly increasing people. We may 

 form some calculation as to the rate of increase by the statistics of the 

 Mission. In 1864, the baptised converts numbered 5,923, and in that 

 year there were 195 births to 80 deaths. In 1865 there were 7,828 

 baptized Christians, and the births during the year were 309 to 86 

 deaths. The number of professing Christians is probably double the 

 number registered as baptized. I subjoin in a tabular form brief 

 vocabularies of the Moondahs and their cognates, referring to Tickell's 

 memoir for a full notice of the language. I annex notes on the Oraon 

 language with which I have been kindly favoured by the Reverend 

 Frederic Batsch. 



