1870.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 53 



the cromlechs, or the numerous cairnes still existing. No objection 

 is offered by the hill people to any one excavating in the Cairnes* 

 There is, however, some superstitious dread in existence about 

 any interference with the cromlechs. Major Sweet personally 

 opened this cromlech, and extracted those relics on his own proper- 

 ty, and the only feeling shewn, appears to have been a fear, that 

 the spirits of the bygone people, to whom these relics belong, would 

 surely resent the sacrilege, which the present tribes would therefore 

 not join in committing. In some instances I learn, that the 

 Burghes have made objection to the opening of cromlechs, but 

 never on any plea that the monument at any time appertained to 

 the forefathers of any existing tribe. 



The metal of which these implements are made appears to be 

 generally iron and brass, but it requires examination. The earth- 

 enware chatties are all filled with earth and bones of which some 

 are enclosed. The Todars are undoubtedly the oldest occupants 

 of these hills, now existing. Their traditions claim for the tribe 

 a great antiquity, and declare, that the Todars were originally crea- 

 ted on the Nilgherries ; and that the other tribes immigrated from 

 some other country. I am not aware what evidence exists, on 

 which to found any opinion as to the period, back to which the 

 Todars would carry their traditions, but it seems clear that both 

 cromlechs and cairnes are antecedent to that. On what grounds I 

 know not, but popular belief gives from 800 to 2000 years as the 

 age of the relics I now send. Mr. M e t z, a German Missionary 

 who has for 25 years worked on the Nilgherries, and for that 

 long time held intimate intercourse with the hill tribes, indeed lived 

 with them in their villages and huts, is the only person who can 

 be able to form any reliable opinion on this subject, and I hear 

 that he says they must be 800 and may be 2000 years old. It is 

 remarkable and very corroborant of great antiquity that no coin of 

 any kind has ever been found amongst these remains of a bygone 

 age." 



The pottery, sent by Col. S a x t o n, is quite similar to that de- 

 scribed from the Coorg Cromlechs by Dr. T. Oldham, in the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Society for August, 1869. The iron implements 



