1869.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 59 



" I visited this morning a hill called Mori Betta in the Molte village, 

 of the Nirata Hobli of the Yelusavira Shime Teluk of Coorg, where 

 there are a great many Pandava Kalla (stores), as the Coorgs call 

 them. The hill in question is about three miles north of Somawarpett, 

 and is of no great height, but covered with low jungle and black 

 rocks. The Cromlechs, if one may so call the stone structures in 

 question, are rather more than 50 in number, facing in various direc- 

 tions, and scattered about at distances of 5 or 10 yards from one 

 another. The photograms which you have seen, give an excellent 

 idea of them, but I may mention that the dislodged stones appear 

 to have been sunk only 2 feet beneath the surface, so that it is im- 

 probable that by digging deep under ground, further discoveries would 

 be made. The interiors may be 8 feet by 5, and all of the structures ' 

 have a rear stone, pierced with a round hole, which would just admit 

 a man's body. One of them, which was in slightly better preservation 

 than the others, appeared to have been surrounded by two small veran- 

 dahs,— only a yard wide, however, — and at the south two large stones 

 had been erected which had been cut so as to form a rude arch. There 

 were traces of a stone staircase as an approach to this building. 



The Coorgs are absolutely ignorant of any past history attach- 

 ing to these singular structures, but it must be remembered 

 that their own annals do not reach further back than the time, 

 when the first of the Haleri dynasty, who were Lingayuts of the 

 Nugur Division of Mysore and not true Coorgs, began to rule the 

 Province ; 250 years ago. It is indeed probable that the Coorgs were 

 themselves invaders and came from the Malabar side, as I imagine 

 that their habits resemble those of the Nairs of that country. 

 The aborigines were probably the low castes, who still form the mass 

 of the population, over whom the true Coorgs rule in a paternally 

 despotic fashion, which formerly was simple slavery. 



It is impossible to form an accurate judgment whether the struc- 

 tures in question were dwelling-places or cemeteries. The people 

 think they were the former, but there is not the slightest trace of 

 smoke on the roofs, which would, I apprehend, have been the case, 

 had they been lived in ; on the other hand, no skeletons, or jars con- 

 taining coloured ashes, have been found, such pots as have been dis- 

 covered containing only earth. Some ragi seed, various utensils, such 



