204 ON ORISSA PROPER 



state, who differ little probably from their neighbours the Gonds, though 

 Captain Blunt observes on the authority of the Jaghirdar of Malud and 

 Manickpatam, (vide Journal of his route from Chunar to Yertnagoodum), 

 that the Coands and Goands are to be considered quite distinct races.* 



The Sours are found chiefly in the jungles of Khurda, from Ban pur 

 to Cuttack, and in the woods of Atgerh, Daljora, &c. which skirt the foot 

 of the hills for some way to the northward of the Mahanadi. They are 

 in general a harmless, peaceable race, but so entirely destitute of all moral 

 sense, that they will as readily and unscrupulously deprive a human being 

 of life, as any wild beast of the woods, at the orders of a chief, or for the 

 most trifling remuneration. Thus during the insurrection which prevailed 

 in Khurda, they were the agents employed to carry into execution most 

 of the schemes of revenge planned by its instigators, whenever helpless in- 

 dividuals were to be the sacrifice, and the quantity of blood shed by the 

 hands of these ignorant savages without motive or remorse, during the 

 above period of anarchy and disorder, is almost incredible. In ordinary 

 times they are considered very useful both by the zemindars and villagers, 

 in clearing the jungles and providing fuel which are their chief means of 

 gaining a subsistence. They likewise collect the produce of the woods, and 

 dispose of large quantities to the druggists and fruit sellers, in the neigh- 

 bouring bazars. They are distinguishable from the other natives of the pro- 

 vince, by their inferiority of stature, mean appearance, and jet black co- 

 lour, as well as by an axe for cutting wood, the symbol of their profession, 

 which they always carry in their hand. Their language little resembles that 



* The passage is as follows : " Having afterwards heard of a people who in the northern Sircars 

 are called Coands (Kands) and whose depredations into those provinces are attended with similar 

 acts of cruelty, I naturally conceived them to be the same tribe, but in a conversation with Kumal 

 Mahommed, the officer in charge of the Marhatta Pergunnah of Manickpatam, and who appeared to 

 be well acquainted with the different tribes of mountaineers subject to the Berar government, he in- 

 formed me that these are a different race from the Goands. The latter he said are mueh larger men, 

 and had in many instances been made good subjects, but the Coands are inferior in stature and s« 

 wild, that every attempt which had been made to civilize them had proved ineffectual." 



