THE ARABIAN RACE. 



269 



with which the earth has been filled," toleration has existed only in 

 India. 



The Mahars, are commonly supposed to be the original inhabi- 

 tants of the Dekkan. Three or four of them were pointed out to me 

 at Ahmednuggur ; but in costume and personal appearance, they did 

 not present any marked difference from the surrounding population. 

 They may have been a little darker; and one individual, who accom- 

 panied me to Adjunta and back, seemed to be as dark as a Telingan. 



I met with a party of Brills on the road, near the limit of my ex- 

 cursion. They presented very distinctly, the lineaments of the White 

 race; but I did not remark any thing peculiar in their dress or per- 

 sonal appearance. 



One of the converts at Ahmednuggur, "had formerly been in the 

 service of a Bhill, during which time he had killed many persons." 

 He showed me a bow^, having two strings and a cross-band, for the 

 purpose of shooting pebbles; a kind of weapon said to be common 

 in the vicinity. Heber* found among the Bhills, bows made of split 

 bamboo; a peculiarity in construction, which may be compared with 

 Herodotus's account of the Indian bows. 



The ' Brinjarry,' were principally met with on first entering the 

 Dekkan ; tlieir immense herds of bullocks sometimes occupying the 

 road for nearly a mile. At regular intervals, a woman in the midst, 

 was spinning or sewing as she walked along; and one, was carry- 

 ing a dog; an act which, according to my interpreter, "neither Hin- 

 doos nor Parsees would do." The dress, more resembled the Euro- 

 pean female costume, than the Hindoo : but the Brinjarry women, 

 had large anklets of fantastic pattern, with other brass ornaments. 

 The men carried spears, having the broad blades covered with lea- 

 thern sheaths. In parties returning towards the Interior, the bullocks 

 were all heavily laden with merchandise. 



Except in the masculine forms of the women, I could find no phy- 

 sical difference from the general population of the country. The 

 lineaments of the White race, were readily distinguishable; except 

 in an individual already noticed as resembling an Australian. The 

 herds were spoken of as the property of the women ; who indeed, 

 had the air of being the heads of the community; but whether the 



* Heber's Narrative, vol. ii. p. 466. 

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