312 



JReport on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. [April 



Tanjore, Stva that night appeared to him in a dream, and promised 

 him victory over the Curumbas, guaranteed by a sign. The 

 sign occurred ; and the Curumba troops were the samp day 

 touted with great slaughter : the king was taken, the Pural fort 

 was thrown down, and its brazen (or bell-metal) gate was fixed 

 in front of the shrine at Tanjore. A temple was built whereMhe 

 sign occurred ; and a remarkable pillar of the fort was fixed there 

 the place is called Tiru muli vasal. A sort of commemorative cere- 

 mony is practised there. After a little more fighting, the other forts 

 were taken, and the Curambas destroyed. Adondai placed the Vel- 

 lazhar, as his deputed authorities ; having called them into the coun- 

 try to supply the deficiency of inhabitants from the Tuluva-desam 

 (modern Canara). They are called 2\luva Fellazhar to the present 

 day. Some were brought from the Chola-desam, still called Chola 

 Fellazhar. He called from the north certain Brahmans by birth, 

 whom he fixed as accountants. The Kondai Katti Fellazhar were 

 appointed by him. He acquired the name of C/mcr«i;e)Y« from rescu- 

 ing the people from their troubles. The name of Curimba-bhumi was 

 discontinued 5 the country was called Tonda-mandalam ; and common, 

 c onsent ascribes to Adondai the regulation of the country. 



Remark. The writing of the above paper was a little obliterated 

 and I think its restoration of consequence ; for it seems to me rather 

 more important than these local papers usually are. We have in it a 

 clear and unvarnished statement of the introduction of the Hindus 

 (properly such) into the country, circumjacent with respect to Ma* 

 dras. The Hindus had colonized the country, south of the Coleroon 

 at a much earlier period. The trading from Caveripum patnam ; the 

 conquest by y^rfowrfa? ; the introduction of Brahmans as accountants 

 from the north ; are matters confirmed by other papers. The Vellaz- 

 ^as of the country hold the traditionary belief that their ancestors, 

 emigrated from Tuluva. The Chola Fellazhas are chiefly found in the 

 south. They wear a lock of hair on the front of their head, not on the 

 back, like other Hindus. The old Tuluva or Hala Canada language, 

 and the Madras Tamil, are very nearly the same language. 



Section 8. Account of a Curumha fort at Marutam, near Canchi, 

 in the Utra-melur district. 



This fort of mud was formerly built by the Curumbas, covering for- 

 ty cawnies of ground, with two boundary-walls, and was long ruled by 



