1838.] Topographical Report on the Neilgherries, 107 



mwmay rice with them, which is boiled in front of the temple, and 

 offered with other articles to their idol, with much dancing, singing";, 

 and music, which is continued for two days. A piece of tobacco is 

 given to each person present. 



The customs of marriage, divorce, &c., are the same as those of the 

 Burghers. Those in lower circumstances are in a state of servitude, 

 and are employed in cutting wood, making charcoal, &c. 



The Currumbers are fewest in number, and smallest in stature, of 

 all the hill people. Of them little is known, and at the utmost little 

 is to be said. They are quite secluded from the rest of mankind, dwell" 

 ing in holes and caverns in the sides of the mountains, deriving a 

 precarious and wretched subsistence from sonre ill-cultivated spots 

 near their dens, from the animals which they may catch or destroy, 

 and from presents received from the Todars and Burghers for assisting 

 at their ceremonies. They are of a stunted form, apparently the ef- 

 fect of bad food and lodging; as for raiment they have none, but a 

 scanty rag about their loins. Their heads are covered with thick mat- 

 ted hair, of a dingy colour from exposure, as they wear nothing on 

 them. It would appear that they are weak and harmless, although 

 the other three classes of people ascribe great magical power to them, 

 and therefore hold them in great terror and hatred, so that it has been 

 said that the others shut up a party of the Currumbers, on one occa-^ 

 sion, in a cave, and burnt them in it to avenge themselves of some 

 supposed evil power, exercised by these poor troglodytes on them or 

 their cattle. 



No marriage ceremonies are practised. A man persuades a woman, 

 or induces her (as is supposed) by magic, to run away with him into 

 gome secret place, where they live together for a month or two, or till 

 she becomes pregnant, when they either return to their people or 

 wander about. They seldom speak to strangers, but never live near 

 them. When a child is born it is washed in cold water, and the mother 

 in warm, after which she takes some boiled rice and some indigenous 

 roots. All those who die under one year old are buried, but if older 

 are burned. When a head Currumber dies, a buffalo is given by the 

 Burghers of the district, and sacrificed in front of the body, which is 

 covered with new cloth, and a plantain tree stump is set up in the front, 

 round which all the people dance. After committing the body to the 

 flames, they cook and eat the buffalo and then disperse. 



From the entire want of records among the hill people, it is imposai- 

 ble to ascertain with exactness what is in general their length of life, 

 but it is supposed that a few of the Todars have attained the age of 

 ninety, or even an hundred years, and in one or two instances u new 



