262 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



[Oct, 



ments. He is placed in front of the image at the festival time (which it 

 here seems to he intimated occurs thrice yearly) and when so placed a 

 cocoa-nut is broken on his head. If blood appeal* he is considered to be 

 defiled, and is set aside till the following day, when another trial is made. 

 If blood again appear, he is thought to be more impure, and is rejected. 

 Any one who abides the test, becomes servant of the idol. He alone can 

 enter the house, take out, or deposit the idol in the box. When the 

 festival is ended the Curumhars dance together ; beat small drums ; and 

 blow very long horns, or trumpets. Their occupation is chiefly to take 

 care of a kind of goats, with the hair of which they make blankets, and 

 sell them. But there are other Cicrumhars Vv'hose office is to rule the 

 land ; others who make and sell chunam or lime ; and some are hunterS) 

 who live by the chace. Their customs of marriage, and of dress, are 

 stated. They make free use of ardent spirits at their weddings. The 

 fine for breach of the marriage contract is two fanams, with which liquor 

 is bought, and used by the referees. The bond of marriage is dissolvable * 

 by mutual consent. The birth of a child makes the mother to be con- 

 sidered unclean. In funerals some are burned, some buried. The tali is 

 not taken from a widow. She may marry again as many husbands as she 

 pleases. 



Remark. — This curious paper exhibits a people distinct from the 

 Hindus, but who have adopted some of their customs ; retaining many 

 more of their ovrn. The resemblance to the Maravas is striking. It 

 must be borne in mind, that the account of their religious ceremonies is 

 given by a writer of a different persuasion. 



The ink being pale, I have had the document restored; and, as a curi- 

 osity, it seems to merit translation. 



Manuscript book, No. 43. — Countermark 797* Account of the ancient 



]3rinces, or TamU-rajas. 



On tliis book coming under exam.ination some time since, it was dis* 

 covered to be a copy, on paper, of the palm-leaf manuscript entitled 

 Congu-desa-rajal-aJ, It could not, of course, be so recognized merely 

 from the above title, copied from the index ; and by consequence did not 

 attract my notice, while the said manuscript was under attention. Both 

 manuscripts, and also the restored copy of the CongU'desa-rajaJcal, were 

 out of my hands when I met with this additional manuscript, and I hopeit^ 

 that this last might aid in filling up one slight lacune in all the other 

 •••opies. Hence this book was set aside, till I could make the comparison. 



