ZL sin Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. [Jan. 



The Raj Kolies reside chiefly in the Attaveessy, and in the Wunn, 

 Dindory and Nassick Pergunnahs. A few are settled in the vicinity of 

 Jowair, in the Konkan ; they are cultivators and labourers. They 

 worship the gods Khundobah, Bhyroo and Bhowany. They say that 

 they have derived their name from the Koly rajahs in former ages having 

 intermarried with their ancestors, and employed them in their service 

 as domestics and sepoys. The Sir Naik Ballajee Buddajee resides at 

 Wagyra, in the Nassick districts, and holds the village of Vellgaum in 

 free gift, and enjoys several perquisites. The village, &c. was present- 

 ed by the Jowair rajah to one of the Naik's ancestors. The Naik 

 settles disputes connected with the infringement of their customs. 

 These Kolies are sometimes called Bhen Kolies, and are said to have 

 originally belonged to the tribe of Mhadeo Kolies, but, having commit- 

 ted some irregularities, they fled from their tribe and associated with 

 Kolies of an inferior description, and at present hold no intercourse 

 with the Mhadeo Kolies. 



The Solesy Kolies are settled in the same parts of the country as the 

 Raj Kolies ; and are also cultivators and labourers. The Solesy Koly is 

 known by the name of Lall Lunggooty Wallah Koly, and Kasthy Koly. 

 They worship Khundoba, &c. 



The Toukry Kolies are inhabitants of the Attaveessy, principally 

 around Peint and Dhurrumpoor. Like the other Kolies some of them 

 are cultivators and others labourers. As the term for a large bamboo 

 is toukry, and a number of these Kolies are employed cutting down 

 bamboos, that are afterwards conveyed to the coast and to the Dukhun 

 for sale, it is said they derive their name from their employment. 

 They worship Khundoba, Bhyroo, &c. 



The Dhour Kolies are numerous in the Attaveessy, and a few of them 

 are settled in the Wunn Dindory districts. They appear to be the most 

 degraded of all the tribes, and do not hesitate to partake of the 

 flesh of cattle that have died a natural death, and they are, at the same 

 time, the most determined drunkards. When I was employed in the 

 Attaveessy in 1820, this tribe was considered no better than the Dheres 

 (pariahs) of the detachment with me. They are farmers and labour- 

 ers ; some of them are employed in cutting down the teak-wood within 

 the districts of the Peint and Wassoonda rajahs, &c, v/hich the timber 

 merchants from the towns in the Dukhun purchase from them. 



A few enterprising Parsees, who are settled in some of the largest 

 villages on the public roads leading through the Attaveessy, supply the 

 Kolies with abundance of arrack, distilled from the mowah flower. The 

 Koly pays the Parsee in grain for his spirits. In many places they 

 distil the liquor for their own consumption. These four classes 

 seem to be one and the same people in the Attaveessy, but there appears 



