10-1 An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. [Jan. 



little bits, and secure it in a small copper case. They, like the rest 

 of the Hindoos, draw omens from the flight or passage of birds and 

 animals. The circumstance of a crow, a c^t* or a deer crossing a Koly, 

 just as he has quitted his house, is considered unlucky ; if they cross 

 from the left to the right when he is proceeding on some important 

 business, he will return and delay his departure for a few hours, or, 

 probably, a day or two. However they sometimes rest satisfied with 

 turning round on the spot they were standing upon at the time, and 

 changing their shoes from one foot to the other, and then recommence 

 their journey. A hare or snake crossing their path, either from the 

 right or left, on similar occasions, they consider very unfortunate, and 

 they will return home with the determination of deferring their 

 journey ; for they believe, that, if they should prosecute their 

 journey after such an occurrence, they would not succeed in their 

 object. When proceeding on business, they also have a great dis- 

 like to seeing the tass or Indian jay, particularly if it passes from their 

 right to the left. If they happen to see this bird in front of them they will 

 make an obeisance to it, and then pass on leaving it on their left hand* 

 Meeting or seeing a jackal, is reckoned a very fortunate circumstance, 

 when proceeding on business. 



The Kolies seem to possess a little knowledge respecting the medi- 

 cinal properties of the plants, &c. of their jungles and the mode of 

 using thern. They attribute much of their sickness (fever and ague 

 chiefly) to their partaking largely of melons, gourds, mukka and 

 vegetables, grown during the monsoon. 



In fever cases they use the bhooie khollah, which is the name of the 

 root of a creeper, known by the term peettanah. It grows chiefly in 

 ravines that are well watered and shaded. The root is of a large 

 white and bulbous nature, and they cut it into thin slices, and steep 

 it all night in water ; a little of this water is given to the patient to 

 drink, and his arms and body are gently moistened with the liquid. 

 They say it is only necessary to apply if a few times to cure a person, 

 attacked with fever. The leaves (large and round) of the peettanah 

 are capital food for horses, rendering them sleek and fat in a very 

 short time. The root of the kassada plant is also used in fever. It is 

 an annual, and grows near hedges and dunghills ; its leaves are small 

 and resemble those of the tamarind tree; the flower is yellow and 

 the seed is in a small pod, (there are two kinds of the plant). The 

 root, after having been cleared of its bark or skin, is pounded, then 

 mixed in a small quantity of water, and strained ; a little is given in 



* As the Koly habitations are much infested with rats and mice, they keep cats to 

 destroy them ; but the large owl of their forests is, again, a great enemy of poor puss— 

 when opportunity offers striking her talons in her ne«k and carrying her off, 



