240 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies* 



[April 



quantity of fine rice, dall and other grains, spices, onions, salt, &c. and 

 he replaces these with new murkies : he w ( as enabled to purchase new 

 ones as he receives a portion of the fine that had been levied from the 

 offender. 



I have stated before, that it was customary for the Ruggutwan to ap- 

 ply to the chief Koly Naik for his permission to have a Punchaiut 

 assembled for the purpose of investigating the conduct of the accused ; 

 but, previous to his doing this, he consults with the offender to ascertain 

 With what amount he will present him if he gets him readmitted into 

 the caste, and gives him, or to his son or daughter, one of his own 

 children in marriage ; the accused will probably mention that he will 

 give five, ten, twenty or fifty rupees. He pays this in addition to the 

 penalty that may be awarded against him by the Punchaiut of which 

 the Ruggutwan gets his share also— when he was brought before him 

 by the Sablah, four or five Patells of villages in the vicinity were sum- 

 moned, and these, with the members of the Goturany, constituted the 

 Punchaiut — a Brahmun, or person who could write, was required to be 

 in attendance to record these proceedings ; and the accused was then 

 called on to state if he was willing to abide by the decision of the court* 

 in which case he gave them a paper to that effect. The testimony of 

 the witnesses for and against the accused having been taken down, also 

 what he had to urge in his defence, the members of the Punchavit con- 

 victed or acquitted him, according to their opinion of the evidence, 

 bearing in mind at the same time the character of the offender, the con- 

 sideration and influence he possessed in their community, as well as 

 his means of paying the fine that they might impose upon him. 



If he were acquitted, and it appeared that there were not any grounds 

 for the charge, and little or no cause whatever to suspect he had com- 

 mitted any crime, his accuser having failed in convicting him, was fined 

 by the Punchaiut, and sentenced to provide an entertainment for the 

 caste. 



A portion of the fine (about one quarter of it) was presented to the 

 chief Naik as his perquisite, about an eighth of it went to the Rug- 

 gutwan ; the other members of the Goturany received a share and 

 the different Patells who attended the Punchavit, also the person who 

 acted as secretary, received a few rupees each. The remainder of the 

 fine was expended in providing an entertainment for the caste, on 

 which occasion, the offender is permitted to eat from the same dish with 



a cover for the other. There is a separate cover for the upper one, so that the contents 

 of all are secured from the attacks of rats, mice and insects. A particular person, but al- 

 most always an elderly female, has charge of these pots, as well as of the rest of the grain, 

 ghee, &c. required for the immediate consumption of the family, and she issues from the 

 stores each day's allowance— should she be engaged or have gone outside for a short time, 

 no person will touch the stores, they patiently wait till she returns or has leisure to sup- 

 ply them with what they may want. 



