242 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. [April 



himself in their way to prevent their going out until they gave their con- 

 sent to dine with him. It was a great object for him to gain this point, 

 otherwise, as he had acted in the manner described, and had not broken 

 bread with the Raggutwan, the stain would attach to his character. 



A fine was required to be paid within ten or fifteen days, and the 

 offender was not re-admitted into his caste until he had handed over 

 the amount to the members of the Punchaiut conformably with their 

 decision. 



When a boy or girl, the offspring of an illicit connexion, was to be 

 admitted by adoption into their caste, a feast was provided for the 

 Goturany and a portion of the inhabitants of the village. The expense 

 of this ceremony averaged from thirty to sixty rupees, but the amount 

 was generally regulated according to the property the father possessed, 

 for, if he wished to indulge his fancy, he expended a large sum. A man 

 in very poor circumstances, who was anxious to have his child legiti- 

 matized, would go about to all his friends and entreat of them to be 

 charitable and assist him in getting the ceremony performed ; some 

 would contribute, and, when he had collected thirty or forty rupees, the 

 ceremony was celebrated. An extremely poor and friendless person, 

 who could not raise a sufficient sum in the above manner, would throw 

 himself entirely on the mercy of the Ruggutwan. As the Goturany is 

 assembled for the purpose of hearing his petition, he takes up their 

 shoes, which he rolls up in a piece of cloth, and enters the court; he 

 then represents to them his utter inability to cqnform to the usual prac- 

 tice of defraying the expense of having his children admitted into the 

 caste, and he entreats of them to adopt them as paupers. A new pot 

 filled with water, and some coarse sugar is brought, and the Ruggutwan 

 gives the child a little of each and the ceremony is finished. 



After the feast w r as over the Ruggutwan engaged to conform to the 

 usual custom of bestowing one of his own children in marriage to the 

 newly adopted one. If all his own children had been disposed of in 

 marriage, he was bound to get one from among his kinsmen ; failing 

 here, he had recourse to the Mettull and the rest of the Goturany as they 

 were in duty bound to see the young convert married into one of their 

 own families. 



When a grown up female was to be admitted into the Koly caste, a 

 feast on a rather extensive scale was prepared, to which some of the 

 inhabitants of the surrounding villages were invited. When they had 

 assembled, the Ruggutwan or his officer asked the woman a few ques- 

 tions respecting her caste, and the family she belonged to, and if she 

 was willing to relinquish her own tribe to join them. If the Goturany 

 were satisfied that she was telling the truth, and that she had belonged 

 to a caste superior or equal to their own, she was admitted among them, 

 and when the men had finished their dinner, a small quantity was left 



