oS The Ne'dgherry Mountains. [No. 34, 



Tenure of the Burgh- The Burghers hold their land, which, if their 

 vague claims are to be allowed, may be stated as 

 comprising two-thirds of the whole Hill plateau, nominally by per- 

 mission of the Todars, to whom they pay in acknowledgment of the 

 proprietary right of the latter a " goodoo," or tribute (being synony- 

 mous with the word " Yomeah" in Hindustani) which ought, accord- 

 ing to the claims of the Todars, to amount to ^th of every description 

 of grain produced by the cultivators. This " goodoo" is, however, 

 evaded to a great extent, the Burghers giving to the Todars just 

 what quantity of grain they think fit to part with, and of those des- 

 criptions which they can the most readily spare; while some refuse 

 to give any thing at all until compelled by the Todars. This system, 

 in its enforcement without the direct sanction of government, natu- 

 rally leads to much wrangling and confusion, and may hereafter be 

 productive of mischievous consequences, as the sentiments of the 

 Burghers change, and they view, as they already I think begin to do, 

 this " goodoo""' in the light of an illegal and unauthorized impost. 

 They admit that before the daj^s of the East India Company they 

 used to pay Jth of their produce to the Todars, but that was when 

 their number was small ; and when more of their tribe came from 

 the north country to join them, and when they began to imbibe no- 

 tions of independence from the Europeans, they reduced their tribute, 

 until it has arrived at its present footing, that of a " Yomeah"' or 

 voluntary contribution. 



In speaking of the collection of the goodoo" by the Todars, the 

 Burghers speak of the collectors as " pcechakarur*' (which means 

 " beggars"), a term sufficiently explanatory of their view of the ques- 

 tion of right on the part of the Todars to demand the tribute. 



Tenure of the Kothers Kothers hold their lands under the same 



and Erulars. terms. The Erulars hold the patches of land 



which they cultivate and which are all situated to the eastward, near 

 Rungaswamy peak and the Kotergherry pass, independent of the To- 

 dars, who profess not to assert any proprietary right over the lands 

 which extend below the actual summit or plateau of the Hills. The 

 Erulars have a loose kind of tenure of their land, holding it at 

 pleasure so long as they pay the assessment. But they cultivate so 

 liUle that it is scarcely worth noticing. 



Modes and rate of as- The assessment on lands on the Neilgherries 

 sessment. jg divided into two classes, one applicable to 



