1848.] 



The Neilgherry Mouniaitis. 



63 



in felling timber for the sawyers and contractors, in making baskets, 

 and, to a small extent, in cultivation. 



These Coorumburs appear for the most part to come from Malaya- 

 lum, where they exist in a state of slavery to opulent natives, who 

 claim their persons as their property — a claim, however, not much re- 

 garded. The Coorumburs, from their almost always residing amongst 

 the forests, have a considerable acquaintance with the properties of 

 medicinal herbs, gums, and roots, and hence often effect cures of sim- 

 ple diseases amongst the Burghers and others, when called in to dis- 

 enchant a member of a family supposed to be bewitched. This suc- 

 cess is, of course, attributed to preternatural agency, and a failure in 

 their mode of treatment of a disease is usually set down to its bane- 

 ful exercise, a result which often leads the officiating Coorumbur into 

 trouble. As has been already remarked, it has been found impos- 

 sible to obtain any return of the number of this tribe, but it must be 

 very inconsiderable. 



In the preceding description of the different 



Employment. ^ ^ , • , , . 



tribes inhabiting the Neilgherries, their habits 

 have been sufficiently set forth to explain the nature of the employ- 

 ment or occupation which each pursues. Following, however, the 

 argument of this synopsis, it may be necessary under this head brief- 

 ly to recapitulate them. 



The Todars Their occupation is purely pastoral ; their only 



manual labour being the milking of their buffa- 

 loes, and converting portions of their milk into butter and ghee. 

 They let their herds loose during the day to wander about, almost 

 always unattended by a herdsman, to the annoyance of travellers on 

 the public roads; and, but for the caution observed in approaching 

 these animals, to their great danger. 



The life they lead is eminently a most idle and useless one, involv- 

 ing the performance of no offices, and the undertaking of no duties, 

 which tend in any way to the benefit of the community at large. 

 Especially marked by nature as a race upon whom labour, demand- 

 ing gi*eat physical exertion and bodily prowess, should devolve, they 

 are found abjuring the performance of manual labour of any kind, 

 subsisting upon the hard won earnings of others, and acting no part 

 in the great work of social duty and improvement, which society 

 demands that all its members should co-operate to advance. 



