260 Statistical Beport on the [No. 35, 



formed by his worshippers with their backs turned to the altar. In 

 the houses too of the poorer classes are two lares, Balumma and Da- 

 numjna. The first is invoked to protect their children, the second to 

 increase their wealth — images of both their godships may be pur- 

 chased at any potters for a few pice. 



The belief in witchcraft pervades all ranks, and in times of pesti- 

 lence its professors are oftentimes rudely handled and sometimes put 

 to death. In the hot season of 1845 there was a severe visitation 

 of cholera and five reputed wizards were put to death ; at Oorus un- 

 der the eye of the Peerzada a weaver was hanged, at Purkall a dho- 

 bee, and at Cumlapoor a low caste man, a kullal ; there were two 

 others. They are tried judged and condemned by lynch-law, and 

 though the authorities did not approve of the murders, they did not 

 exert themselves to punish the perpetrators of them. 



^^^^ The food of the higher classes is not pecu- 



liar. The Ooonbees and Yelmas who can af- 

 ford it, eat flesh, and fish is a common article of diet among the 

 lower castes, such as bearers, &;c., but a vast proportion of the ryots 

 and low castes rarely taste animal food, and that solely on the occa- 

 sions of festivals and weddings ; ghee with them is a luxury, and 

 curds most desirable food. Bread is made from joivaree and latterly 

 from Indian corn which is now coming into use as a bread corn. 

 Rice is occasionally used, and the produce of the millets which are 

 eaten as rice and not made into bread, is mostly consumed in 

 the country. The jowaree or Indian corn is bruised, the finer 

 meal is separated from the coarser which is cooked into a kind of 

 pottage called duleya and seasoned with tamarind, a very com- 

 mon condiment iji Telingana, red pepper and salt. The finer meal is 

 boiled into a kind of gruel called umbelly, which is much used in 

 the hot weather when bread is sparingly eaten on account of the 

 thirst it is apt to engender. The cucumbers too are allowed to grow 

 till their seeds ripen, the soft parts are dried and the seeds bruised 

 and made into a kind of chutney, which is eaten with the other part 

 after it has been boiled with some condiment. 



The poorer classes are sometimes in great straits for want of food, 

 especially before the jowaree has ripened.. With the exception of 

 Bunnyahs, the toddy drawers themselves, three castes of Ooonbees 

 and some of the Lingayets as the Belgewars, all classes in Telingana 

 drink toddy very frequently to intoxication; nor can this be wonder- 



