1847.] Dwellings, from Verbal Accounts ^ S^'c. S3 



Anni-ur, Cunnatur, Jtvdthiir, Kuvathur, Vctiyd-vur, Kolattur 

 Chittamur, Uttra-merur^ (Ootramaloor) Ai/ar-pdkam^ the mountain 

 belonging to Vellam-pdkam. Besides these places, there are others 

 in the Company's Jaghire, which I have not seen, and in great num- 

 bers, as the people say. Besides, in the Ckittoor country, and in 

 Tirutoni, in the country round Gingee, in the Bhavani district, and 

 to the westward in a great many places, they are to be found, as 

 Bome trustworthy men report. There is sufficient foundation to be- 

 lieve these statements. For the rest, the details concerning them are 

 the following : 



Pantu-cui'ii, means ancient excavation ; Padu-cudi, means the 

 dwelling of suffering, or pain ; Padai-ciidi, means the place of the fu- 

 neral bier ; Pantu-San?dthi, means the place of depositing dead 

 bodies of old time ; Pandaval-Kovil^ means the fane of ancient peo- 

 ple ; Verdar-cudl, means the abode of hunters ; Curumbat^-cudi^ the 

 dwelling of the Curumhar (wild people) ; Vdli-cudij means the abode 

 of men having tails, like monkeys; C2^r««^i^-^ara, means the stone- 

 houses of monkeys. 



1. Concerning the history of these things, some say as follows i — - 

 In the commencement of the era of Sdlivdhana the Brahmans, incited 

 by certain famous astrologers who were Sasfris, examined their own 

 astrological books, and declared before hand that destruction would 

 come by a rain of fire. The men of that day, being awakened, 

 took counsel together; and, with the view of preserving their lives, 

 constructed houses of black stone (pegmatite, or sienitic granite) at 

 the foot of mountains, and in wilderness-places. In these having 

 placed all needful provisions, they went, and dwelt in them. Then 

 a golden shower fell ; and some, from the desire of collecting gold, 

 went forth from their retreats to gather it, and when they did not 

 think of it, it rained fire. Those who went out to gather up the 

 golden shower, all perished. Some who were within these stone- 

 houses perished, by reason of the fire rain. Some although suffer- 

 ing greatly, yet survived ; and re-peopled the country. Hence these 

 places came to be named Padu-curii or sufferance-caves, as some 

 report. 



2. Some narrate the following account. Towards the end of the 

 Vwapara-yuga^ the offspring of the Pdntavar (ancients) so called 

 dwelt in the world. They were much more diminutive than men, 

 and like pigmies. Their food was the rdcelai and ndvelai, so 

 called seeds or fruits. At the same time they possessed the strength 



