1837.] 



Khoonds of the Goomsoor Mountains. 



39 



the beating, the assaulted party take possession of the bride, and all the 

 furniture brought with her ; and carry all off together. The female's 

 relatives return from that place to their dwelling. The day following 

 this transaction the man's relatives locate the female, and the furniture 

 brought with her in the inner open court of their house. Subsequently 

 placing her on a stool, they pour water over her head in bathing. Be- 

 neath this stool, the younger sisters or younger brothers of the bride- 

 groom are concealed; and the water flows down over them. They take 

 occasion, during the bathing, to snatch off the ring, from the bride- 

 groom's finger. On her asking to receive back her ring, they strip off 

 from one of themselves some valuable ornament, and give it to her, re- 

 taining the ring. Soon after, their hierophant (J d?ii) comes bringing 

 with him a cord,* a turmeric rod, also a nut of the tree mesua ferrea, 

 which he strings upon the cord, and taking these things together with 

 the bride and bridegroom only, he goes into the woods, where a hut, 

 made only of sticks has been before prepared, in which being seated, 

 the Jdni wishes them both health and domestic prosperity, and ties 

 the cords* on the neck of each one. Afterwards they return to the 

 house. Hogs and other animals are killed, and liquors brought, when 

 they prepare bdji (supposed from the use of the word in another place 

 to be a sort of olio, or mixed dish) and all partake of it. From this 

 day forward, the parties are considered to be man and wife. They 

 beat on drums; they give to the Jdni, rice, flesh, and liquor, and send 

 him away. 



2. The ceremonies attendant on the birth of a child. — As soon as a 

 child is born, they follow the ancient custom (not explained). For a 

 month after the birth the mother does not eat out of the household 

 vessels. On the day which completes the month, they kill some 

 animal, and prepare the flesh, they also procure liquor, and make baji. 

 The victuals is cooked by the mother of the child. They pour a small 

 quantity of liquor out upon the ground (as a libation) saying, " O bene- 

 ficent goddess ! preserve the child." They then distribute portions of 

 prepared food and curries to the houses of their various relations. 

 Those immediately belonging to the house, consume as much liquor as 

 they please, and make bdji ; (here the w r ord seems to denote a riotous 

 banquet, or a feast). 



Six months after, on a fixed day, they make Gdduthuva (supposed to 

 mean the same as Ndmacarma, or ceremony of naming the child). On 

 that day killing a hog, and procuring liquor, they make bdji. They 

 wash the feet of the child. The Jdni being come, he ties a cord from 

 the haft to the point of a sickle; they divine by means of it. Having 



* The original is followed; the composition of which is not very exact in the use of 

 singular and plural. 



