150 
ON THE OEIGINAL INHABITANTS 
" jungles where they were driven to such extremities that 
" they consented to become slaves and serve under the former 
" landlords. The way in which this was done was as follows : 
*' After washing and anointing the body with oil^ new cloths 
*' were put on the destined slave, and his future owner having 
" taken a Batlu or plate, poured some water on it and dropt 
"in a piece of gold. After which the slave drauk up the 
" water. The slave then took up some earth from his future 
" master's estate and threw it on such a spot as he chose for 
" his house and garden which was accordingly given over to 
" him with all the trees thereon. The Karamara were set 
" to watch the crops and cattle belonging to the %Tllage. 
" The head-men who had been appointed by Hoobashee to 
*' the most responsible posts under his nephew's government 
" were taken naked towards the sea in order to be hung 
" there, but being ashamed of their naked state they gathered 
" the leaves of the Necky gida '^^), five-leaved trees, and 
" made a small covering for themselves in front. Thereupon 
*' their conductors took pity on them and let them go, since 
*' which they have continued to wear no other covering than 
" the leaves of the said tree." 
a state of future existence, nor do they believe in Palsachi, or evil spirit-s. 
Their deity is called £i<tn, and is represented by a stone, which is kept 
in a square surrounded by a wall. To this stone, in all cases of sickness, 
they sacrifice fowls or make offerings of fruit or grain, and every man offers 
his own worship (Pujn) ; so that they have no officiating priest, and 
they acknowledge the authority of no Guru. They follow all the oxen and 
buffaloes of the vnllage, as so much of the live stock, when they are driven in 
procession at a great festival which the famiers annually celebrate." 
^* I copied this extract from a MS. copy of 'Mr. L;ivie's Geography and 
History of Canara kindly lent to me by Mr. J. Stun-ock, Collector of South 
Canara, and it occurs there on pp. 21, 22. Mr. Lavie says about it : " 29. The 
following traditionary account of tlie Dhgrs I quote in full from a Canarese 
paper obligingly furnished to me by a respectable native." This extract is 
also contiiinijd in a note to the Mfmoirs of the Origin of Slaves by Rivmappa 
Karnic of Barkur, a friend of Dr. Buchanan. These memoii-s were trans- 
lated by Mr. .Joseph Saldanha, Sheristadar of Jtlangalore, and published 
by Dr. John Shortt in the IV Part of The Sill Hanges of Southern India. 
The MS. copy of these Memoii-s and the print of Dr. Shortt (on p. 19) 
acknowledge Lavie's Geography and Ifistdry of Caiiara as their original 
