OF BHARATAVARSA OR INDIA. 
219 
** the Badaga villages bear the name of ' Motta ' to this day, 
" and traces of houses are still visible ; and in one place a 
" stone enclosure for buffaloes is to be seen, which, as I gather 
" from an old piece of Badaga poetry formerly belonged to a 
" rich Kurumba, who was murdered by the Todas, at the insti- 
" gation of the Badagas . . . The Todas and Badagas say 
" that the Kurumbas are the enemies of their peace, and that 
" they cannot live without killing them. Some years ago 
** I discovered the site of a former Kurumba town, of the' 
*' existence of which I was well aware, but which I had never 
" been able to trace out. It is in the heart of a dense forest, 
*' totally unfrequented by the natives and probably never 
" penetrated by any European." 
The Mackenzie Collection contains about the Kurumbas 
of the Tamil districts some interesting information. From 
one manuscript (No. 14 CM., 7G8) I extract the following 
account : 
" The country of Tondamandalam was after the deluge 
totally covered with forest and was infested with wild beasts. 
A people of wild hunters, known as Vedas, roamed about in 
the woods. They lived in huts which they had erected after 
clearing the country. Their place of settlement is still 
called Vedar Pdlayam. No kings ruled over them, and they 
did just what they pleased. Besides their huts, they had no 
places in which they could protect themselves. They were 
guided neither by social nor religious rules, nor had they any 
books. In fact they were merely a lot of naked savages, 
who did not observe any ceremonies even at their marriages. 
They killed the wild beasts of the forests and lived on their 
flesh. 
" The Kurumbas of the Karnata country had meanwhile 
risen to prominence, and, after their numbers had increased, 
began to tyrannize over the other inhabitants. The Kurumbas 
had very barbarous and cruel habits, and deserved to be 
See Rov. F. Metz' Tribes inhabiting the Neilghernj HtUs, pp. 122, 123. 
