xxxi. 
"The Highlands are entirely uninhabited; but there arc two 
tribes inhabiting^ the lower spurs of the range called Pooliars and 
Moodoowars. I only met with the former; both tribes cultivate to a 
small extent, felling, however, large tracks of valuable forest to raise 
their wretched crops of ragee and bullar (dholl), I particularly 
noticed the great extent of forest cleared for Coomn cultivation since 
iSsS. 
■^The Pooliars are a wild looking race, somewhat resembling 
the Karders and Mulcers who inhabit the slopes more to the north 
and westward ; but the most nnarked peculiarity about them, as 
stated in Major Michael's report, is their hair, which they allow to 
grow to an enormous length, tying it up in a huge knot at the back 
of their heads ; others again, appear to take no pride whatever in 
their hair, allowing it to stand out in dishevelled locks, giving them 
a most wild and uncouth look, like the drawings I have seen of the 
savages of Australia, Some of the young men wear their hair in 
large bunches at the sides, bound round the forehead with a small 
brass chain, these appeared to be the dandies of the tribe ; in mau}^ 
instances the hair when let down came considerably below the hips, 
but I did not sec the man with his hair trailing on the ground 
described by Major Michael, he was away at a distant village. The 
dress of both the men and women is similar to that of the inhabitants 
of the plains, when they can afford it ; though in general the dress of 
the former consisted of nothing more than a ragged waist cloth. I 
observed one or two men wearing turban ds, and was told that they 
were well to do, and could afford them. 
The Pooliars have a few goats and fowls ; their villages 
consist of scattered bamboo huts thatched with grass ; those in the 
village of Poondy were well made, some of the houses having 
* pandals ' in front of them, and looked more comfortable than many 
of the native huts in the plains; besides the villages named above, 
they have several temporary hamlets. On my way up to the high 
ranges I passed two of these that had been burnt down by tlie recent 
annual fires, they being deserted by the occupants during the hot 
season. The owner of one of the hamlets was with me carrying a 
