SUPERSTITIONS. 271 
But the most surprising superstition of the AsKantees, is their 
confidence in the fetishes or saphies thej purchase so extravagantly 
from the Moors, beheving firmly that they make them invulnerable 
and invincible in war, paralyse the hand of the enemy, shiver their 
weapons, divert the course of balls, render both sexes prolific, and 
avert all evils but sickness, (which they can only assuage,) and 
natural death. The King gave to the King of Dagwumba, for the 
fetish or war coat of Apokoo, the value of thirty slaves; for Odu- 
mata's, twenty ; for Adoo Quamina's, thirteen ; for Akimpon's, 
twelve ; for Akimpontea's, nine ; and for those of greater captains 
in proportion. The generals being always in the rear of the army 
to a cave excavated in the rock ; it measured 1 1 feet in diameter, and 7 feet in its highest 
part ; the entrance^ to it was a square opening of about 18 inches, which was closed up b}'- 
an immense block of granite. We found in this place a great number of earthen pots ef 
very curious shape ; in one of these there were the remains of bones, which appeared to 
have been but imperfectly calcined ; in several of the larger jars there were the husks of 
rice, which dropped into dust immediately they were opened. We found here also an iron 
tripod, and a very curious stone, somewhat similar to what the Indians now use for grind- 
ing their curry powder on. The large stones forming the circles were set upright and 
capped with still larger ones. They are not of granite, but of the stone of the country in 
which they are situated ; they are of dijfferent sizes ; I have seen some of them 10 or 12 
feet high, and the large stone on the top from 10 to 12 feet in diameter, or perhaps 
more. Coimbatore is a district situated between the Coromandel and Malabar coasts ; it 
is bounded on the east by the river Cavery, on the banks of v/hich the tumuli are in general 
situated. In some, a few silver coins have been found, of a square figure, with characters 
on them, which none of the most learned Bramins have been as yet able to make out ; 
it is in these also that remains of very large swords, &c. have been found. The Roman 
coins to the number of upwards of 90 were all of gold, and Nero's; each of them had a 
cut or slit in it. They were not found in one of these barrows, but were discovered in a 
garden by one of the natives when digging : they were in a small copper pot. Pandu 
Kuri literally means Pandu's caves or holes, Pandu is a very celebrated personage in 
the Hindoo Mythology, and a great warrior ; it is common in India to ascribe to him all 
great M'^orks of antiquity ; this term therefore only shews that those places are very 
ancient, and that the present inhabitants are quite ignorant of their origin. 
