34 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
His claim was admitted, and he was shortly after- 
wards examined with several other candidates. The 
examiners, anxious to exclude him, for fourteen days 
subjected him to the most rigid investigation they 
could devise. He however not only eclipsed all his 
competitors, but proved that he far surpassed even 
his examiners in knowledge, which in the issue they 
ingenuously confessed. The Pariah was admitted, 
and his sister was considered worthy to be classed 
with the greatest sages of her time. 
Tiru Valuvir became an honour to the college, and 
was venerated by all its members. Such was his ac- 
knowledged superiority, that the year after his inau- 
guration he was raised to the chair, and continued to 
preside over the college of Madura from that time 
until his death. He was the author of a work on 
morals, entitled Koral, which to this day has a high 
reputation among the Hindoos ; and his sister com- 
posed several works, written in Tamul verse, and not 
less esteemed than those of her brother. 
Although these persons were Pariahs by birth, — a 
race now held in such universal detestation among the 
Hindoos, that whatever their shadow passes over is 
considered polluted, — they were nevertheless so much 
respected by all classes of the community for their 
talents and literary acquirements, that it was es- 
teemed the highest honour to hold communion with 
them. Their society was everywhere courted: men 
of the highest caste felt flattered by conversing with 
the one, and the wives and daughters of princes held 
it no degradation to be admitted to familiar intercourse 
with the other. They fully realized the truth of a 
