250 
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
CHAPTER ings of money to his temple, should they escape. They frequently 
g° i nt0 the woods, and sacrifice fowls, pigs, goats,' and sheep, to 
June 22, &c. Muni, who is a male deity, and is said by the Brahmans to be a rsr- 
vant of Iswara; but of this circumstance the Coramas profess igno- 
rance. They, as usual, eat the sacrifices. They have no images, 
nor do they worship any. Once in two or three years the Coramas 
of a village make a collection among themselves, and purchase a 
brass pot, in which they put five branches of the Melia azadarichia , 
and-a coco-nut. This is covered with flowers, and sprinkled with 
sandal- wood water. It is kept in a small temporary shed for three 
days, during which time the people feast and drink, sacrificing 
lambs and fowls to Marima , the daughter of Siva. At the end of the 
three days they throw the pot into the water. 
Customs of The Panchalas, or Panchalaru , a name corrupted by the Mussul- 
the Panchd - . „ 7 . , ■ 1 - 
las. mans into Panshcal, are a cast that follow five different trades, gold- 
smiths, carpenters, blacksmiths, masons, and coppersmiths. These 
occupations do not occasion any difference of cast ; the son of a man 
of any one of the trades may, if he pleases, follow any other, and 
all of them can eat together and intermarry. Each trade, it is true, 
has a head-man ; but the whole are subject to one hereditary chiefs 
who is here a goldsmith. He is the leader of the left hand side ; 
and at present the dispute between him and the chief of the Bam- 
jigas runs so high, that government have been obliged to part the 
town into two divisions. In the one of these the Halit hand side 
is not allowed to perform any ceremonies, nor to go in procession; 
and the other division is kept equally sacred front the intrusions of 
their adversaries. The head-man of the goldsmiths has a similar 
jurisdiction with other chiefs of casts ; and, with the assistance of 
his council, can levy fines, which are given to the goddess Kali; 
that is to say, to her priest. 
The Panchalaru are divided into two sects ; one worshipping Siva, 
the other adoring Vishnu ; but this does not produce any schism ; 
the two parties eating together, and intermarrying ; and when this 
