418 
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
CHAPTER 
Aug, 1—6. 
Manufac- 
tures; BUy- 
Muggas. 
Devdngas. 
Customs of 
the Bilj/- 
Muggas. 
foi' four Pagodas , by keeping one year in the place, will be worth ten 
Pagodas. Tl he native oxen of that country do not improve so fast, 
probably from having been always used to a stronger diet than those 
of this place have when young. 
The weavers in Sira are of two kinds ; the Bily Muggas , and De- 
vdngas. The former weave a coarse thin muslin called Shilla. That 
made for the dress of women, called Shiray , is the" coarsest, and is 
called JVuntacuddy. It is in pieces 18 cubits long by 2 broad, and 
sells unbleached for 5\ Fanams, or about 3s. 8 d. The Frucudy 
Shilla, intended for men’s dress, is finer; and is from 28 to Q6 cubits 
long, by cubit broad. It sells from 6\ to 10 Fanams a piece 
(from 45. 4 d. to 6s. 3d.). These cloths are bought up by two sets of 
dyers; the Niligaru, who dye it blue; and the Marattahs , who dye 
with Cossumba, or flowers of the Carthamus. They advance money 
to the weavers for two or three pieces at a time. 
The Devdngas here make two thick coarse cloths ; the one called 
Cadi is plain, and resembles what is made by the JVhalliaru near 
Bangalore ; and the other has red borders, like the cloth of the 
Togotarus. The whole of the cloth made here is used in the imme- 
diate neighbourhood. 
The Bily-Mugga weavers consider this name ks a term of reproach, 
and call themselves Curivina Banijigaru. They are an original tribe 
of Karnata. Some of them are dealers in cloth or grain, and a few 
are farmers. They have no hereditary chiefs; but infractions of 
the rules of cast are punished by their clergy or Jangamas ; who 
are, however, bound to act by the advice of the elders of the tribe, 
• . *" 
should the fault be of such magnitude as to require excommunica- 
tion. An assembly of the heads of families settles disputes. They 
pretend to be one of the tribes of pure Banijigas, and to be capable 
of being appointed to the priesthood. They say, that there are six 
tribes of proper Banijigas ; the Badagulu, the Pancham , the Stalada , 
the Turcana , the Jainu, and the Curivina. All these can eat toge- 
ther; but cannot intermarry, unless they have been appointed 
\ 
