arts.

All the pottery is made by the Cohatar women, this being considered as quite a female avocation.

Many of the men have some notion of carpentry, and both men and women employ themselves in basket-making. There are also in each village two or three families of musicians: indeed, the little of the several arts known among them seems to belong to particular families, and it is the women of some of the families only who are potters. The two smiths, however, are considered their principal artisans, and rank high among them, according to their several degrees of cunning and ability in their art.

The men sometimes tie their hair in a knot at the back of the head, like the common people of Malabar; but it is more frequently, like that of their females, allowed to hang loose, and to become matted and discoloured.' p. 77.

Mr. Hough's Letters contain a brief, but much more distinct account of the inhabitants of the Neilgherries, whom he divides into four classes: Thodawurs, (the Tudas of Captain Harkness,) Buddagurs (Burghers), Kothurs (Cohatars), and Koorumburs. The Kothurs are thus described.

The Kothurs, like the Thodawurs, are ignorant of their origin; nor have they any data from which a probable conjecture can be formed whence they came. Their dress is the same as that of the Thodawurs, but worn less gracefully. They go with the head uncovered, and wear the hair tied in a knot behind, with a small ring, generally made of lead, dangling at the end of the string. Their front and side locks point in all directions, and give them a wild, shaggy appearance. They wear the same ornaments as the Thodawurs. In figure, and some of their habits, they resemble the Chucklers below. Their occupations, however, are more numerous; the Chuckler confining himself to the tanning of skins and working in leather, while the Kothurs are the artizans of the hills, working in brass, iron, silver, and other metals, as also in wood. The have no objection, occasionally, to bear a gentleman's palankeen, but will not carry burdens, nor do any cooley work, except in building. They cultivate the soil to a great extent, and produce some of the finest crops to be seen on the Neilgherries. They are also the musicians of the hills; and their horn, and another instrument, in form resembling the flageolet, but in tone not unlike the bagpipe, are equal, if not superior, to the Hindoo's wind instruments of the same description. They have the regular tom-tom also, and their music is not inharmonious. They are now employed as musicians at the ceremonies of the Hindoos who reside on the hills, as well as at those of the Buddagurs.

Their language is a corruption of Canarese, like that of the other inhabitants, but with a greater mixture of Tamil; and they are equally ignorant of all written characters. In speaking, especially when they raise the tone of their voice, they have a very effeminate and unpleasant squeak; but when they sing, their notes are soft, and by no means discordant. Their dance is much more active than that of the Tho

dawurs, as they change sides with a lively spring, beat time with their hands, and sing in harmony with the motions of their feet.

'Like the Buddagurs, they take their grains raw, either whole or ground, and soaked in cold water. They eat flesh also. That for immediate use is fried: what is left they preserve, without salt, by cutting it into small pieces and drying it in the sun. In this way it will keep several weeks.

'Another point in which they resemble the Chucklers of the low country is, that they devour the flesh of animals, of whatever distemper they may have died; and it is not uncommon to see them drive away the vultures, crows, and jackalls, from a carcase half consumed, and carry the residue away. In 1825 this proved fatal to several men, four or five being poisoned by some putrid flesh. But, notwithstanding the unwholesome nature of their food, they are seldom afflicted with disease; and when once reconciled to their unsightly exterior, you begin to discover some stout, healthy looking figures among them, especially the few who abstain from opium. But the major part of them consume large quantities of this deleterious drug, and bear in their countenances the marks of its soporific effects. The usual quantity which they consume daily is from ninety to one hundred grains, which they eat at two sittings. When unable to procure it, they drink, as a substitute, opium water, which they obtain by steeping the pericarpium of the poppy in cold water, and then squeezing out the liquor with their hands. A quart is usually taken at one time, a quantity that I have seen a man drink off at a draught.

The Kothurs make all the pottery and implements of husbandry used by the other classes, and for this are allowed to claim all the animals which die on the hills. They carry on an extensive trade in skins with the natives below, and are faithful to their contracts.'

The Kothurs have no notion either of a future state, or of the nature of the soul. Their mode of burial is the same as that of the Thodawurs, from whom they have, probably, adopted it; with this exception, that they wait till ten or more persons are dead, preserving the skulls and knee-bones of each, before they perform the ceremonies already described. Their sacrifices on those occasions are oxen, as they do not keep the buffalo.

They have a peculiar custom which marks them as a distinct race-that of not milking their cows. The priest only, and that for the service of Swamie, is sometimes allowed to draw a small quantity of milk, which he divides between himself and the family to whom the cattle belong. With this exception they are never milked, and on those occasions the animals are very furious. Their calves appear to thrive better than those of cows which are milked, and the cattle are larger.

The Kothur's form of marriage is similar to that of the Buddagurs. They do not allow of polygamy in either form; but, like their neighbours the Buddagurs, are permitted to divorce each other. This, however, does not appear to be an event of frequent occurrence; and, on the whole, they seem to live together in greater harmony than could be expected of so barbarous a race. The women make all the pottery, and are employed in agricultural and domestic occupations; but, like

the Thodawur and Buddagur women, they are much better treated by their husbands than the wives of Hindoos.' pp. 101–108.

Mr. Hough considers the Koorumburs as most probably the aborigines of this region, and he represents them as officiating as priests for the Buddagurs, who have none of their own. The Thodawurs or Tudas, he agrees with Capt. H. in regarding as the lords of these regions, to whom the Buddagurs have paid tribute from the first period of their settlement. He also mentions the Jewish cast of their countenances, but is disposed to fancy them a remnant of a Roman colony. We must transcribe the paragraph in which this singular idea is broached.

The Thodawurs are, in appearance, a noble race of men, their visages presenting all the features of the Roman countenance very strongly marked, and their tall athletic figures corresponding with the lineaments of the face. Some of them stand upwards of six feet high, and differ, in every respect, from all the tribes of Asiatics with which we are at present acquainted. The countenances of a few are strikingly Jewish, which is remarked by almost every stranger. I found several of them possessed of Jewish names, and began to flatter myself that I had discovered a colony of the scattered tribes of God's ancient people. But, on communicating my supposed discovery to a friend, I hardly thanked him, at the moment, for dispelling the illusion, by informing me, that he had given them these names, as he found it difficult to pronounce the barbarous appellations by which they are called. Since they are ignorant of the practice of circumcision, (an ordinance which Jews are seldom known to neglect wherever they may be dispersed,) and possess no other feature of the Jewish character, I fear all attempts to class them with that ancient and interesting race, will prove of little avail. However, I cannot but think that they may be found to be the remains of an ancient Roman colony. We know that that indefatigable and enterprising people visited the western coast of India as early as the commencement of the Christian era, viz. after their conquest of Egypt, and carried on commercial intercourse with its inhabitants to a considerable extent. There is reason to believe also, that they settled in many parts of South India; and it is not improbable that one colony was formed on the Neilgherries. In that case, it is by no means a fanciful conjecture, that the Thodawurs are their descendants. I mean not to assert, that we have sufficient data to support such a conclusion; but if the reader will bear the idea in mind, while passing his eye over my description of their customs, I think he can hardly fail to discern some striking points of re

semblance.

I have described their contour as Roman; a description in which I venture to anticipate the concurrence of every one acquainted with Roman paintings, statues, and coins. They wear no turban, their fine black bushy locks forming a sufficient protection to the head, whether exposed to the vertical sun, or a pelting storm. Their bodies are well proportioned, and their limbs remarkably muscular, possessing herculean strength. I have seen two of them carry a large tree that no

six natives of the plains could have borne, and toss it off their shoulders with perfect ease. They are very playful, and often prove their strength with their immense buffaloes. It is one of their diversions, for three or four youths to select the largest of the herd, run him down, and then, seizing him by the hind legs, to throw him to the ground, which they do with perfect ease and singular dexterity. It is beautiful to observe the agility with which they bound over the hills, shaking their black locks in the wind, and as conscious of liberty as the mountain deer, or any true-born Briton. They are remarkably frank in their deportment; and their entire freedom from Hindoo servility is very engaging to the Englishman, and cannot fail to remind him of the "bold peasantry" of a still dearer land. When before you, they are constantly smiling, and are addicted to immoderate laughter. If amused with any thing they have heard or seen, they will retire to a short distance, throw themselves on the ground, and laugh till they seem literally convulsed.

The women, with the exception of the mouth, which is wide, possess handsome features, and their complexion is fairer than that of the men. Their teeth are beautiful, which is quite an anomaly in India, and great vivacity sparkles in the eye. They seem proud of their hair, which they anoint with rancid ghee, and suffer to grow to a great length. It generally hangs straight down both sides of the head, but is sometimes curled upon wooden skewers. Their feet are very small, which is remarkable, considering that they go bare-foot like the men. The children are very healthy and active; and it is amusing to see with what speed a whole herd of their unwieldy buffaloes will run at the shouts and blows of a little urchin, eight or ten years old. The boys are perfectly devoid of bashfulness when addressed by strangers; which cannot be said of the girls, their habits being more retired.

They have an uncouth dance and song. Of the dance an idea may be formed from the representations we have of dancing satyrs. They merely turn the body half round, with a jump, and back again, grinning all the time, and raising the hands about the height of the head. The theme of their song it is difficult to understand, and its tune owes very little to the science of harmonics. Their gamut consists of five or six gruff tones, which they run through in a breath, beginning with the lowest and ascending to the highest, over and over again, without variation.' pp. 63-67.

*

When first dis

Extremely Roman these characteristics! covered, these Indo-Romans were all in rags;' and in excuse for the barbarous practice of female infanticide, and the not less unnatural description of polygamy, which seems to have partly grown out of it, they pleaded-poverty! They have no longer,

In an extensive vocabulary taken down from their lips, Mr. Hough found two words which seemed to favour the notion of their Roman origin; viz. homu, man, and pomu, fruit. The other terms which they gave, were taken from either the Canarese, the Tamul, or the Malayalim.

we rejoice to hear, this excuse; and since 1819, the female children have ceased to be put to death. There is now an almost equal number of young children of each sex; and a man, woman, or child is seldom to be met with, who is not well clothed.

Formerly, they bartered their milk and ghee for clothes and grain; but they now sell them for money, and already obtain twice as much for them as they at first procured. They have learned also to feed better, and take much more rice than they did, as they used to live chiefly on the produce of their buffaloes with the millet and other small grains which are grown on the hills. They likewise eat occasionally of the buffalo's flesh, which they roast, and can even afford to indulge in the luxury of smoking tobacco.'

When first discovered, they were supposed, from their liberality, to be free from covetousness, and very disinterested in all their transactions; but it now appears, that they did not then know the use of rupees. Since, however, they have learned that money will procure new clothes, tobacco, and rice, they are grown quite as fond of it as their neighbours, and have actually learned already to adulterate their milk, and practise other dishonest expedients, in order to obtain it. The Collector has taken much pains, and adopted every precaution he could devise, to prevent the deterioration of their character; and finding that their migratory habits counteracted all his efforts for the improvement of the adults, he established a school for their children; but hitherto they have refused to allow them to attend. They will not submit to the least confinement; and, at present, there is almost as much hope of binding the winds of the moutains, as of immuring the youngest Thodawur within the walls of a school-room.' pp. 75-80.

With regard to the cairns, barrows, or phins found in the Neilgherry hills, Mr. Hough remarks, that similar monuments are scattered throughout the southern Ghauts, and are found in Malabar also, where they are known under the name of Pandoo coolies. From some of them, many coins unquestionably Roman have been taken; which is not surprising, when we consider that Roman fleets regularly visited Nelcynda (Nelisuram), then the chief emporium of this part of India; and that Augustus received at Samos, an embassy from Pandion, the sovereign of this territory. A gold coin, apparently of the Lower Empire, has been found in one of the Neilgherry cairns. But this circumstance surely proves nothing beyond the fact, that those who erected these monuments had commercial transactions with the Roman merchants. We still require proof that these monuments are the work of the same race as the present Tudas or Thodawurs, who declare that they know nothing about them': this would be next to impossible, if they really contained the ashes of their ancestors. Upon the whole, we may conclude, that these hills have, at different eras, afforded an asylum to fugitives from Mysore and Malabar, of various race; some of whom, possibly, sought only a temporary refuge, and returned to their own country;