buchanan’s journey through

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cheaper. On account of the comparatively high value of provifions, he has hithertobeen rather deprefled in fpirits.

Throughout the Carnatic the afs is a very common animal. The breed is as fmallas in Bengal; but there is a Angular variety among them in their colour; fomeare of the ufual afh colour, whilft others are almoft black, in which cafe the crofs ontheir fhoulders difappears. Milk-white alfes are alfo to be found, but they are rare.Thefe are not varieties as to fpecies; for black individuals have fometimes afh-colouredcolts, and, on the contrary, black colts are fometimes produced by afb*coIoureddams. They are kept by five clalfes of people, who are all of low call, for thehigher ranks difdain the ufe of an animal fo impure. The afs is kept, 1 ft. by wafher-men, called Venar ; 2d, by a people called Caravar, that carry fait from the fea-coaftto the interior parts of the country"; 3d, by tinkers, called Cunnar, who go up anddown felling brafs utenfils; 4th, by people called Vaylacarar, who fell the glafsrings worn on the wrifts by the women of this country ; laftly, by a wretched kind ofpeople called Chenfu Carir.

I have as yet obtained but an imperfect account of this tribe. They are faid tohave neither houfe nor cultivation ; but catch birds and game, part of which they fellfor rice. One common article of their food is the white ant, or termes. Theytravel about from place to place, conveying their baggage and children on alfes.Every man has alfo a cow, inftrufiled like a ftalking horfe, by means of which he ap-, proaches his game, and fhoots it with arrows.

The Chenfu Carir, who preferve their native manners, and never come among thevillages, are faid to fpeak an unintelligible jargon, and have no clothing but the leavesof trees. Thofe, who cccafionally wander about in the cultivated country, underftandmany Telinga< words, and wear a fmall flip of cloth to cover their nakednefs.

April 2,5th. — Early in the morning I went from Sri Permaturu to an inn, orchoultry, ere&ed by Vira Permal Pillay, who was Dubalh to Sir Charles Oakley r .The country is high and barren, like that eaftward of Sri Permaturu, but it has morePalmira trees, and in the neighbourhood of feveral tanks have been planted tamarind,Pipal (Ficus religiofa ), Banyan (Ficus indica ), and maft trees ■( Uvaria alt'tjjima ), allof which thrive well, if they are watered for two or three years after being planted.Tile only trees that grow fpontaneoufly are the Melia Azadiracbta, and the Robinictmitis; the laft of which flourilhes both on the arid hills of the Carnatic , and on themuddy banks of the Ganges . Very little of this foil, at the ufual rent, will repaythe expence of cultivation; and in the prefent ftate of population it perhaps wouldnot be proper to let it low, as by that means ufeful labourers might be taken awayfrom more valuable lands. The fame reafon prevents the fields near the inn frombeing cultivated. Th.ey are level, but too poor to produce rice. The inhabitantswould willingly bring them into cultivation for dry grains, were they allowed the twofirft years free of rent: but then part of the rice fields muft remain uncultivated.

The inn, choultry, or chaturam, or Vira Permal Pillay confifts of two fquarecourts enclofed by low buildings, which are covered with a tiled roof, and dividedinto fmall apartments for the accommodation of travellers. The buildings on theoutfide are furrounded, by a colonnade, and are conftru&ed of well-cut, whitifhgranite, brought from the diftance of twenty miles. Although faid to have coft15,000 pagodas, or 5515I. 8s. id. they are very mean ftru&ures.

April 26th. — ; In the morning I went from Vira Permal’s choultry, to the greater. Conjeveram, called by the natives, Kunji. The country is in general level, but the

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