buchanan’s journey through

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efcape. They frequently go into the woods, and facriftce fowls, pigs, goats, andIheep, to Muni, who is a male deity, and is faid by the Brahmans to be a fervantof Ifwara : but of this circurnflance the coramas profefs ignorance. They, as ufual,oat the facrifices. They have no images, nor do they worlhip any. Once in twoor three years the coramas of a village make a collection among themfelves, andpurchafe a brafs pot, in which they put five branches of the melia azadarichta, anda cocoa-nut. This is covered with flowers, and fprinkled with fandal-wood water.It is kept in a fmall temporary Ihed for three days, during which time the peoplefeaft and drink, facrificing lambs and fowls to Marima, the daughter of Siva. At the•end of the three days they throw the pot into the water.

The Panchalas, or Panchalaru, a name corrupted by the Muflulmans into Panlhcal,are a call that - follow five different trades, goldfiniths, carpenters, blackfiniths,mafons, and copperfmiths. Thefe occupations do not occafion any difference of caff:;the fon of a man of any one of the trades may, if he pleafes, follow any other, andall of them can eat together and intermarry. Each trade, it is true, has a head-man;but the whole are fubjed to one hereditary chief, who is here a goldfinith. He isthe leader of the left hand fide ; and at prefent the difpute between him and the chiefof the Banijigas runs fo high, that government have been obliged to part the towninto two divifions. In the one of thefe the right hand fide is not allowed to performany ceremonies, nor to go in proceffion ; and the other divifion is kept equallyfacred from the intrufions of their adverfaries. The head-man of the goldfinithshas a fimilar jurifdidion with other chiefs of caffs ; and, with the afliftance of hiscouncil, can levy fines, which are given to the goddefs Kali'; that is to fay, to her prieft.

The Panchalaru are divided into two feds; one worfhipping Siva, the other.adoring Viihnu; but this does not produce any fchifm; the two parties eatingtogether, and intermarrying ; and when this happens, the wife adopts the religionof her hulband. Kali is confidered as the proper deity of the caff ; but receivesno bloody facrifices from her votaries. Both feds are prohibited from animal food,from fpirituous liquors, from divorce (except in cafe of adultery), and frommarrying a girl that has arrived at the age of puberty. The Brahmans read mantramsat the births, marriages, and funerals of both feds; and no diftindion is made byeither, whether the Brahman be a worfhipper of Siva, or of Viflinu.

The moft numerous and richeft of the Panchalas belong to the fed of Siva, andwear the linga ; but they have nothing in common with the Pancham Banijigas, andin fad are their moft bitter enemies. This fed bury the dead.

The Panchalas who worlhip Viihnu are called Bagota, and have among them afamily dedicated to religion. The eldeft fon of this family always fucceeds to the.dignity of Guru on the death of his father ; the other male branches of the familyare fupported by the contributions of the fed, and pafs their time in devotion andftudy. The women of the family intermarry with the working men of the caff. TheGuru is named Viper Vencaty Acharya; Vipur being his name, and Vencaty Acharyahis title. He lives at Wadiga-palla, which is twelve cofles from Bangalore , and inthe Doda Bala-pura diftrid. He travels about among his followers, receiving theircontributions and bellowing Upadefa, and Chakrantikam, or Mudradarana as it iscalled in the Sanlkrit language.

The Madigas or Madigaru, are looked upon as a very low caft. Theydrefs hides, make lhoes, and fome of them cultivate the ground, ading as fervantsto the farmers. They are divided into fmall tribes of ten or twelve houfes,and intermarry with the daughters of thefe houfes only, in order to be certain

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