buchanan's journey through

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The Palliwanlu are the only perfons in the Colar province (of which this is a part)who cultivate kitchen gardens. They alfo cultivate the ground, both as farmers, andas their fervants. They are all of Tamul extraction ; and, although they have beenin this country for many generations, Hill fpeak the Tamul language in their ownhoufes, and intermarry with the Palli of Arcot and Vellore . They are properlycalled Vana Palli, and muff be diftinguifhed from the Mina Palli, who are fifhermen.This is one of the moft numerous of the tribes of the Tamul nation, but is confideredas rather low. They have hereditary chiefs called Gaunda, who poffefs the ufual jurif-diction. None of them can read. They are allowed to eat animal food, and to drinkfpiriluous liquors. Their women continue to be marriageable after the age of puberty,and are very laborious. They cannot be divorced for any caufe, except adultery;but the men are permitted to have a plurality of wives. They bury their dead.

The Palliwanlu have no Guru ; but the Panchanga acts as their Purohita at birthsand marriages, at the Amavafya, and at the annual commemoration of their deceafedparents. They wear the mark of Vifhnu’s left, and fometimes pray to VencatyRamana ; but the proper god of their call is Dharma Raja . His images exactly referablethofe of Godama, who is frequently called by that name : but by the people here theirgod is faid to be the eldeft brother of the five fons of Pandu, who lived at the com-mencement of this Yugam. He is a beneficent deity, like Godama, abhorring blood ;and is worlhipped by offerings of fruit, flowers, and the like. The Palliwanlu havetemples of this god attended by Pfijaris of their own call. Like all the other inhabitantsof this country, they are much addifted. to the worlhip of the Saktis , or deftruftivepowers; and endeavour to avert their wrath by bloody facrifices. Thefe are performedby cutting off the animal’s head before the door of the temple, and invoking the deityto partake of the facrifice. There is no altar, nor is the blood fprinkled on the image ;and the body ferves the votaries for a feaft. The Paliwanlu have temples dedicated toa female fpirit of this kind named Mutialima, and ferved by Pujaris of their own caft.Thefe priefts can neither read nor write, but their office is hereditary. Their familiescan intermarry with thofe of the laity, who cultivate the prieft’s garden, and give himannually a fuit of clothes. The Palliwanlu alfo offer facrifices to Marima, whofePujaris here are Curubaru; and to Putalima, whofe Pujaris are Lingait. They fome-times take the vow of Daferi.

Chap. V .—From Bangalore to Doda Bala-pura.

HAVING finifhed my inquiries at Bangalore , on July 3d, 1800, I went to Agara,a fortified village two coffes diftant, which is inhabited by farmers, and where a greatmany mangoes are raifed for the Bangalore market. The intermediate country isgood, but does not contain a number of inhabitants nearly fufficient to cultivate thewhole.

The Gauda, called corruptly Gaur, and in the Muffulman language the Potail, isthe chief Ryut, or farmer, in the village, and receives the whole dues of government.The rent of each field of dry land is fixed by an old valuation, which it is fup-pofed was made in the time of Krifhna Rayalu ; and for any field more cannot belegally demanded; "but the equal divifion of the crops is always wiflied for by thefarmers. This, they allege, arifes from the flourifhing ftate in which the country waswhen the valuation was made, compared with its prefent poverty ; but confidering thegreat diminution of the value of gold and filver fince that period, I am more inclined

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