fiUCHANAN’s JOURNEY THROUGH
65 2
Merchants from Balahari, Advany, Naragunda, Navalagunda, Maynalhigy, Jaliali,and Anigiri, places near the Krilhna river, bring cotton wool, cotton thread, darkblue cotton cloth, terra japonica, afafcetida, dates, almonds, and mailtuta, which is ufed asa dentifrice. The merchants of Balahari take back in cafh three fourths of the returns, andthe remainder in caftor-oil, popli dye, and jagory. The other merchants take back thewhole in calh. The merchants of Hyder-Nagar bring betel-nut, black-pepper, andfandal-wood. They take back calh, and a little white mullin. Here the merchants ofSeringapatam purchafo cloth with calh. The merchants of Gubi bring betel-nut, andblack-pepper; and take back cloth, and fome money. From Sira the fame articles arebrought; the returns are entirely in cloth. From Bala-pura are brought fugar, andfome cloth fitted for the drefs of women. From the Lower Carnatic the merchantsbring fait, and the goods that are imported by fea from Europe, China , Malacca, &c.with a confiderable balance of money due for the betel-nut, black-pepper, garlick,tamarinds, fhicai (fruit of the mimofa faponaria), and grain, that are font from hence.The filk is all brought from Bangalore , and no cotton grows in the country.
In this place are fettled a kind of Ihoe-makers called muchaveru ; they are Rajputs ,and in their families retain the Hinduftany language, as having originally come fromthe country which the MulTulmans call Agimere. Like all the perfons of an unmixedbreed from that country, they pretend to be of the Kfhatriya caft; but this high rankis denied by the Brahmans to even the higheft of the Rajputs , thofo whofo profeffionis agriculture and arms, and who, the Brahmans say, are merely the highelt clafs ofthe Sudras, like the Nairs of Malabar, or Kayaftas of Bengal. Thefo (hoe-makersare not allowed to eat nor to intermarry with the Chitrakaru, nor with the weavers,,who come from the fame country; and much lefs with the Rajputs properly fo called,who are by caft the cultivators and defenders of the foil. They came into this countrywith Coflim Khan, the General of Aurungzebe, and fettled chiefly here and at Sira.They follow no other profeffion than that of making fhoes. The proper Gurus ofthis caft are the Vairagis, who read to them, and receive their charity. Thepanchanga, or aftrologer, attends their marriages, and gives them a kind of upadefa.None of them can read. They are worlhippers of Vifhnu, and do not pray nor offerfacrifices to the Saktis, nor to Dharma Raja ; but contribute their fliare of theexpence at the facrifices, and feftivals, which the village as a public body performs inhonour of thefo gods. They are allowed to eat mutton and fiffi, but not to drinkfpirituous liquors. They are allowed to marry feveral wives, and confine them afterthe cuftom of their own country. They have chiefs, who determine matters relatingto caft, but their office is not hereditary: they are eleded in an affembly of thepeople.
The Telega Uparu are a tribe of Telinga origin, as their name expreffes; andretain in their families the language of their original country. They can give noaccount of the time when they came to Colar. Their proper occupation is the build-ing of mud walls, efpecially thofo of forts ; but fome of them are farmers, and fomefarmers’ forvants, or Batigaru ; they ad all'o as porters. They have hereditary chiefscalled Ijyamana, who poffefs the ufual jurifdidion. None of them can read or write.They are allowed to eat venifon, mutton, fowls, fwine, and filh ; but cannot avowedlydrink fpirituous liquors. They are allowed a plurality of wives, who are very labo-rious, and each coils five pagodas (tl. 16s. 7|d.), which are prefonted to her parents.The girls continue to be marriageable after the age of puberty; but a widow cannottake a fecond hufband. They bury the dead. They never tak e the vow of Dafen,or of dedicating themfolves to the forvice of the gods. The god cf their caft is Vifhnu;