buchanan’s journey through

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the Muffulman word bhai . The fon of their mother’s filter they confider as a morediftant relation than any perfon of the fame gotram.

12th July. — In the morning I went four codes to Calura, faid to be the refidenceof an amildar; but in the lift of talucs, or diftricts, which I procured from therevenue officer at Seringapatam , I fee no fuch place mentioned. In all probability,therefore, it is only a fubdivifion called a hobly, and its chief, in order to augmenthis importance, calls himfelf to me an amildar. He has retained his ftation forthirty years, and has acquired a name by digging a colam, or tank. It is abouthalf a mile from the town, is furrounded by a fine Mango grove ; and the road fromit to the town has on each fide a raifed walk, with an avenue of mango and tamarindtrees reaching the whole way.

For more than one half the way from Colar the country is at prefent entirely depo-pulated. Formerly there has been much cultivation; and the broken fragments ofthe hedges by which the dry fields were inclofed remain, to fhow its once Bourifhingflate. The remainder of the country is in a better condition; but at leaft one halfof what has been formerly cultivated is now wafte. I here palled two large villageswell fortified with, mud walls, and furrounded by ftrong hedges. The country con-tains many detached, naked, rocky hills; and many places feem to be fit for palmgardens, of which, however, I faw none. The mill frequently refts on the tops ofthe hills, while the country below is clear.

The Woddas, or Woddaru, are a tribe of Telinga origin, and in their familiesretain that language, although they are fcattered all over the countries where theTamul and Karnataca tongues are prevalent. They dig canals, wells, and tanks ;build dams and refervoirs; make roads ; and trade in fait, and grain. Some of themare farmers, but they never hire themfelves out as Batigaru, or fervants employed inagriculture. Some of them build mud-houfes; but this is not a proper occupation forperfons of their caft. The old and infirm five in huts near villages, and dig andrepair tanks, or wells, or perform other fuch labour; while the vigorous youth ofboth fexes travel about in caravans with oxen and afles, in purfuit of trade. In thefecaravans they carry with them all their infants, and their huts, which latter confift ofa few flicks and mats. They follow armies to fupply them with grain, and in thetime of peace take to the Lower Carnatic grain, jagory, and tamarinds, and bringup fait. In Hyder’s government they were very numerous; but, having been forcedby Tippoo to work at his forts without adequate pay, a great number of them retiredto other countries. As they are a very ufeful fet of people, they are now encouraged,and are faft returning. There are no diftinftions among them that prevent inter-marriages, or eating in common. They eat fowls, fheep, goats, fwine, rats, andfilh ; but rejed carrion. They are allowed to take all manner of things that intoxi-cate, and are in fad; much addicted to fpirituous liquors. They marry as many wivesas they can get, and the women feem to be more numerous than the men, as noperfon is without one wife, and the generality have two; feveral go fo far as eight.A man is in general more reftrided from taking many wives by the expence of the■ceremony, than by any difficulty in fupporting the family; as the women are fo in-duftrious, that the more wives he can get, the more he lives at his eafe. A lazywoman is immediately divorced by her huflband; but, if fhe can find a man willingto take her, ffie is at liberty to marry again. The girls continue marriageable fromfeven years of age, until their death; and a widow is not prevented from taking'another hufband. Formerly, when the caft was richer, a man gave a hundred

fanams