Buchanan’s journey through

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believe in the immortality of the foul; which, fo far as I can learn, is not in this countryan univerfal belief among the lower calls, nor among the rude tribes who inhabit thehills. They have hereditary chiefs, called Gauda. The prefent polfelfor of that rankhere is a boy. He is brought into ihealfembly, and fits there, while the heads of fami-lies fettle all difputes, and punifh all tranfgreffions againft the rules of call. It is lawfulfor a Morafu to eat every kind of animal food, except beef and carrion. They are pro-hibited from drinking fpirituous liquors. The men are allowed polygamy, but, exceptfor adultery, cannot divorce their wives. The women fpin, work in the fields, and arevery induflrious. Widows cannot marry again, but are not expended to bury them-felves alive with their dead hulbands’ bodies.

I have formerly mentioned, that the tribe called Bheri, or Nagaratra, is divided intotwo feels; of which one worships Vifhnu, and the other Siva. The doctrines of theformer have been already explained. Thofe who worlhip Siva are fubdivided again intotwo parties ; of which the one wears the linga, and the other does not. Thefe lafh Ihave now affembled: they fay, that they are of the Vaifya, or third pure call; but thisis denied by the Comaties and Brahmans. They defpife the oil-makers, who call them-felves Nagaratra, as being greatly their inferiors. They neither eat, intermarry, norhave common hereditary chiefs with the Vilhnu Nagaratra. They are a tribe of Kar-nata defeent j and are dealers in bullion, cloth, cotton, drugs, and grain. Some ofthem act as porters; but they never formed any part of the militia, nor cultivated theground, nor followed any handicraft trade. They cannot lawfully eat any kind of ani-mal food, nor drink fpirituous liquors. They have a knowledge of accompts, butattempt no higher kind of learning. They are allowed many wives, but do not Ihutthem up ; nor can they divorce them for any caufe except adultery. In order to pre-ferve the purity of the call, they intermarry with fuch families only, as their forefathershave been accuftomed to do. They burn the dead; but the widows are not expedtedto burn themfelves. They do not wear the linga; but pray to Siva, alleging Vifhnuto be the fame. They never oiler bloody facrifices to Marima, nor to any other of theSaktis . They never take the vow of Daferi; but, when in ficknefs or danger, makemental vows to Vencaty Ramana, the idol at Tripathi, or to the Siva at Nunjinagodu ;and promife, in cafe of being faved, to feed a certain number of Brahmans, or to fend afum of money tc thefe temples.

The proper Guru of this call is a Smartal Brahman, called Dharma Siva Acharya ;who refides at Kunji, and whofe office is hereditary : but in affairs relating to the left-hand fide they are fubjecl to Munaifwara Swarni, who is the Guru of that divifion of thistribe which wears the linga. Dharma Siva Acharya bellows holy water on hisfollowers, and receives their contributions under the name of charity. A certain fum ispaid for each public ceremony, and another is given for holy water. Once in four orfive years this perfonage comes, and receives the fums that have been collected for himat the different,villages. On thefe occafions he punifhes any of his followers who mayhave been guilty of a tranfgreffion of the rules of caff, and there is no {lighter punifh-ment than excommunication ; but he cannot inflict this without the confent of theheads of the caff aflembled in council.

The panchanga, or village aftrologer, adls as purohitaat marriages, funerals, births,on the building of a new houfe, and at the ceremonies performed monthly and annuallyin honour of deceafed parents. On thefe occafions the purohita reads prayers in theSanfkrit language. The Nagaratra endeavours to repeat after him ; but it being anunknown tongue he feldom is able to proceed farther than a few'of the firfl words, andthen muff hearken quietly to the remainder, as the Brahman does not choofe to pro-nounce