buchanan’s journey through

706

the outer parts of the foreft. .. The herds that at night deftroy the crops, retire with thedawn of day into the recedes of the foreft; and thither the natives do not venture, asthey could not hide themfelves from a number. It is faid, that at the above-mentionedtank there was formerly a village ; but that both it and feveral others on the Ikirt ofthe foreft have been lately withdrawn, owing to, an increafed number of elephants,and to the fmaller means of refiftance which the decreafe of population allows.

The Cad’ Curubaru are a rude tribe of Karnata, who are exceedingly poor andwretched. In the fields near villages they build miferable low huts, have a few ragsonly for covering, and the hair of both lexes ftands out matted like a mop, andfwarins with vermin. Their perfons and features are weak and unfeemly, and theircomplexion is very dark. Some of them hire themfelves as labouring fervants to thefarmers, and, like thofe of other calls, receive monthly wages. Others, in cropfeafon, watch the fields at night, to keep off the elephants and wild hogs. Thefe re-ceive, monthly, one fanam and ten feers, or 1-,-#•# peck of ragy. In the intervalsbetween crops, they work as day-labourers, or go into the woods, and colledl theroots of wild yams (diofcoreas); part of which they eat, and part exchange withthe farmers for grain. Their manner of driving away the elephant is by runningagainft him with a burning torch made of bamboos. The animal fometimes turns,and wahs till the Curubaru comes clofe up ; but thefe poor people, taught by ex-perience, pulh boldly on, and dalh their torches againft the elephant’s head, whonever fails to take immediate flight. Should their courage fail, and fhould they at Ttempt to run away, the elephant would immediately purfue, and put them to death.The Curubaru have no means of killing fo large an animal, and, on meeting with onein the day-time, are as much alarmed as any other of the inhabitants. Duringthe Sultan's reign they caught a few in pit-falls. The wild hogs are driven out ofthe fields by flings ; but they are too fierce and ftrong for the Curubaru to kill.Thefe poor people frequently fuffer from tigers, againft which their wretched huts area poor defence ; and, when this wild beaft is urged by hunger, he is regardlefs oftheir burning torches. Thefe Curubaru have dogs, with which they catch deer,antelopes, and hares; and they have the art of taking in fnares peacocks, and otherefculent birds. They have no hereditary chiefs, but affemble occafionally to fettlethe bufinefs of their call. They confine their marriages to their own tribe. TheGauda, or chief man of the village, prefides at this ceremony, which confifts of afeaft. During this the bridegroom efpoufes his miftrefs, by tying a firing of beadsround her neck. The men are allowed to take feveral wives; and both girls afterthe age of puberty, and widows, are permitted to marry. In cafe of adultery, thehufband flogs his wife feverely, and, if he be able, beats her paramour. If he be notable, he applies to the Gauda, who does it for him. The adulterefs has then herchoice of following either of the men as her hufband. They can eat every thing,except beef; and have no objection to the animal having died a natural death. Theywill eat victuals dreffed by any of the farmers, but would not touch any of my pro-vifions. They do not drink fpirituous liquors. None of them take the vow ofDaferi, nor attempt to read. Some of them burn, and others bury the dead. Theybelieve that good men, after death, will become benevolent Devas , and bad men def-tru£live Devas . A good man, according to them, is he who labours properly at hisbufinefs, and who is kind to his family. The whole are of fuch known honefty,that on all occafions they are entrufted with provifions by the farmers; who are per-fuaded, that the Curubaru would rather ftarve -than take one grain of what wasgiven to them in charge. They have no Guru, nor does the panchanga, or any

<> other