o dig shallow wells by the sides of the streams for
their drinking-water, so that the supply thus obtained might be in
some degree filtered by percolation through the intervening soil and
freed from its vegetable germs. And the custom may have grown into
a taboo, its underlying reason being unknown to the bulk of them,
and be still practised, though no longer necessary when they do not
travel. If this explanation be correct it would be an interesting
conclusion that the Banjaras anticipated so far as they were able the
sanitary precaution by which our soldiers are supplied with portable
filters when on the march.

20. The Naik or headman. Banjara dogs.

Each _kuri_ (hamlet) or _tanda_ (caravan) had a chief or leader with
the designation of Naik, a Telugu word meaning 'lord' or 'master.' The
office of Naik [230] was only partly hereditary, and the choice also
depended on ability. The Naik had authority to decide all disputes in
the community, and the only appeal from him lay to the representatives
of Bhangi and Jhangi Naik's families at Narsi and Poona, and to Burthia
Naik's successors in the Telugu country. As already seen, the Naik
received two shares if he participated in a robbery or other crime,
and a fee on the remarriage of a widow outside her family and on
the discovery of a witch. Another matter in which he was specially
interested was pig-sticking. The Banjaras have a particular breed
of dogs, and with these they were accustomed to hunt wild pig on
foot, carrying spears. When a pig was killed, the head was cut off
and presented to the Naik or headman, and if any man was injured
or gored by the pig in the hunt, the Naik kept and fed him without
charge until he recovered.

The following notice of the Banjaras and their dogs may be reproduced:
[231] "They are brave and have the reputation of great independence,
which I am not disposed to allow to them. The Wanjari indeed is
insolent on the road, and will drive his bullocks up against a Sahib
or any one else; but at any disadvantage he is abject enough. I
remember one who rather enjoyed seeing his dogs attack me, whom he
supposed alone and unarmed, but the sight of a cocked pistol made
him very quick in calling them off, and very humble in praying for
their lives, which I spared less for his entreaties than because they
were really noble animals. The Wanjaris are famous for their dogs,
of which there are three breeds. The first is a large, smooth dog,
gen