iginal creed of their country, the latter being Brahminists.

Below Madras, the mountain range changes its direction, and the next
locality under notice is the Neilgherry hills.

The families here are--

1. _The Cohatars_--so little Indianized as to eat of the flesh of the
cow, amounting to about two thousand in number, and occupants of the
highest part of the range.

2. _The Tudas._--An interesting monograph by Captain Harkness has drawn
unusual attention to these mountaineers, the chief points of importance
being the comparative absence of all elements of Brahminism, and the
occurrence in their physiognomy of the most favourable points of Hindu
beauty--regular and delicate features, oval face, and a clear brunette
skin. Free from the other religious and social characteristics of
Hinduism as the Tudas may be, they still admit a sort of caste; _e.g._,
whilst the _Peiki_, or _Toralli_, may perform any function, the _Kuta_,
or _Tardas_, are limited. Neither did they always intermarry, though
they do now; their offspring being called _Mookh_, or _descendants_.

3. _The Curumbas_, called by the Tudas _Curbs_, inhabit a lower level
than the preceding populations, but a higher one than--

4. _The Erulars_ at the foot of the hills; falling into two
divisions--_a_, the _Urali_ (a name to be noticed), and _b_, the
_Curutali_.

Between the Neilgherries and Cape Comorin, the hill-tribes are worth
enumerating, if only for the sake of showing their complexity. According
to Lieutenant Conner in the "Madras Journal," they are--1, Cowders; 2,
Vaishvans; 3, Mudavenmars; 4, Arreamars, or Vailamers; 5, Ural-Uays.
Besides these, there is a population of predial slaves, divided and
subdivided.

1. Vaituvan, Konaken.
2. Polayers--
_a._ Vulluva.
_b._ Kunnaka.
_c._ Morny Pulayer.
3. Pariahs.
4. Vaidurs.
5. Ulanders and Naiadi.

To return to the Neilgherries, and follow the western Ghauts upwards, a
population more numerous than any hitherto mentioned is that of the--

_Buddugurs_, called also _Marves_. This name takes so many forms that
_Berdar_ may be one of them. One division of Buddugurs is called
_Lingait_.

I cannot follow the Ghauts consecutively; however, when we reach the
southern portion of the Mahratta country, we find in the rajahship of
Satarah, two predatory tribes:--

_The Berdars_, supposed to be closely allied to Ramusi. The--

_Ramusi_ themselves connected by tradition and cr