ages of caste, that "caste, and its offspring custom, are among the
hindrances to all good in India."

But it is still more curious to observe how men of intelligence and
observation can be led, by the force of inherited opinion, into statements
as to the effects of caste which are actually contradicted by their own
experience. And in Mr. Raikes's interesting work, "Notes of the
North-Western Provinces," we find an instance of how people will always
attribute everything to this universal bugbear. Observing on the pride of
high caste, "which withers whatever it touches," Mr. Raikes informs us
that the Brahmins and Rajpoots of the rich province of Benares will not
touch the plough owing to pride of caste. He next tells us that caste is
little regarded to the north of Allahabad, where, from various causes, the
demand for labour is greater. All of which, being traced to its true
cause, simply amounts to this, namely, that where landed proprietors of
good family are well off they naturally do not care to work, whereas in
another part of the country where they are not well off, or cannot procure
labourers, they do work. In the same way, the author, after telling us
that infanticide has at one time or other been common all over the world,
tells us that in India it is entirely caused by caste. Now, if we take
caste to mean family pride solely, it certainly has influenced the matter,
or at least tended to maintain the evil complained of; but I know of one
instance, at least, in India where infanticide can be traced to
satisfactory causes, and amongst a people who have always been observed to
be remarkably free from what are called caste prejudices. The Toda tribe,
on the Nilgiri Hills, are polyandrists, and, in order to keep down the
number of the tribe, they naturally had recourse to female infanticide.
This they have now abandoned, and my Toda guide very soon told me the
reason. He said, "Formerly we used to kill the females, because we had
little more than the produce of our buffaloes to depend on; but now that
more people have flocked to the hills we can let our lands and get plenty
to eat." He added, also, that the Government had ordered them not to kill
their children; but, unless their means had improved, it is plain that a
Government order would have had little effect. But, as regards this
subject of infanticide, it seems to be a thing difficult to avoid,
whenever conditions arise which are favourable to its extension; nor