, 1873-07-13
THE FIG-LEAF.
4 Quoor Tribe Of 1uumnu uetnEs In
India,

4nNAAs
A clan OF lcaf-clad mountaineors has been
found in OriHsa. In tho hla Of Keonjhur, ono
Of tho tributary ontasea to tho South Of Guttack,
is tho riilago OF Gonatika, Whonce thoro iBsnea
from two holes in o rools compared to tho nos
tria Of cow tho waters Of tho Dyturnce tho
Hindoo styx. Hero tho Juangs, who inhabt
many other settlements in Koon1hur and tho
noghboring estate Of Dhekansl, declare that
tloy originally BprnnR Into being voritablo
antochthouos, tho frat, though byno tnoans tho
fathore, Of all mankind, somo three thousand
in number, they have no traditions which
afrlatc thom with othor tribos, but their
language bctrays tho sccrot Of which
they themselves were ignorant till Col
Dalton pointed 1t out to thom-thoy aro allied
with tho Hos and santa1s. Their river they do
clare to be older than tho Gangos. Tho Juang
huts are described as tho smallest that human
beings over deliberately constructed aa dwellings,.
In space OF Bi1 feet by eight, 80 low that no
corpulent pozaon could onter, tho fathor of the
family and all tho fomaleB thko up ono compart~
ment. while tho other ia the ntoro-room.
Tho boys of zach 7illnge have joint dormitory
Of como protonyionB, erected at itB entrance.
There, too, guoBta and travelors arc recoivod and
tho Instruments aro kept. Their food ranges
from tho offal Of tho jungle, which they discover
by animal instinct-the mieo, rats, monkeys,
tigers, bears, snakes, and frogs-and
tho spontaneous forest produce, to tho
crops which thoy themselves raise. When
driven to It by their Bhoolva masters
pon Of dofonso ia a sling mado Of cord, and
7spobblos from tho brook" When engaged with
Mr. T. Ravenshaw, the Commissioner Of Oriesa,
in settling boundary dispute in 1866, Col. Dal-
ton had hia first opportunity Of studying party
NJ rnnafatiup nf n nnhtr0n. half d dnYnn
had already abandoned tho use Of lcavcB for tho
smallest possible quantity OF cotton cloth, but
tho women clung to their foliage under tho bo.
Lief that whom the riyor goddess. Bvtrrnec, frat
loaped from the Gonaslka Rock, Bho was 80 an
gry nt the spectacle Of party Of Juangs dancing
nakod, that Bho condemned them to adopt leaves
aH their drosa forever, or die. The first torch-
light dance OF this party was shy.
Next day, Rays Col. Dalton, thoy cn1ne to my
tent at noon, and whilo l convorsod with tho
maloB on thor custom. language. and religion
tho girls sat nestled togothor in coruer, Tor q
| after m hour or two had elapsed. tho crouching
/ nynphB showed signB Of life and Bymptoma Of
unoasinoss, and, moro attontiye!y regarding
thona, found that great to@ra we're dropping
| greon loavoB. On my tonderly seeking the
causo of their distress, was told TINT the loavos
wore becoming dry and stin, and uncomfortable,
| and il they were not allowed to so into tue
l NQuue 1uI D. Ct!aAbef sAo eoAapH4oHeen "oA4o ~
aorious, and they certainly conld not dance. II
| was bright, dry dny, md tho crisp ruBtling as
thoy roso to depart confirmed tho statement.
| 1Ylon thoy returned arrayod in frcBh loasea, we
iHaaafIA t5asq fa ttQ eiTo us net only the solemn
variety Of sportivo dances, sono quito dramatic
in effect md 1t twas altogether most interesting
''bailot."
In ono figure tho girls moved round in singlt
flo, kooplng tho right hand on tho right shout
der Of the girl In front; in another, with bodiee
| iuclinod, they wreathed their nrm8 and advanced
| and rotreatad in limo. In this movement tht
| performance bore strong resemblance to ono o
tho Kol darceB. Thon We had tho boar dance
Tho girls, acting Independently, advance with
bodea so much inclined that their hands touch
the ground thus they move not unlike beara
and by motion from the knee, the bodio
wriggle violently, aud tho broad tails Of greer
leaYos flap up and down IN q moat ludcIou
manner. Tho pigeon dnnco followa; tho action
Of 1o!s:makng pigeon Whom - ho .sI'na struts
tho ground with his wings, we
we'll initiated, the hands Of the girl
toiao dance, in Which the motions Of those ani
malls were leBa felicitiously rendered, and th
quail dance, in which they squatted aud peoko'
at the ground after the fashion Of thoao birds.
They concluded with tho vulturo dance,
| highly dramatic finale. Quo OF the mon wa
made to lilo on the ground and represent q doa
body. The girls III approaching 1t Initiated tt
hopping, Bideling advance Of the bird Of proy
anI using their hands ns beakg, nippod an
pinched tho pRoudo corpao in a maunor tia
made him occasionally forget his character IN
yol with pain. This caused great smusomen
to tho ornentors.-friend Of India.