The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-21
QUEER TRIBES OF INDIA.
Dwarf Savages that GO Naked and
Live in the Ground.
MOST BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS.
ahe Todas, Another Odd kace-Their
Curious Beliefs and Weird Religious
Ceremonies Worship the Buff
faIo-Their Hideous Sacrifices.

With queer insistency the English res
idents in India call the Himalayan ranges
I" hills mot only these immense mount
aims, but also the tremendous chain
which runs parallel to the Indian Ocean
and sends its feelers, as il were, into the
centre of South India. Hills" indeed,
is the generic term for those stations in
which the weary civilian and his wife,
the soldier and his family, betake them
selves to rest during the woful heats of
summer, says the San Francisco Chron-
icle.
The Nilgiris are, perhaps, the most
beautiful Of the many beautiful mount
ain ranges In India. They do not show
an amazing growth Of forestine giants,
but they are most verdurous. Their
sides are covered with vast beds oil rho
dodendrons, whose dark leaves and snor-
nous scarlet flowers often make them
look as IL on FIRE. Wild roses flourish
with unwonted Iuxuriance, which, clam
bering over woods OF lick and eugenia,
make i'm penetrabie floral thickets.
Nor is the country alone remarkable for
its lovely landscapes or interesting for
its agricultural possibilities, rs enter
prising coffee planters have set out I'M
mepse orchards Of this cherry-like tree;
Ae>S
find shelter in their wooded and we'll
watsred canyons.
Some years ago the writer WIS in the
Nilsiris In connection with Government
work, and had there the opportunity OF
seeing the small savages who live in the
most impenetrable parts OF this mount
ainous country. These are dwarfs and
have never been tempted to partake OF
the benefits of civilization. They still
live in holes in the ground or in hollow
trunks, are absolutely naked, and quar-
rel with the monkey over wild fruits.
Now and again they venture to the lower
levels and barter honey for glass beads
and other worthless gewgaws. They
hunt with bows and arrows, and are re-
markably skilful in the use OF these
primitive weapons.
Another tribe equally as interesting
are the Todas, who since 1000 have at
tracted the attention of Europeans.
Only 600 or 700 remain, and the little
settlements are scattered over the most
picturesque portions Of the Nilgiris. Their
only worship 10 the buffalo, OF which
they have large herds, and whose care and
the gathering of wild honey constitute
the sum of their daily toll.
Their story of the creation bears some
resem blance to the belief OF the orthodox
Christian, for they tell how man created
| a fellow man out ofthe earth and finished
| the good work BY making a woman, moi
out OF his own ribs, but the other mans
ribs. They have trinity, consisting OF {
father, SON and a kite. The last was borr
| OF pumpkin, the offspring OF the frs
| woman.
| They, too, indulge in . heaven and {
| hell, and as the mountain streams are In
tested with leeches, which make thei
passage uncomfortable, the Todas So,
hell 10 q river inhabited by these awfu
creatures, spanned by a single thread
over which the righteous can pass safely
but too frail for the traffic Of the guilty
The Toda's dead body is swathed in
new cloth, his toes are tied together will
red thread, earth is thrown over hi
corpse, and two of his buffalo's are sacri
feed. They impose the dead man
hands upon the animals horns and la
ment with bitter cries his passage to tn
unknown world. After removing tn
skull and finger nails the body is burne'
and the ashes scattered to the four wind
Of heaven.
On the turf outside the house other To
das maintain an exciting dance, callinI
"
their feet and dancing to the uninspirin
music of the pipe and a buffalo hid
drum, blown and beaten by the carrion
eating Kotas, who furnish music on al
these dismal occasions. Nor are the Ger
emonies vet over. The sacrifice has I
be performed, and this is done in a char
acteristically brutal fashion, for the mil
Hindustani can work himself into tn
most fearful of religious frenzies.
The buffaloss to be sacrificed ar
penned up in q corral, two females 70
each of the deceased in whose memor
the services are being held. Then sewers
athletic young Todas jumped into tn
enclosure, and two, throwing themselvs
on a buffalo, blindfold the animal an
most numerically beat the creature int
passiveness. This sport being concluded
the mourners retire for lunch and cor
sumo large amounts Of rice and CHI. The
the relics are brought near the gate
the enclosure, which the relatives revel
emily approach and three times thro
upon them earth.
The priest, who has hitherto taken bl
little part in these strange ceremonie
approaches the corral points out bu
falo and filings at IL a chaplet of leave
At this signal the waiting Todas rush 70
ward, selze the unfor tunate animal, dri
it toward the gate and dispatch u
manned and feeble brute with blow fro
an axe.
Then very paroxysm OF grief assai
! the mourners. They caress the horn
kiss the head Of the dead buffalo, ho
before it's CLASSY eyes the relics of &
dead, and pray that its death will expia
the sins of the one in whose honor tt
sacrifice has been held.
Death Watch Appointed.