The herald., 1893-02-19
ODD PEOPLE OF ASIA.
PECULIAR RACE OF DWARF SAvAeES
im THE NlLGlRlS.

A Remarkable Country with Many Ee-
markable Creatures - An Interesting
Story of the Creation and the First HUI
man Beings-A Weird Burial.
With queer insstency the English resi-
dents in India caH the Himalayan ranges
"hills"-.not only these immense moun-
tains, but also the tremendous chain
which runs parallel to the Indian ocean
and sends its feelers, as it were, into the
center Of south India. "Hills" indeed
is the generic term for thoss stations in
which the wearycfvilian and his wife,
the soldier and his family betake them
selves to rest during tho woeful heats of
summer.
SiInla is naturally the grandestof these
summer capitals, TOR it houses the i'm
perial government; Naini Tai shelters
that Of the northwest provinces; Bengal
retreats to Darjiliing and Madras to that
most delightful of all stations--U Utaca-
mund, in the Nilgiri hills.
The Nilgiris are perhaps the most
beautiful of the many beautiful noun
tain ranges in India. They do not show
an amazing growth of forestine giants
but thsy are most verdurous. Their sides
are covered with vast beds Of rhododen
drons, whose dark leaves and enormous
scarlet flowers often make them look as
If on fire. Wild roses flourish -gith un-
wonted luxuriance, which, clalnbering
over woods of lex and eugenia, make
Uncomfortable floral tbickefs.
Nor is the country alone remarkable
for its lovely landscapes or interesting
for its agricultural possibilities, as enter
prising coffee planters have set out i'm
mense orchards of this cherrylike tree,
but chiefly SO for the queer races which
find shelter in their wooded and well
watered canyons.
Some years ago the writer was in the
Nilgiris in connection with government
work, and had there the opportunity Of
seeing the small savages who live in the
most impenetrable parts of this noun
famous 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 slzillful in the use of these
primitive weapons.
Another tribe equally as interesting
are the Todas, who since 1900 have at
tracted the attention of Europeans.
The Portuguese thought they were
Christians and sent to their moral assist
ance Jesuit father, who, however, soon
discovered that they were the most ig-
norant heathens. Much argument has
been wasted upon the origin of these
people, some asserting they were sb-
original to southern India, others insist
ing they were of the lost tribes of Israel
and others that they were Manicheans.
However, only 800 or 700 remain, and
the little settlements are scattered over
the most picturesque portions of the
Nilgiris Their only worship is the buf-
falo, of which they have large herds,
and whose care aCd the gathering of
wild honey constitute the sum of their
daily toll.
Their story of the creation bears some
resemblance TO the belief of the ort -.
dox Christian, for they tell how
created fellow man out of the
and finished the good work by MAXI
woman, not out OF bis own ribs, bat tle
other mans ribs. They have trinity,
consisting of a father, son and kite.
The last was born of a pumpkin. the
offsurinf, cf the fi,.st woman
They, too, indulge In heaven and a
hell, and as the mountain streams are in
tested with leeches which make their
passage uncomfortable, the Todas say
hell is river inhabited by these awful
creatures, spanned by single thread
over which the righteous can pass snfely
but too frail for the traffic of the guilty
The Toda's dead body is swathed in a
new cloth, his toes are tied together With
red thread, earth is thrown over his
corpse, and two Of his buffaloes are RI
feed. They impose the dead n g
hands upon the animals horns ana D.
ment with bitter cries his passage to ne
unknown world. After removing ihe
skull and finger nails the body is burned,
and the ashes are scattered to the foul
winds of heaven.
The relics of the departed are taken to
the mourning house and stored with
those of others who during the year have
passed the great divide. Around this
house are hung the utensils which were
used by the deceased and those articles
which he most valued during life. Wom-
en- are jealously excluded from the in
terror of this house of woe, but are per-
mitted to peep through the crevices al
the assembled mourners, which year
later perform the last rites. They lie on
the floor, giving vent to the most hideous
howls, beating their breasts and exciting
each other to the flow of tears.
On the turf outside the house other
Todas maintain an exciting dance, ell
ing out their loud huh-huh-huhs, stg
ing their feet and dancing to the
spring music of the pipe and bp
hide drum, blown and beaten by the
rion eating Kotas, who furnish music j
all these dismal occasions Nor are the
ceremonies yet over The sacrifice has
to be performed, and this is done in a
Enthusiastically brutal fashion, for the
mild Hindustani can work himself into
the most fearful of religious frenzies.-
San Francisco Chronicle.