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

Story of the Creation and the First HUI
man Beings-A Weird Burial.
With queer insistency the English resi-
dents in India can the Himalayan ranges
"hills"-not only these immense noun
tains, but also the tremendous chain
which runs parallel to the Indian ocean
and sends its feelers, as it were, into tile
center of south India. ''HiIls" indeed
is the generic term. for those stations in
which the wearycfvilian and his wife,
the soldier and his family betake them
selves to rest during the wosful heats of
summer.
SiInla is naturally the grandest,of these
summer capitals, ror it houses the i'm
perial government; Naini Tai shelters
that Of the northwest provinces; Bengal
retreats to Darjiiing 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 they 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 -vith un-
wonted luxuriance, which, clalnbering
over woods of lex and eugenia, make
impenetrable floral thickets.
Nor is the country alone remarkable
for it's lovely landscapes or interesting
for its agricultural possibilities, as enter
t,a soft ont
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 skillful 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 alb
original to southern India, others insist
ing they were of the lost tribes of Israel
and others that they were Manicheans.
However, only 600 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 core aGd the gathering Of
wild honey constitute the sum of their
daily toll
Their story of the creation bears some
resemblance 80 the belief of the ort n.y.
dox Christian, for they tell how a.
created fellow man out of the /
and finished the good work by MAXI. :,
woman, not out of his own ribs, but lle
other mans ribs. They have q trinity,
consisting of father, son and kite
The last was born of a pumpkin. the
offspring of the first woman.
They, too, indulge Ia 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 a 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 lis
corpse, and two of his buffaloes are RI
feed. They impose the dead n 8
hands upon the animals horns and p
ment with bitter cries his passage to ne
unknown world. After removing 'he
skull and finger nails the body is burned,
and the ashes are scattered to the fou1
winds of heaven.
The relics of the departed are taken to
the mourning house and stored with
UliCSe Oh ObnerS WHO turing VIlo year UdNS
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 a!
the assembled mourners, which year
later perform the last rites. They lie OF
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, ca'l
ing out their loud huh-huh-huhs, ST.
ing their feet and dancing to the
spring music of the pipe and BIZ
hide drum, blown and beaten by the
rion eating Kotas, who furnish music Il
all these dismal occasions. Nor are tht
ceremonies yet over. The sacrifice has
to be performed, and this is done in c
Enthusiastically brutal fashion, for the
mild Hiudustani can work himself into
the most fearful of religious frenzies.-
San Francisco Chronicle.
,s.-<a A1,<xp Dt.-.