Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-06-24
ODD PEOPLE OF ASIA.
PECULIAR RACE OF owAHF sAvAeEs
IN THE NlLGlRl5.

narkabie Creatures - AH Interesting
Story OF the Creation and the First HUI
man BeIng.-A weird nu tIal.
With queer insistency the English resi-
dents in India call the HimAlayan ranges
"hills"-not only these inn nense noun
tains, but also the treme ndous 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 thoRe stsions in
which the weary civilian and his wife,
the soldier and his family betake them
selves ID rest during the wbeful heats Of
simmer.
Simla is naturally the gra ndest of these
summer capitals FOR IL houses the i'm
perial government. Naini Tai shelters
that Of the northwest provinces; Bengal
retreats 10 Darjilling and Madras TO that
most delightful of AL stations-U taca-
mund, in the Nilgiri hills
The Nilglrs are perhaps the most
beautiful Of the many beautiful noun
tain ranges in India. They do not show
an amazing growth Of foHestine giants,
but they are most verduroNs. Their sides
are covered with vast beds of rhododen-
drons. whose dark leaves md enormous
scarlet flowers often make them look as
If ON fire. Wild roses flourish with I'M
wonted luxuriance. which, clambering
over woods of lick and eugenia. make
impenetrable floral thicke IS
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 wobded 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 partal;e 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 10 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 tile use of these
primitive weapons.
Another tribe equally rs 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. WHIP. however. soon
discovered that they were the most ig-
norant heathens. Much argument has
been wasted upon the origin of thesC
I people, some asserting they Were alb
original 10 southern India. others insist
/ ing they were OF the lost tribes Of Israe
and others that they wero Manicheans.
However, only 600 or zoo remain, and
the little settlements are scattered over
the most picturesque portions Of tn,
| Nilgiris Their only worship is the buf
falo. Of which they have large herds
and whose care and the gathering OF
wild honey constitute the sum Of theil
daily toll
/ Their story Of the crs alton bears som,
resemblance to the belief of the ortho
dox Christian, for they tell how a mar
created fellow man put Of the eartl
and finished the good work by making
woman, not out Of his pwn ribs, but tn,
other mans ribs. They have q trinity
| consisting of father son and kite
The last was born of pumpkin. til,
offspring of the first W oman.
They. too. indulge IN a heaven and /
hell. and as the mountain streams are in
Tested with leeches " hich make thei
passage uncomfortable, the Todas 81,
hell Is a river inhabited by these awfu
creatures, SPAWNED by Ii 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 witt
red thread, earth is thrown over hi
corpse. and two of his buffaloes are sacri
feed They impose the dead man
hands upon the animals horns and Ia
ment with bitter cries his passage to til
unknown world. After removing tn
skull and finger nails the body IS burned
and the ashes are scattered To the fou
winds of heaven.
The relics of the departed are taken I
the mourning house and stored wit
those Of others who during the year hav
passed the great divide. Around thi
house are hung the utensils which wcr
used by the deceased and those article
which he most valued during life. Won
en- are iealously excluded from the il
terror Of this house OF woe, but are PEI
mitted to peep through the crevices q
the assembled mourners, which yea
later perform the last rites They lie o
the floor. giving vent 10 the most hideou
bowls. beating their breasts and excitin
each other to the flow of tears.
On the turf outsil De the house othe
Todas maintain an exciting dance, cal
ing out their loud huh -huh-huhs, stamI
ing their feet and dancing to the uniI
spring music of the pipe and buffal
hide drum. blown ami beaten by the ca
rion eating kotas. who furnish music o
all these dismal occasions. Nor are III
ceremonies yet over. The sacrifice ha
TO be performed, and this Is done in
characteristically brutal fashion, for ii
! mild Hindustani can work himself int
the most fearful of religious frenzies.-
San Francisco Chronicle.
Thirtcens ON the New Quarter.
On one side of the new quarter dolla
, are nine separate representations of III