Arizona silver belt., 1893-05-27
ODD PEOPLE OF ASIA.
PECULIAR RACE OF DWARF sAVAeEs
 IN THE NlLGlals.

markablo Creatures An Interesting
 story of thc Creation and the First Hu. man Beings--A Weird Burial.
 With queer insistency the English resi- dents in India call the Hi1nalayan ranges hills 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 the center 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 D rest during the woeful heats oI sumnler.
 Simla is notu a fly the grandest of these summer capitals ior it houses the i'm. perial government; Naini Tal shelters that of the northwest provinces; Bengal retreats to bar1llling and Madras to that most delightful of al stations Utaca- mund. in the Nilgiri hills.
 The Nilgus are perhaps the mos, beautiful Of the many beautiful noun. tain ranges in India They do not show an amazing growth of forestine giants. but they are most verdGrOus. Their rsides 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 with un- wonted luxuriance, which, clambering over woods of ilex and eugenia. mako impenetrable floral thickets
 Nor is the country alone remarkable for it's lovely landscapes or interesting for its agricultural possibilities, as enter prising coffee planters have set out ini- 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 EilgiTis in connection with government work. and had there the opportunity of Gccing the saiHli sayages who live in the most inpeuotrahle parts Of this noun taiHops country. These are dwarfs and have never been tempted to partako ol the benefits of civilization They still live in holes in the grguHd or in hollow trunks. are absolutely naked and quar- rel with the monkey over wild fruits. Now aud again they venture 10 the lower levels and barter honey fer glass beads and other worthless gawgaws. They burt w!th bows and arrow and are re. marsably slillful in the use of these primitive weapons.
 Another tribe equally as interesting are the Toflas. who since lG00 have at tracted thc attention of Europeans
 Tho Portuguese thought they were Chrissiau5 and sent to their moral assist. ance g Jesuit father, Uho, however. soon discovered tLat they were the most ig. Horant heatheDs Much argument has been wasted upon the origin of these people, some asserting they were ab. original Co southern India. others insist. iug they were of tine lost tribes of Israel aud others that they wera danicheaus
 However, ouly eco or sG0 remain, and tho little settlements are scattered over the most picturesque portions of the Nilgris Their only worship is tho buff. falo. of which they have large herds and whose care and the gathering oi wild honey constitute the sum of theiI daily tuil
 Their story of the creation bci-s some resemblance to tbe belief of the ortho. loS Christian. for they tell how 8 man yrraiel fellow man ont Of the earth gf tiuisile'i the good work lry laakins wolu.n mol ont of his own rios b1t i.sa otblr man ribs They bavr a trinity consisting Of a father son and d k'ta The lasi Was born of q pumpkin. tbg offspring of the Ert woman
 They tuo, indulge iu a heaven and q hell aud as the mountain streams are jn- fsaed with leeches which make iles
 ,p uncomfortable, the T0das iie.l isn river inhabited by these qyy Gul creatures, spanned by a single thread, over which the righteous can pass safely, but io0 frMl fer the traffic of the guiltl.
 Ine Toda's dead body is swathel b ] usw cloth his toes are tied together wirh rcd thread etrih Is thrown over hia corpse and two of his butTaloes are sacn. feed They impose the dead man'J hands ulou the animals horns and la- meut with bitter cries his passage to the unknown world After removing the skull and finger nails the body is burned, and the ashes are scattered 10 the fom wiudsot 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 Aronnd thi house are hung the utensils which were used by the deceased and those articles which he most valued during life Won. en are joalously excluded from the in terior of this house of woe, but are per mitted to peep through the crevices at 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 ard excitin,, each other 10 tho flow of tears.
 On the turf outside the house other Todas maintain an exciting dance. call. ing ont their loud huh-huh-huhs, stamp. ing their feet and dancing Go the unin- spring music of the pipe and a buffalo hide drum, blown and beaten by the car rion eating Kotas, who furnish music on all these dismal occasions, Nor are inc ceremonies yet over, The sacrifice has to be performed, and this is done in a charaeteristicaliy brutal fashion, for the mild Hindustani can work himself into the most fearful of religious frenzies.- San Francisco Chronicle