The Portland daily press., 1894-04-02
ODD PEOPLE OF ASIA.
Peculiar Rage Of Dwarf Savages in
the NiIciris.

tuO NllClElSs
Remarkable Country with Many Re-
markable Creatures - An Interesting
Story of tho Creation and the First HUI
man Beinss-A Weird Burial.
With queer insistency the English resi-
dents in India call the Himalayan ranges
ehills"-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 the
center of south India. 'sHills" indeed
is the generic term for those stations in
which the weary civilian and his wife,
the soldier and bis family SDetake them
selves to rest dufing the woeful heats Of
summer.
Simla 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 DarjiIling and Madras to that
most delightful Of all stations-Ut aca-
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 with I'M
wonted luxuriance, which, clambering
over woods of lick and eugenia, make
impenetrable floral thickets.
Nor is the country alone remarkable
for it's lovely landscapes or interesting
for it's 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 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 buff
falo, 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
resemblance to the belief Of the ortho.
dox Christian, for, they tell how man
created fellow, man out of the earth
and finished the good work by making
woman, not out of his own ribs, but the
other mans ribs. They have a trinity,
consisting of father, son and kite.
The last was born of pumpkin, the
offspring of the first woman.
They, too, indulge in a heaven and 8
hell, and as the mountain streams are i'll
tested with leeches which make their
passage uncomfortable, the Todas sag
hell is river inhabited by these awfn;
creatures, SPAWNED 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 a
new cloth, his toes are tied together with
red thread, earth is thrown over mis-
corpse, and two Of his buffaloes are sacri.
feed. They impose the dead mani
uJO4 tllO cS11iAAulS bO1AAc cAlA IA
nlent with bitter cries his passage to ths
unknown world. After removing tbs
skull and finger nails the body is burned
and the ashes are scattered to the -four
winds of heaven.
The relics of the departed are taken to
the mourning house and stored with
those of others who during the year h,Ne
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. WON
en- are jealousy excluded from the in
terror of this house of woe, but are per
mitted to peep through the czsvices as
the assembled tnourners, which year
later perform the last rites. They lie Oh
the floor, giving vent to the most hideous
bowls, beating their breasts and exciting
each other to the flow of tears
On the turf outside the house other
Todas maintain an exciting dance, call
ing out their loud huh-huh-huhs, stamp
ing their feet and dancing to the unin-
spring music of the pipe and buffalo
hide drum. blown and beaten by the car