15
The principal native musical instruments are the
surinda, or violin ; the choutura, or guitar; tuphla,
ordrum; and the sunod. The last is the leading
instrument, and is sounded with a plectum, like
other native guitars. The Surinda plays in unison
with it, while the choutura forms a kind of hass
accompaniment.
No. 89. Jogis.
These Jogis must not he confounded with Jogis
who are religious devotees. They are a low caste,
migratory tribe, found almost all over India, who
share the profession of catching, and to a certain
extent, taming snakes, with Mahomedans of the
same character. The photograph displays two of
the tribe exhibiting oobra capellas, or nägs, and
playing to them upon an instrument made of a gourd
of peculiar shape, into which a reed with holes is
fitted, which has six holes; sometimes there are two
reeds set side by side. The sound is like that of a
flageolet, and is often mellow and sweet, but there
is little attempt made at time or melody.
No. 90. Deena and his nephew Hooseinee
—Snake Charmers.
Their opcupation is exhibiting harmless snakes,
and catching or charming venomous ones. Their
tribe is migratory; going from place to place during
the cold and hot months of the year, and remaining
in one spot during the rainy season. They are
Mussulmans of the Soonee sect, and have a great
veneration for the memory of a deceased Fakir or
samt called Madar Shah, who is buried at Mukun
pore, in tbe Cawnpore district; they believe that the
three most sacred places on earth, are Mecca, Medina,
and Mukunpore, and the three objects ofworshi'p
are—Moulah, namely the Almighty, Mahomed, and
Madar Shah.
No. 91. Nuts.
Nuts or Naths, called in Western India Nutwa,
correspond to the European gipsy tribes, and, like
them, have no settled home. They are arrant thieves,
and their principal occupations are conjuring, dancing,
and tricks of legerdemain. The men are very active
and clever as acrobats. The women attend their
performances, and sing and play on small native
drums or tamborines. They also affect knowledge
of tbe Science of palmistry, and prepare and seil love
philtres and other charms. The Naths do not mix
with or intermarry with other tribes. They live for
the most part in tents made of black blanket stuff,
and move from village to village through all parts
of the country. Some of the men are skilful black-
smiths, and the women make patchwork quilts,
frequently very ingenious in pattem and neatly
sewn.
It is difficult to say whether Naths are Hindoos or
Mahomedans, as they have indifferently Hindoo and
Mahomedan names, and practise the observances of
both religions, intermixed with stränge ceremonies
of their own at marriages and other festivals, which
are kept secret among them.
No. 92. Gwal Nut.
Gwal Nut is a gipsy woman.
No. 93. Kesarah—Nutni.
Black hair and eyes, complexion rather dark, black
dress, with figured boddice over the bosom, coral
necklace, and head-dress of silver beads with a knot
on the top made of cowries, a white scarf over the
head and shoulders. Age, seventeen years ; height,
five feet six inclies.
No. 94. Sookha Kunjur.
Kunjurs are for the most'part a wandering thievish
race, resembling gipsies, and are to be found in nearly
all parts of India. They live by snaring wild animals,
making ropes and twine, as well as brushes of coca
nut fibre, used by weavers. Being of degraded and
filthy habits, they are reckoned a very low caste;
living on the llesh of wild animals of every description,
and not even sparing carrion.
No. 95. Sanseeas.
Sanseeas are neither Hindoos nor Mahomedans
in reality, but profess to bc Hindoos, and do not
practise cireumcision, by which rite alone they could
become Mahomedans. They are essentially outcasts,
admitted to no other caste fellowship, ministered to
by no priests, without any ostensible calling or pro
fession, totally ignorant "of everything but their
hereditary crime, and with no settled place of resi-
dence whatever; they wander as they please over
the Land, assuming any disguise they may need, and
for ever preying upon its people.
B.—ABORIGINAL, LOCAL, AND FRONTIER TRIBES OF NORTHERN INDIA.
a.—Bengal
No. 96. The Coles of Chota Nagpore.
The total area of Chota Nagpore is estimated at
4,4(58 square miles, with a population of G45.359
souls, of whom about one-half are what are known
to Europeans by the name of Coles. The Word Col
or Kol is an epithet of opprobrium applied to these
tribes by the Hindoos. It includes many tribes, but
the people of Chota Nagpore to whom it is generally
applied are either Moondahs or Oraons; and though
AND BEHAE.
the two raees are found in many parts of the country
occupying the same villages, cultivating the same
fields, celebrating together the same festivals, and
enjoying the same amusements, they do not inter
marry. The uniform tradition in Chota Nagpore is,
that the Moondahs were the first settlers, and thus
acquired certain proprietary rights in the soil, which
they are most tenacious of to this day.
Physically, the Moondahs are the finer race of the
two; they are taller, fairer, better proportioned, and