DARWINIAN INDIANS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4494, 14 August 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

DARWINIAN INDIANS.

' . (From the Pioneer.) India,’ the seat of one of the oldest existing civilisations, contains, nevertheless, in the recesses of its central and southern jungles, curious examples of humanity in its earliest stages. They are descendants of the original inhabitants of the country, the Kakshassas of the llamayana, driven by various conquering races from the more fertile districts to the least frequented wilds, whore, unrecognised by the world, they pass a miserable existence in an unequal struggle with, nature. They preservel the habits and customs of their very ancient forefathers, and as such are an interesting study to the anthropologist. Amongst the strangest of those low types are the wild inhabitants of the’ Western Ghats. These have been described fidly by Mr. Fond in the last report of the Great Trigonometrical Survey. He heard of their existence whilst surveying his district, and sent ser%-auts to watch for them, as if they were wild beasts, aud run them down. They live in the woods, but come occasionally at night to the villages to carry olf whatever, they can pick up. After- an exciting chase, in which the wild man used hands and feet, monkey--like, in clambering over the rocks, two of them, man and wife, were caught aud brought to Mr. Fond for inspection. They arc a strange dwarfish race. He was only 4ft.'tUin. high, with'a round head, coarse black woolly hair and a dark-brown skin. His forehead was low and. slightly retreating. The lower part of his face projected like the muyjJe of a monkey. His mouth, with thick lips, protruded nearly an inch beyond the body. Amongst his other personal attractions were short bandy legs, a comparatively long body, anus that reached to the knees, and hands that were always contracted and could not he made to stretch out quite straight. Nature has evidently stamped their origin upon the features thus described in indelible characters. All the advantages of personal appearance were, strange to say, on the part of the woman. She was of the same height ’as the man, and much belter proportioned. She was, as Mr. Bond quaintly remarks, pleasant to look upon and modest. She aud her husband, it appears, live chieiiy on roots and wild boney, •although they eat flesh when they can get it; They sleep in caves or between rocks. Their marriage customs are simple and primitive. A man aud woman, when they pair off, mutually agree to live together, on the understanding that the man shall provide the food and the woman cook it. The man squats on the ground, and is served by his wife, aud it is not until he has finished that she touches food. They appear to worship certain local divinities. It would be very interesting to trace out the descent of these people, and ascertain whether they are pure descendants of the ancient and primitive inhabitants of India who supplied the’ monkey army that aided Kama in his expedition to Ceylon, or merely the descendants of some abnormal dwarfish creatures driven away, ages ago, by their brethren into the woods.