Among those Hill Tribes of India which have been most secluded, and which have retained the largest measure of primitive life and customs, fidelity to truth in speech and act is still the standard, and a lie is abhorrent to the normal instincts of the race. Of the Khonds of Central India it is said that they, "in common with many other wild races, bear a singular character for truthfulness and honesty;"[1] and that especially "the aborigine is the most truthful of beings."[2] "The Khonds believe that truthfulness is one of the most sacred of duties imposed by the gods."[3] "They are men of one word."[4] "The truth is by a Sonthals held sacred." [5] The Todas "call falsehood one of the worst of vices."[6] Although it is said by one traveler that the Todas "practice dissimulation toward Europeans, yet he recognizes this as a trait consequent on their intercourse with Europeans."[7] The Bheels, which were said to be "a race of unmitigated savages, without any sense of natural religion." [8] and "which have preserved their rude habits and manners to the present day," are "yet imbued with a sense of truth and honor strangely at contrast with their external character."[9] Bishop Heber says that "their word is more to be depended on than that of their conquerors."[10] Of the Sowrahs it is said: "A pleasing feature in their character is their complete truthfulness. They do not know how to tell a lie."[11] Indeed, as Mr. Spencer sums up the case on this point, there are Hill Tribes in India "originally distinguished by their veracity, but who are rendered less veracious by contact with the whites. 'So rare is lying among these aboriginal races when unvitiated by the 'civilized,' that of those in Bengal, Hunter singles out the Tipperahs as 'the only Hill Tribe in which this vice is met with.'"[12] [Footnote 1: Glasfurd, cited in _Cycl. of Descrip. Sociol_., V., 32.] [Footnote 2: Forsyth, _Ibid_.] [Footnote 3: Macpherson, cited in _Ibid_.] [Footnote 4: _Ibid_.] [Footnote 5: Sherwill, cited in _Ibid_.] [Footnote 6: Harkness, cited in _Cycl. of Descrip. Sociol_., V., 31.] [Footnote 7: Spencer's _Principles of Sociology_, II., 234.] [Footnote 8: Marshman, cited in _Cycl. of Descrip. Sociol_., V., 31.] [Footnote 9: Wheeler, cited in _Ibid_.] [Footnote 10: Cited in _Ibid_.] [Footnote 11: Shortt, cited in _Ibid_.] [Footnote 12: Spencer's _Principles of Sociology_, II., 234 ff.]