Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7Thurston, Edgar
History
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7
Thurston, Edgar
Caste -- India, South; Ethnology -- India, South; India, South -- Social life and customs; Tribes -- India, South
paid them as road-police is virtually blackmail to induce them to
guarantee the freedom of the forest highways. The Chenchu barters
the produce of the forests in which he lives, namely, honey and wax,
deer horns and hides, tamarinds, wood apples (Feronia elephantum),
and mowhra (Bassia latifolia) fruit and flowers, and realises a very
considerable income from these sources. He reaps annually a rich
harvest of hides and horns. The sambur (Cervus unicolor) and spotted
deer (Cervus axis) shed their horns at certain seasons. These horns
are hidden in the rank luxuriant grass. But, when the heat of the dry
weather has withered it, the Chenchu applies fire to it by rubbing two
dried sticks together, and, walking in the wake of the flames, picks
up the horns disclosed to view by the reduction of the vegetation to
ashes. He supplements this method with his bow and rifle, and by the
latter means alone obtains his hides. The Chenchu is every bit as bad
a shot as the average aboriginal. He rarely stalks, but, when he does,
he makes up by his skill in woodcraft for his inexpertness with his
gun. He understands the importance of not giving the deer a slant of
his wind, and, if they catch a glimpse of him, he will stand motionless
and black as the tree trunks around. The ambush by the salt-lick or
water-hole, however, is his favourite method of sport. Here, fortified
with a supply of the pungent-smelling liquor which he illicitly
distils from the mowhra flower he will lie night and day ruthlessly
murdering sambur, spotted deer, nilgai (Boselaphus tràgocamelus);
four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis). Tigers often stalk
down, and drink and roll in the pool, but the Chenchu dares not draw
a bead on him. Perhaps the indifference of his shooting, of which he
is conscious, deters him." When in danger from tigers or leopards, the
Chenchus climb a tree, and shout. The Chenchus recognise two distinct
varieties of leopards called chirra puli and chirta puli, concerning
which Blanford writes as follows. [21] "Most of the sportsmen who
have hunted in Central India, and many native shikaris (sportsmen)
distinguish two forms, and in parts of the country there is some
appearance of two races--a larger form that inhabits the hills and
forests, and a smaller form commonly occurring in patches of grass
and bushes amongst cultivated fields and gardens. The larger form is
said to have a shorter tail, a longer head with an occipital crest,
and clearly defined spots on a paler ground-colour. The smaller form
has a comparatively longer tail, a rounder head, less clearly defined
spots, and rougher fur. I cannot help suspecting that the difference
is very often due to age."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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