The Khongars were generally Paidis by caste, and their descendants are even now the most notorious among the dacoits of the Vizagapatam district. Their methods are thus described in the Gazetteer of the Vizagapatam district (1907). "Like the Konda Doras, they have induced some of the people to employ watchmen of their caste as the price of immunity from theft. They are connected with the Dombus of the Rayagada and Gunupur taluks, who are even worse. These people dacoit houses at night in armed gangs of fifty or more, with their faces blackened to prevent recognition. Terrifying the villagers into staying quiet in their huts, they force their way into the house of some wealthy person (for choice the local Sondi, liquor-seller and sowcar [89]--usually the only man worth looting in an Agency village, and a shark who gets little pity from his neighbours when forced to disgorge), tie up the men, rape the women, and go off with everything of value. Their favourite method of extracting information regarding concealed property is to sprinkle the house-owner with boiling oil." Kangayan.--A division of Idaiyans settled in Travancore. Kaniala (land-owners).--A sub-division of Vellala. Kanigiri (a hill in the Nellore district).--An exogamous sept of Medara. Kanikar.--The Kanikars, who are commonly known as Kanis, are a jungle tribe inhabiting the mountains of South Travancore. Till recently they were in the habit of sending all their women into the seclusion of the dense jungle on the arrival of a stranger near their settlements. But this is now seldom done, and some Kanikars have in modern times settled in the vicinity of towns, and become domesticated. The primitive short, dark-skinned and platyrhine type, though surviving, has become changed as the result of contact metamorphosis, and many leptorhine or mesorhine individuals above middle height are to be met with. ==============+=======================+====================== | Stature. | Nasal index. ==============+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+====== | AV. | MAX. | MIN. | AV. | MAX. | MIN. | | | | | | Jungle | 155.2 | 170.3 | 150.2 | 84.6 | 105 | 72.3 Domesticated | 158.7 | 170.4 | 148 | 81.2 | 90.5 | 70.8 ==============+=======+=======+=======+=======+=======+====== The Kanikars are said to be characterised by a high standard of honour, and to be straightforward, honest and truthful. They are good trackers and fond of sport, and in clearing forest paths they have hardly any equals. Their help and guidance are sought by, and willingly given to any person who may have to travel through the forests.