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eastern Asam, we first enter the extensive located with the Siamese in the Tai group; the territory of the Naga people, who are said to Khasia and Jayntia form a group by themselves at number not less than thirty tribes, and whose present; and the other languages, or dialects, A8 villages are found as far west as the Doyang shall appear hereafter, not less than two score in river, or between 93° and 97° E. long. The number, are classed with the Tibeto-Burman subNagas are the most savage of all the mountain family. The prevailing type of all these languages tribes, and their country has never been com is monosyllabic with a tendency to agglutination.' pletely explored. Adjoining the Någas on the west are the Mikirs and Kukis, the latter being
PUN SANSKRIT MSS. immigrants from a large and powerful tribe lying Professor Keilhorn has submitted to the farther south in Manipur and Kachår. The Government of Bombay à proposal for the remaining border land is occupied by the Jayntias cataloguing of the valuable collection of Sanskrit or Syntengs, the Khasias, and the Garos. These manuscripts in possession of the Dekhan College tribes probably represent the true aborigines of at Puna. These manuscripts have been mostly Asâm, and have preserved marked traces of purchased for Government since the inauguration affinity to a similar population in Central India. in 1868 of Mr. Whitley Stokes's admirable scheme The rude tribes, whose location we have hastily for searching out and purchasing or copying rare traced, differ considerably in details of physical manuscripts. The result has been that since appearance and customs, but have certain charac- then the Dekhan College Library has obtained teristics in common, only one or two of which 3111 MSS., which, with about 550 received from can be noted in this abstract. Physically, they the old Sansksit College, makes a total of about exhibit in a marked degree the type called Mon. 3660 MSS. “Considering that the Bodleian and goloid--the oblique eyes, high cheek-bones, the Berlin Libraries contain each about 1,500, and square jaws, scanty beard, and color varying that even the Library of the India Office owns from tawny yellow to dark brown. They live only about 3000 manuscripts," Dr. Keilhorn saye in long, narrow houses, one end of which is he "cannot be wrong in stating that the Dekhan usually supported upon poste, so as to secure in College possesses the largest collection of Sanskrit their rough country a level floor with the least manuscripts which is generally accessible to trouble. Many families and even a whole village scholars of all parts of the world. Nor is this sometimes crowd into one of these houses. Their collection inferior to any other in point of quality : skill in the arts is very limited, not all of the as regards the literature of the Jainas it is tribes being able to make iron implements or admittedly unrivalled; its palm-leaf and Bhar. weave their own clothing. They practice the rude japatra manuscripts are unique; and the daily sort of agriculture known all over India as jhum. increasing applications from European and native Each tribe is usually divided into clans, at the scholars prove that no important work can be head of which are hereditary chiefs, whose published to-day either in Europe or in India authority is in some cases real, in others merely without consulting the manuscripts of the nominal. In the latter case the fear of private Dekhan College." revenge is the only restraint to crime. The Such a collection is well deserving of a thoroughAbars are governed by a council of elders, who ly good catalogue, and Prof. Keilhorn proposes daily convene in the morang or town ball, and "that a certain number of manuscripts should, regulate the affairs of the community even to the from time to time and for a limited period, be details of daily labour. The religion of all the Bent to Europe through the India Office, and that tribes except the Khamtis, who have embraced scholars who might be willing to assist in the Buddhism, is at a rude, animistic stage, and undertaking" should be invited to do so. "Cerconsists chiefly in propitiating the mischievous tain branches of Sanskrit literature should be spirits of their forests by offerings of fowls and assigned to such scholars as are known to excel in other animals. Divination and magic are univer- them, and every scholar should be made individu. sally practiced. Traces of Aryan influence can ally responsible for his share of the work, and his be detected in some of their ideas of a future life. own name should be given on the title page of the The languages of these tribes have never been part of the catalogue prepared by him." Dr. carefuly studied, and with exception of a gram. Keilhorn places his own services at the disposal of mar of Garo, a grammar and dictionary of Khasia, Government to assist in the work, and expresses and a few other missionary publications, are the hope that, within five or six years an excellent known only by brief vocabularies. Any classifica catalogue of all the manuscripts hitherto collected tion is therefore provisional. The Khamti is will be completed, and at very little expense.
* Proceedings, American Orient. Soc., May 1882.
