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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1897.
The Kol Legend. The Kol, Púchikwár, and Akabéada tribes have very much the same versions of the Legend, giving the same names to the places and actors. The Akarbálé and Åükåüjúwõi differ, having places in their own countries where the fire is said to have been first kindled, and not recognising Wóta-Émi as the original home of the present race, as the others do.
Kāūlotit derives his name from a tree with black wood, such as the Diospyros nigricans, ebony, etc. Min - tong - tá - kéte,
or Min - tong - tāük. A tree leaf bone.
A tree leaf bone. Meaning: “The village of the Min' trees, which have big midribs to their leaves."
In N'otam we get a pronominal prefix in the plural, referring to "human beings." The whole phrase is strongly emphasised by these Pronouns, with the intention of showing that, after the cataclysm, almost all the people were dead and there was no fire. When fire had been obtained, either the dead people were resuscitated, or fresh people were created, or what. is probably really meant, life went on again as usual and the country was re-peopled in the ordinary way.
Jangil is here used for Anvestors. I found that this word was used by the very ancient Akabúada for the name of the hostile Inland tribe in the South Andaman, who are now known as Jirawas, and who belong to the Ongé Group of Tribes.
It is possible that the Aknbéada may have regarded the tribe as resembling their ancestors in their customs, and it is the only inkling we get that the people of the South Andaman Group of Tribes recognise that the members of the other groups are sprung from the same stock as themselves, though they admit that all Andamanese are one race, and differ from other races. When they first saw African Negroes and Somális they called them Jara was thus admitting them to the sain race as themselves, but considering them to be strangers and hostile.
I have always doubted whether Jraw. is a real Andamanese word, and believe it to be an Andamanese corruption of the Urdu word Jháríú, meaning "Foresters," and adapted by the Andamanese from the convicts since 1858.
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA. BY PANDIT S. M. NATESA SASTRI, B.A., M.F.L.S.
No. 43. - The Subhadâr of the Cot. Is the town of Tanjore there lived a clever Brahmaņ, named Kobava Bhag. His means and attainments were very humble. He was a priest, and earned on an average a couple of fanams every day by his profession. Half of this income, i. e., one fanam, he spent for his household expenses, and with the other fanam he held every night Council on a Cot in the back premises of a big mansion in Tanjore, between the first and tenth ghatikas.
The expression Council on a Cot" requires some explanation : and in order to give this it is necessary to give a brief description of the mansion in the back premises of which Kéśava Bhat held his council. In the West High Street of Tanjore there was a millionaire called Navakoti Narayana Setti." His mansion was seven stories high, and extended for a mile from west to east. The back premises were in the East High Street, and were almost unnoticed at night. To these Kêśava Bhat resorted every night at the second ghatiká
1 About twopence.
