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Rh Mountain. Another, and a more rational story, declares that they are the illegimateillegitimate [sic] offspring of a Bráhman father and a Vaisya mother. The Sánkhárís or shell cutters, the Kánsárís or braziers, and the Sonárbaniás or goldsmiths, are branches of this caste; but the last named have become degraded, and will be alluded to in their proper place, further down in this list. The Gandhbaniks in the 24 Parganás numbered, in 1872, 5053; the Sánkhárís, 1226; and the Kánsárís, 5346. They are all in middling circumstances.

The following eightnine [sic] castes (numbers 10 to 1718 [sic]) are held in equal esteem with the above Súdra classes, and some of them were probably branches of the Nabasáks. Bráhmans can drink water from their hands, and one class of Bráhmans forms the priesthood for all of them. Their Bráhmans are not so much despised as those who act as priests to the very low castes. The higher class of Súdras are divided into septs, or gotras, in the same manner as the Bráhmans, Baidyas, and Káyasths. They generally belong to the Bharadwáj, Sándilya, Kásyap, Madhukulya, and Almele septs; the last mentioned of which is made up of those who have forgotten or do not know their proper gotra.

(10) Márwárí and Agarwálás are up-country traders, principally from Rájputáná. With the exception of a small number of families in Calcutta, they do not settle in the District, but return to their original homes when they have made money. Most members of these castes are wealthy. Number in the 24 Parganás in 1872, 791.

(11) Goálá, milkmen and cow-herds.—As before stated, these formed one of the subdivisions of the great Gop caste. There is also a distinct class of Goálás settled in and around Calcutta, who have now separated from the general body. These sell cows to the butchers, and are utterly despised in consequence. The Goálás are said to be the offspring of a Vaisya father and a Súdra mother. Number, 88,551.

(12) Garerí, probably an up-country pastoral caste. Number, 50.

(13) Gujjar and Ját, also an up-country caste, principally employed in agriculture. Number, 44.

(14) Kaibartta.—There is little doubt that the Kaibarttas were one of the aboriginal tribes of the country. They are spoken of in the Mahábhárata, and also in the ancient religious books of the Hindus. The Kaibarttas have always claimed high social rank, and Parasurám manufactured a large body of this caste on the Malabar coast into Bráhmans. The great sage Vyás was