Page:Origin and spread of the Tamils.djvu/93



82 ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF THE TAMILS There were seagoing ships of South India called Surual. These bear three horizontal white bars, painted with three lines of ash sacred to Siva. ... It is claimed that the single out-rigger and balance board designs are both Polynesian in affinity. Whatever this may be, it bears out the trade relations between India and Polynesia. It is noteworthy that Andhra and Kurumbar coins point to two-masted ships without out-riggers. What is still more interesting is that the Malay term for ships is the Tamil word Kappal. Several words of South Indian origin are found in the languages of Malaysia. These further confirm the march of South Indian civilization to overseas countries. Thus we see how the Tamil influence was widespread in very ancient times. Such definite cases of eye being carved or wide distribution of coracles cannot be easily dismissed as cases of parallelism. Memoirs of Asiatic Society of Bengal, VII.--). Hornell's article, pp. 152-190; also pp. 216-227. 8. The boomerang (Sanskrit Rşti) occurs in the Mahabharata. (JRAS, 1898, p. 379; J.A.S.B., 1924, p. 205). Huxley vbo presumed that the Australians were identical with the ancient inhabitants of the Deccan dwelt upon the existence of the Boomerangs in the two countries and upon some remnants of caste in Australia. The following note suppiled to Thurston by the then Dewan of Pudukottah may be read with interest : "The valari or valai tadi (bent stick) is a short weapon, generally made of some hard-grained wood. It is also some times made of iron. It is crescent-shaped, one end being heavier than the other, and the outer end is sharpened. Men trained in the use of the weapon hold it by the lighter end,