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 GARROW GARTER 631 marrow is a later addition. The term gar- roting is also applied to a mode of strangu- lation practised by thieves and highway rob- bers. An English law of 1861 subjected gar- roters to penal servitude for life, or for any term not less than three years; and in 1863 it was ordered that male garroters should, at the discretion of the judge, be once, twice, or thrice privately whipped. GARROW (or Garo) HILLS, an elevated district of British India, situated in the bend of the Brahmapootra, where that river turns from its westerly course southward, between lat. 25 and 26 K, and Ion. 90 and 91 E. ; area, 3,390 sq. m. ; pop. 50,000. The district is a square tract of hills, plateaus, and mountains, rising from the adjacent lowlands to heights of from 3,000 to 4,000 ft. The prevailing ge- ological formation is red and white granite, overlaid with clay and sand of like colors. It is separated from the Oossya or Khosia hills on the east by a band of wood and jungle, 18 m. wide, running along the 91st parallel. The Garrow hills form a spur of the Burmese moun- tains overhanging the valley of the Brahma- pootra, but reaching the river itself. The coun- try is finely wooded, well watered, and exceed- ingly fertile, principally yielding cotton. The climate is extremely unhealthy. In respect to its rainfall the Garrow and Cossya region is one of the most remarkable localities on the globe, from 500 to 600 in. of rain having been known to fall on the S. slope of the mountains in one year. The name of the district is de- rived from the appellation of its inhabitants, concerning whom very little is known. They have maintained a singular isolation during the whole period of British supremacy in India, and no effectual jurisdiction was exercised over their territory till 1865, nor has their country ever yet been thoroughly explored. They are an active, dark-skinned race, usually classed with the aboriginal sub-Himalayan tribes ; eth- nologically they are believed to be closely re- lated to the Gonds of central India. They are addicted to hereditary blood feuds. The dis- trict is now under the supervision of the Ben- gal government, being included politically in the non-regulation division of Assam. Ameri- can missionaries maintain eight schools in it. GARTER, Order of the, the highest British or- der of knighthood, and one of the oldest and most illustrious of the military orders of knight- hood in Europe, commonly said to have been instituted by Edward III. of England, about 1350. The precise date of its foundation has been much disputed. In Rastel's " Chronicle " it is stated that the order was devised in 1192 by Richard I., who made 26 of his knights wear blue thongs of leather around their legs in a battle fought with the Saracens on St. George's day. One account says that Edward in 1346 gave his garter for the signal of a bat- tle (supposed to be that of Crecy) which was crowned with success ; and being victorious on land and sea, and having as prisoner David, king of Scotland, he instituted this order, April 23, 1349, in memory of these exploits. Ac- cording to Selden, the order was instituted April 23, 1344; according to Nicolas, in 1347; ac- cording to Ashmole, in 1349. In Burke's " Peer- age " it is said that "the most noble order of the garter was instituted by Edward III. about August, 1348." In the accounts of the great wardrobe the garters of the order are first mentioned in 1348. Most writers, however, agree that its institution dates from a tourna- ment at Windsor, held April 23, 1344, to which Edward invited the most illustrious knights. It was founded in honor of the Trinity, the Virgin Mary, St. George, and St. Edward the Confessor ; and St. George, who was already the tutelar saint of England, was considered its especial patron and protector. An ancient tra- dition connects the emblem of the order with the story popularly told of Edward and the countess of Salisbury. When she happened at Insignia of the Order of the Garter. a ball to drop her garter, the king took it up and presented it to her, at the same time exclaim- ing, with reference to those who smiled at the action: Honi soit gui mal y pense ("Evil to him who evil thinks "). Edward added " that shortly they should see that garter advanced to so high an honor and renown as to account themselves happy to wear it." The habit and insignia of the order are : The garter, of dark blue velvet, edged with gold, bearing the motto in golden letters, with buckle and pendant of gold, richly chased, worn on the left leg below the knee ; the mantle, of blue velvet, lined with white taffeta, with a star embroidered on the left breast ; the hood, of crimson velvet ; the surcoat, likewise of crimson velvet, lined with white taffeta; the hat, of black velvet, lined with white taffeta ; a plume of white ostrich feathers, having in the centre a tuft of black heron's feathers, all fastened to the hat by a band of diamonds; the collar, of gold, con-