Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 7.djvu/123

BRINJARIES. worshipping the sacred axe, and rivalling, if not exceeding, the Sanseas, Meenas, Mooltanees, or others, in the commission of crime; but we are not aware that dacoity has been proved against companies of trading Brinjaries, who in all relations of their class with merchants, are so scrupulously honest. All that can be said is, that the mode of life of the Brinjaries, their isolation from other sects, and their constant change of location, renders it impossible to watch them with sufficient minuteness to gain any perfect knowledge of their peculiar and almost mysterious lives; and of their religious belief there is similar ignorance. They profess to be Hindoos, and worship some of the Hindoo deities; they also admit the ministration of Brahmins at marriages, and on some other occasions; but their principal observances are connected with fetish worship, by sacrifices. Their own caste assemblies try cases of dispute and breaches of purity, and general punchayets settle cases of debts, family disputes, and the like. Any recourse to regular tribunals is unknown, and would be inconsistent with the habits of the race.

What their origin has been no one has yet determined. By most, however, they are considered a low tribe of Rajpoots, and their clans have Rajpoots appellations, as Puar, Rahtore, Jabore, &c.; but the Rajpoots do not acknowledge them in any degree. Their language is a mixture of Guzerattee and Hindee, with some traces of a more ancient dialect, possibly Pracrit; but the men usually speak a dialect of Hindoostanee, which carries them all over India. Their diet is vegetarian for the most part, but they enjoy deer or wild hog when they can get it; and are very bold and expert in the chase.