Musicians.

Of Musicians there were four classes with a strength of 760 (435 males, 325 females) or 0.21 per cent of the Hindu population. Of these 93 (males 48, females 45) were Bhats, 59 (males 42, females 1 7) Bahurupis; 29 (males 17, females 12) Ghadses; and 579 (males 328, females 251) Guravs. BHATS are returned from Mahad, Pen, and Alibag. According to their legend they were created from the sweat of Shiv's brow, and were driven out of heaven because of their persistence in singing Parvati's instead of Shiv's praise. They speak Marathi and are great talkers. They are genealogists and reciters of stories. They compose songs and are generally good linguists. BAHURUPIS, that is the many-faced, are found over the whole district. They speak Marathi, and in house dress and food do not differ from Marathas. They are poor. GHADSES and GURAVS are musicians, and the latter, in addition, are ministrants in Shiv's temples. Both are poor.

Servants.

Of Servants there were two classes with a strength of 4719 (males 2425, females 2294) or 1.30 per cent of the Hindu population. Of these 3153 (males 1642, females 1511) were Nhavis or barbers; and 1566 (males 783, females 783) Parits or washermen. NHAVIS and PARITS are found over the whole district, and on the whole are well-to-do.

Shepherds.

Of Shepherds there were two classes with a strength of 10,875 (males 5400, females 5475) or 3.01 per cent of the Hindu population. Of these 3543 (males 1862, females 1681) were Dhangars; and 7332 (males 3538, females 3794) Gavlis. DHANGARS are found over the whole district. There are three and a half subdivisions whose members eat together but do not intermarry. The divisions are Mhaskes, who rear and tend buffaloes; Khikris, shepherds and goatherds; Utegars, blanket weavers; and the half caste Khatiks, sheep and goat butchers. Of these the Khikris and Utegars belong to the Deccan, and visit the Konkan only in the dry season to graze and sell their sheep and goats, and to dispose of their stock of blankets. The Dhangars proper of the Kolaba district are all Mhaske or buffalo-rearing Dhangars. They are found in the uplands of Pen, Roha, Mahad, and Mangaon, where they live in small hamlets with large droves of cattle. The men are generally dark and strongly made; some of them on Mira Dongar, near Pen, are very handsome with clear-cut features and a gentle refined expression. They speak Marathi. They are easy going and without enterprise, but thrifty, honest, hospitable, and free from crime. They are cattle breeders, generally rearing buffaloes rather than cows. They live in small hamlets of four or five houses. Their daily food is cakes of nachni and vari, and gruel of soured nachni flour. They cat the flesh of sheep and goats and fowls, and drink liquor. The men wear a loincloth and a waist cloth, and throw a blanket over the head and let it hang to the knee. Their women wear a tight-girt robe, generally red, that falls below the knee. They worship Khandoba, Bhairoba, and Vithoba, and the ghosts of their ancestors Vagjai, Khedjai, and Kalkai. They keep images of their gods in their houses, and employ and respect Brahman priests. They are rather a poor class and have suffered by the spread of forest conservancy. Several have of late settled as husbandmen or begun to serve as labourers. They do not send their boys to school or take to new pursuits. GAVLIS or cow-keepers are found over the whole district. They look like Marathas and speak Marathi. They are hardworking, orderly, and thrifty. Some cultivate and others keep cows and she-buffaloes, and sell milk and curds. They live in mud and stone built houses, and have a good store of brass vessels. The men wear a waist cloth, and the women a robe and bodice. Out-of-doors they wear blankets and turbans, and seldom shoes. They cat fish and flesh and drink liquor. Among them boys are generally married between fifteen and twenty and girls before they reach womanhood. They either bury or burn their dead, and allow widow marriage. They worship all the Hindu gods, especially the god Krishna, and their priests are Brahmans. They keep the ordinary Hindu fasts and feasts. There has been no recent change in their beliefs or practice. They have no headman and settle social disputes at a meeting of the men of the caste. Caste authority has not grown weaker. They are a shrewd class and fairly off.

Fishers.

Of Fishers and Sailors there were four classes with a strength of 16,633 (males 8331, females 8302) or 4.60 per cent of the Hindu population. Of these 1480 (males 758, females 722) were Bhois; 98 (males 41, females 57) Gabits; 92 (males 64, females 28) Kharvis; and 14,963 (males 7468, females 7495) Kolis. BHOIS are returned as found over the whole district. Few of them are well-to-do. GABITS are returned from Mahad. They occasionally come from Ratnagiri. They are sailors, and in speech, food, and dress, differ little from Son Kolis. Khandoba is their favourite god. KHARVIS are returned from Alibag, Mangaon, and Mahad. In Ratnagiri several of them own ships and are well-to-do. Kolis arc found over the whole district, some in towns and inland villages but most along the coast. Except a few hill Kolis in the inland parts, almost all are coastmen belonging to the tribe of Son-Kolis, a larger-boned and sturdier class than the hill Kolis. They are found in considerable numbers north as far as Bassein, and south to Ratnagiri. But Alibag seems to be their chief settlement and is the head-quarters of the Sar Patil or leader of the tribe. Son Kolis are strongly made and vary in colour from dark to a ruddy brown. The younger women are healthy and fresh-looking, and some of them fair and handsome. The men wear the top-knot and moustache, and shave the head once a fortnight. The women twist the hair into a close top-knot and tie it with a black silk cord. Their home tongue is Marathi, but it has so many peculiarities, especially of pronunciation, that even to those who know Marathi, the Kolis' home talk is most difficult to follow. Though somewhat ill-tempered and quarrelsome, and fond of abuse, unthrifty, and drunken, they are skilful and brave seamen, manly, hardworking, and honest. In former times they used to serve as soldiers, fort-guards, and sailors in ships of war. Now their chief calling is catching fish, both for local use and for the Bombay market which is supplied direct from the Varsoli, Thal, Mandva, and Revas stakes. When a cargo of fish is landed, it is sorted on the beach, and the best carried off by the women in large baskets to the nearest market. The poor sorts are thrown on the sand to dry and afterwards sold as manure. Mushis, bamelos and vagtis are dried, and if sharks are caught, their maws are cut, dried, and sold for export to China. [The coast Kolis of the South Konkan salt and dry the following fish: gol, Saranga, dhomi,datli, bombil, buga, kirli, bnakao, mandeli, mushi, sondal,pakat, dasha, bhing, pala, gore, surmai, kupa, halva, khatkal, and Shingala,] Besides in fishing, Kolis are employed in carrying grain from the interior to the large coast villages. They live in one-storied mud and brick-built houses with thatch or tile roofs. They are great eaters and drinkers. On board ship they generally mess together eating from a large wooden platter. Their every day food is rice, rice bread, fish, and liquor. The liquor, chiefly fermented palm-juice, is taken in larger quantities and generally before every meal. Their feasts are of boiled pulse cakes, fish, flesh, and liquor. At these feasts the guests eat little, but drink large quantities of liquor which is poured down the drinker's throat through a hole in an earthen pot. In-doors men wear a loincloth passed between the legs, and sometimes a woollen waistcoat, and, out-of doors, a red broadcloth cap, and a striped Malabar handkerchief thrown loosely across, one shoulder. The women, both at home and abroad, wear a loose long-sleeved bodice and robe wound tightly round the waist and not falling more than half way to the knee. The end of the robe is drawn over the right shoulder and tucked in front into the waistband. On high occasions some of the men wear a silk-bordered waistcloth, a coloured turban and a white cotton coat, and others dress in a white cotton coat, red cap, and handkerchief. They always wear a small clasp knife hanging from the neck. At festive times the women dress with great care and neatness, wearing flowers and a roll of false hair, which they tie in a neat bunch at the back of the head. The Son Kolis are religious, bathing twice a day, and on Shiv's great festival abstain from fish and flesh, and eat only once a day. Their chief household gods are Khandoba, Bhahiri, and Bhavani, and their chief places of pilgrimage are in the Deccan, at Karli, Jejuri, and Nasik. On the Magh (January-February) full-moon, and during' the nine nights in Ashvin (September-October), great festivities are held in honour of these divinities. Koli women wear glass bangles only on the left wrist, because, on their wedding day, the right arm bangles are taken off and thrown into the sea to win its favour. Social disputes are settled by the opinion of the majority of the men at a meeting under the control of the Koli patil. If the decision is not approved, an appeal lies to their chief, the sar or head patil. This man, Bala Vagh Patil, lives in Alibag, and is the chief of all Son Kolis from Kolvan and Bhiwndi in Thana to Harnai in Ratnagiri. He has great influence over his people. His grandfather's brother Lal-patil had charge of Angria's fleet, and Kanhoji, one of his ancestors, is said to have been installed in his office of sar-patil by a written grant from the Emperor of Delhi. Under former grants the family is said to have had unlimited power ever the Kolis, and could, even put them to death, if they behaved badly or broke caste rules. [The only deed which the sar patil row has, was granted by Ibrahim Adil Shah II. of Bijapur in 1600, It exempts Nagji Patil Darvesh patil, and Ha has patil from forced labour.] At every marriage a fee of 2s. (Re. 1) is paid to the sar-patil, and he gets a handful from every boatload of fish that comes ashore. The ferry steamers have, to some extent, interfered with the passenger traffic between Alibag and Bombay, but the fishing and coasting trades still yield a good return. Some of the Kolis have taken to labour and others to tillage, but, as a body, they are not badly off. Some send their boys to school, and one or two have risen to be clerks and village accountants.

Labourers.

Of Labourers there were ten classes with a strength of 7676 (males 4016, females 3660) or 2.12 per cent of the Hindu population. Of these 5982 (males 3146, females 2836) were Bhandaris; 107 (males 54, females 53) Ghisadis; 25 (males 15, females 10) were Kalals; 1124 (males 554, females 570) Kalans; 8 (males 7, female 1) Kamathis; 85 (males 48, females 37) Khatiks; 167 (males 118, females 49) Pardeshis; 6 (males 4, females 2) Ramoshis: 90 (males 41, females 49) Sarekaris; and 82 (males 41, females 41) Shindes.

BHANDARIS, or palm-juice drawers, are found in most sea-coast villages. The (1879) recent rise in the palm-tree cess has reduced many to be day-labourers. GHISADIS are returned as numbering 107 souls and as found in Roha and Mahad only. They speak Marathi, are hardworking, but dirty in their habits and intemperate. They are wandering blacksmiths and tinkers. They eat fish arid flesh and drink liquor. The men wear a waistcloth, jacket, and cap and occasionally a turban, and the women the common Maratha robe and bodice. They are Hindus, worshipping the ordinary Hindu gods and keeping the regular fasts and feasts. They have no headmen and settle social disputes at meetings of the men of the caste. Their wives and children help by blowing the bellows and gathering pieces of old iron. They are a poor class. KALALS or distillers are found only in Pen. They look and speak like middle class Marathas, and their dress and houses are better than those of Kunbis. They distil and sell liquor, and some are husbandmen. Their staple food is rice, pulse, and fish, and they may eat most animal food except beef and pork. They allow widow marriage and burn their dead. A committee of castemen settle social disputes. They are fairly off, but have to borrow to meet wedding and other special charges. Most of them can read and write Marathi and send their boys to school. KAMATHIS are returned as numbering eight souls and as found in Pen only. KALANS are returned as numbering 1124 souls and as found in Alibag, Mangaon, and Pen. They are hardworking and sober, but dirty in their habits. They were formerly palm-juice drawers, distillers and liquor-sellers, but most of them serve as day-labourers and field workers. They live in thatched huts, and eat fish, flesh, and drink liquor. They dress like Marathas and worship the ordinary Hindu gods, but their chief gods are Bhairoba and Khandoba. They have a headman who decides their social disputes. 'They Send their boys to school and are poor. KHATIKS, or butchers, of Deccan origin are found in small numbers in most parts of the district. Their look, speech, dress, and customs are those of low-class Deccan Marathas. They kill sheep and goats and sell their flesh. They are careless and unthrifty and generally in debt. They allow widow marriage and employ Brahmans as their priests. Social disputes are settled by a meeting of the men of the caste. They do not send their boys to school and are a falling class. PARDESHIS are found over the whole district. They come in increasing numbers since travelling has been made so easy. They speak Hindustani sometimes with a mixture of Marathi. They take service either with Government or with private persons as messengers and watchmen. Very few of them are married. They generally keep Maratha or Kunbi women. Some settle in the district, and others desert their wives and families and go back to their native country. They are great eaters, generally eating once a day in the afternoon, their staple food being wheat flour, pulse, and butter. They seldom use rice. They are hot-tempered, but faithful, thrifty, and obedient. Most of them save. RAMOSHIS are occasionally found as private watchmen. They generally come from Satara. Their food, dress, and customs are those of low-class Marathas. SAREKARIS or palm-juice drawers are returned from Mangaon and Mahad. They have become labourers as their craft has declined, owing to the recent rise in the palm-tree cess. SHINDES are the offspring of the female slaves, who in former times were kept in all rich Maratha families. The caste has always been and still is recruited from the illegitimate children of upper class Hindus. Their look, speech, food, dress, and customs are those of better class Marathas. Pure Marathas and respectable Kunbis look- down on them. Put as a class they are intelligent and well-to-do, earning their living as husbandmen and Government servants. They send their boys to school.