or PERREAS, a tribe of Hindoos, so peculiarly distinguished from all others, that they live by themselves in the out skirts of towns; and, in the country, build their houses apart from the villages, or rather have villages of their own, furnished with wells; for they dare not so much as fetch water from those which other families make use of; and, lest these latter should inadvertently go to one of theirs, they are obliged to scatter the bones of dead cattle about their wells, that they may be known. They dare not in cities pass through the streets where the Bramins live; nor set foot in the villages where they dwell.—They are likewise forbidden to enter a temple, either of their god Wotnou or Efwarn; because they are held impure. They get their bread by sowing, digging, and building the walls of mud houses; most of those inhabited by the common people being raised by these Parias; who also do such kinds of dirty work as other people do not care to meddle with. Nor is their diet much more cleanly; for they do not trouble to eat cows, horses, fowl, or other carrion, which die of themselves, and even stink. One would scarce imagine, that contentions for precedence should ever enter into the thoughts of a people who have renounced all cleanliness, and, like swine, wallow in filth; and yet pride has divided the Parias into two classes: the first are simply called Parias, the other Scripares. The employment of these latter is to go about selling leather, which they dress; also to make bridles, and such kind of things; some of them likewise serve for soldiers. The Parias, who reckon themselves the better family, will not eat in the house of the Scripares; but the Scripares will readily eat with the Parias. For this reason they are obliged to pay them respect, by lifting their hands aloft, and standing upright before them. These Scripares, when they marry, cannot set up a pandal, a kind of garland, before their doors, made with more than three stakes or trees; should they exceed that number, the whole city would be in motion. The Scripares are likewise subject to some sort of slavery; for when any person of credit or authority dies in the families of the Komitis, Sittis, Palis, farriers, or goldsmiths, and the friends have a mind to be at the expense of some clothes to give the Scripares, these latter must suffer their beards to be shaven; and when the corpse is carried out of town to be burned or interred, they must do that office; for which each receives a fowum, or one piece and a half of silver, worth three sous and a half. These are the same sort of people who are called at Surat Halalchers; that is, in the Persian language, "eat-alls, or eaters at large;" nothing can offend an Hindoo more than to be called an Halalcher; yet these poor people are not offended, cringe and bow to all they pass, and go through their drudgery without noise or concern.

The Parias are very vicious, stupid, and ignorant, occasioned by their wretched way of life: The Bramins and nobility shun them as if they had the plague, and look on the meeting a Parias as the greatest misfortune. To come near one of them is a sin, to touch them a sacrilege. If a Parias were dying, it is infamy to visit him, or to give him the least assistance, in the utmost danger or distress. A Bramin who unavoidably should touch a Parias, immediately washes himself from the impurity. Even their shadow and breath being reckoned contagious, they are obliged to live on the east side of their towns, that the westerly winds which reign in this country may keep back their breath. And it is lawful for a Bramin to kill one PAR

of these unhappy creatures, if he does not avoid it by getting out of his way: In short, they think them reprobated by God, and believe the souls of the damned enter into the Parias, to be punished for their crimes.—Yet the mission have found among these dregs of the people very active zealous catechists, who by their labours have very much contributed to the conversion of their countrymen, particularly one Rajanaiken a Paria soldier, who, of all the inferior missions, has distinguished himself most by his labours and sufferings.

PARIETALIA ossa, in anatomy. See there n° 13.