THE PEOPLE.
who take round performing bulls; the Gauda Gollas, a set of wandering cowherds; the Puni Gollas, who tend only buffaloes and cows; and the Mékala Gollas, who keep sheep and goats only. The last are the most numerous, have inti pérulu, follow ménarikam, generally marry before puberty (a Bráhman officiating), allow widows and divorcées to remarry not more than thrice, bury their dead, observe chinna and pedda rózu (a Sátáni officiating) and are Vaishnavites who pay especial reverence to Krishna because he sported with the girls of their caste.
The Kamsalas are the artisans of the district and are com-moner than in any other Collectorate, numbering 78,000 souls. As elsewhere, they are split into the five occupational subdivisions of Kamsáli or goldsmiths, Kanchari or brass-smiths, Kammara or blacksmiths, Vadrangi or carpenters, and Silpi (or Kási) stonemasons, who dine together and intermarry. These have again the usual inti pérulu. As in other districts (see p. 159 of the Report on the Madras census of 1901), the Kamsális claim to be superior to the Bráhmans owing to their alleged descent from Visvakarma, the architect of the gods, wear the sacred thread, have their own caste puróhits and in marriage and other matters follow closely the Bráhman ritual. But in Vizagapatam they assert this claim with less vehemence than in some places, and do not affect to possess gótras, or prohibit animal food and strong drink. Marriage follows the usual Dravidian rule of ménarikam.
The Sále weavers number 65,000 souls, again more than in any other district. They are split into the two endogamous subdivisions of Padma ('lotus') and Pattu ('silk'), the main differences between which are that the latter wear the sacred thread, will take food and water only from Bráhmans, and weave specially fine cloths, sometimes containing an admixture of silk. The peculiarly fine thread spun by the Pattu Sáles and their skill in tobacco-curing are referred to on pp. 123-4. Both subdivisions have exogamous inti pérulu septs and each has a headman called the Sénápati. The traditional origin of the caste is as follows: The celestials applied to Márkandéya rishi to provide them clothing, and he accordingly made a great sacrifice to Indra out of the flames of which issued Bhávana rishi "bearing a ball of thread manufactured from the lotus which sprang from Vishnu's navel, from which he wove the garments sought for. He subsequently married Bhadravati, daughter of the sun, and begat 101 sons of whom one hundred became the ancestors of the Padma Sáles and
the remaining one the progenitor of the Pattu Sáles. Reverence is still periodically paid to Bhávana rishi, who is represented by
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