COOROOMBAR, a race of Wynad, very docile, quick of imitation, and slavishly submissive to their rnoodely or head, who exercises undisputed power over his own family, numerically containing about twenty or thirty beings. Those employed by the coffee-planters 0.re a little civilised, appre ciating the comforts of life in a slight degree higher than their more savage brethren. They erect rude huts for themselves and family, on elevated ground, surrounded by jungles, and about six in number ; they touch one another, and the whole present the form of a crescent. One larger than the rest, styled the cutcherry, is erected in the middle, in the shape of a hall, for the sojourn of casual strangers ; it is dedicated to their village deity, and the place cannot be con taminated by a shoed foot. The presence of a suspected stranger in their vicinity, sickness, or other trifling but natural cause, make them emi grate from one place to another, sometimes miles away, but always preferring lonesome localities and dense jungles. Some are partly civilised.
Government possess some forest lands towards l'eriah and Teriate, and in several spots over Wynad. In the teak belt are several bands of Cooroombars, some of the Jani, mid others of Moolly clan. The former live entirely in the forest. They are the only axe men, and without them it would be difficult to work a forest. Other tribes are the Panniar, Puliar, Gurche,a, Chetty, and squatters. The Cooroombar, through their head men, are held responsible, and the Chetty are also responsible for their Panniar or farm slaves. The Cooroombar's services are constantly called for by the wood contractor and the planter. They will not leave their haunts in the forests for any time. During the gold speculations of the western coast from 1876 to 1881, the Cooroombar were found useful labourers.—C. H. S. in Newspaper ; Cleg horn, Forest Report. See Kurumbar.