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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 9, p. 3.

BONAI 3 per square mile. Hindus number 26,371 and Animists 11,745. The population consists chiefly of aborigines, the most numerous tribes being Bhuiyas, Gonds, Hos, Khariâs, Mundâs, and Pans. The Bhuiyas and Gonds are the most influential classes; they have always shown, a very independent attitude towards the Raja, and within the last thirty years one rebellion of the Bhuiyas and two of the Gonds have taken place. The headman of the Bhuiyas, who is called saont, claims the prerogative of bestowing on the Raja the tika or sign of investiture, a claim which is, however, not recognized by the chief. The two head- men or leaders of the Gonds are respectively called mahâpdtra and dandpdt. The saont, the mahâpdtra, and the dandpât are the only three fief-holders or sub-proprietors under the Raja, each possessing several villages and having to render military service to the Raja if required, besides paying a fixed yearly rental. There is some immigration of Kols, Mundas, and Oraons from Singhbhûm, and of Kaltuyâs (Kol thàs) and Agarias from Sambalpur. These tribes take leases of jungle- clad tracts and reclaim them, and the area under cultivation is thus being rapidly extended. The Kaltuya settlers, who are mostly paid labourers under the Bhuiyâs, are very industrious and intelligent culti- vators ; in some places they bank up the hill streams and utilize for irrigation the water thereby stored up. Rice is the staple product ; three successive crops are grown in the year-the gortadhdn or the earliest highland autumn rice, the ordinary autumn crop, and the winter rice. Among the minor crops are pulses, maize, and oilseeds ; castor- oil plants and sugar-cane are largely grown on homestead lands; and cotton is also extensively cultivated. Pasturage is plentiful. Bonai possesses large forests, full of valuable trees, such as sil (Shorea robusta), dsan (Terminalia tomentosa), pidsdl (Pterocarjhus Marsupium), sissi. (Dalbergia Sissoo), and kusum (Schleichera trjûga). Since these have been made accessible by the opening of the Bengal-Nagpur Rail- way, they have formed a valuable source of income to the State. Minor forest products of value are lac, tasar cocoons, and sabai grass (Ischoe- mum angustifolium). Gold is found in small quantities in the bed and banks of the Brahman!; the sand is washed by Jhora Gonds, but their daily earnings range only from 2 to 4 annas. In, 1896 the Bengal Gold and Silver Company took a prospecting lease from the Raja for three years, paying a premium of Rs. 25,ooo, but the enterprise was abandoned as unprofitable. Iron is found, but is extracted only for local use. Brass pots and ornaments, pots of a soft black stone, and coarse cotton cloths are manufactured, but in quantities hardly sufficient to meet the local demand. The chief imports are European cotton fabrics, salt, kerosene oil, machine-made thread, and tobacco; and the chief exports are oilseeds, hides, horns, lac, War cocoons, timber, ghi, sabai grass, and wax. These articles are carried to the railway on pack-bullocks or by 13 2