"It is necessary," the account continues, "for the Marar's business for
one member at least of his family to go to market with his vegetables;
and the Mararin is a noteworthy feature in all bazars, sitting with
her basket or garment spread on the ground, full of white onions and
garlic, purple brinjals and scarlet chillies, with a few handfuls of
strongly flavoured green stuff. Whether from the publicity which it
entails on their women or from whatever cause, the Mararin does not
bear the best of reputations for chastity; and is usually considered
rather a bold, coarse creature. The distinctive feature of her attire
is the way in which she ties up her body-cloth so as to leave a tail
sticking up behind; whence the proverb shouted after her by rude little
boys: 'Jump from roof to roof, Monkey. Pull the tail of the Mararin,
Monkey,' She also rejoices in a very large _tikli_ or spangle on her
forehead and in a peculiar kind of _angia_ (waistcoat). The caste are
usually considered rather clannish and morose. They live in communities
by themselves, and nearly always inhabit a separate hamlet of the
village. The Marars of a certain place are said to have boycotted a
village carpenter who lost an axe belonging to one of their number,
so that he had to leave the neighbourhood for lack of custom."