Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-03-17
perI1-Oanclng in southern Inala.

1t is an extremely difficult thing
for European to witness a devil
dance. AS rule, he must go dis
guised, and he must be able to speak
the language ike a native, before he
is likely to be admitted without sus-
picion into the charmed circle of
fascinated devotees, each eager to-
press near the possessed priest, to
ask him questions about the future
while the divine afiatus is in its full
force upon him. Let me try once
more to bring the whole scene vivid
" before the reader. Night starry
and beautiful, with a broad low
moon seen through palms. A still,
solemn night, with few sounds to
mar the silence, save the deep, muf-
fled boom of breakers bursting on
the coast full eight miles distant. A
lonely hut, a huge solitary banyan-
tree, grim and gloomy. All round
spread interminable sands, the only
vegetation on which is composed of
lofty palmyran, and few stunted
thorn-trees and wild fgs. In the
midst of this wilderness rises, spec
tre-like, that aged enormous tree,
the banyan, haunted by most ruth
less she-devil. Cholera is abroad in
the land, and the natives know that
it is she who has sent them the dread
ed pestilence. The whole neighbor-.
hood wakes to the determination
that the malignant power must be
immediately propitiated in the most
solemn and effectual manner. The
appointed night arrives out of vii
lage, and hamlet, and hut pours the
wild crowd of men, and women, and
children. In vain the Brahmins
tinkle their bells at the neighboring
temple the people know what they
want, and the deity which they must
reverence as supreme Just now. On
flows the crowd to that gloomy Is
land in the star-ht waste-that weird,
hoary banyan. The circle is form
ed the fire is lit the offerings are
got ready-goats and fowls, and
rice and pulse aud sugar, and ghee
and honey, and white chaplets of
oleander blossoms and jasmine buds.
The tomtoms are beaten more loud
ly and rapidly, the hum of rustic
converse is stilled, and deep hush
of awe-struck expectancy holds the
motley assemblage. Now the low
rickety door of the hut is quickly
dashed open. The devil-dance stag
gers out. Between the hut and the
ebon shadow of the sacred banyan
lies strip of moon-lit sand, and as
he passes this the devotees can clear
ly see their priest. He is a tall, hag-'
gard, pensive man, with deep-sunkeh
eyes and matted hair. His forehead
is smeared with ashes, and there are
streaks of vermilion and saffron over
his face. He wears high conical
cap, white, with a red tassel. A
long white robe, or dngi, shrouds
him from neck to ankle. On 1t are
worked, in red silk, representations
of the goddess of smallpox, murder,
and cholera. Round his anklesiare
massive silver bangles. In his right
hand he holds a staff or spear, that
iingIes harshly every time the ground
is struck by it. The same hand al
so holds bow, which, when the
strangs are pulled or struck, emits
dull booming sound. In his left
hand the deyil-priest carries the sac
rifcIaI knife, shaped like sickle,
with quaint devices engraved on its
blade. The lancer, with uncertain,
staggering motion, reels slowly into
the centre Of the crowd, and the seats
himself. The assembled people show
him the offerings they intend TO pre-
sent, but he appears wholly uncons-
cious He croons an Indian lay IN
a low. dreamy voice, with dropped
eve-lids and head sunken on his
breast. He sways slowly TO and fro,
from side TO side. Look! You can
see his fingers twitch nervously, His
head begins to wag in strange, M
cahny fashion. His sides heave and
CULVER, and huge drops Of perspira-