The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-07-07

made; and coupling this with the cir
cumstance that the crime was appar-
entity unprecedented, as the weapon
with which the wounds were inflicted
did not belong TO the prisoner. the
Governors Agent did not consider the
case such as to call for the utmost Sc
verify of the law. The prisoner was
found guilty and ordered to be trans
ported for life.
The Mohammedaus adopt another
device for taking away the life of an
enemy; they construct an image of
earth taken out of u grave, read par
ticular chapter of the Koran over it,
and then repeat the prayers backwards,
every word spelled in the same way
that is, with the letters reversed. These
and other preliminaries being accom-
plished, the image Is perforated with
wooden pegs in every part, and being
shrouded ike a human corpse. is con-
veycd with funereal solemnity to tho
cemetery of the. place, and Inferred in
the name OF the person whose death Is
| desired, and who, il is believed, will
not long survive the performance of
these obscquies. This, happily, is not
very common occurrence now, rs the
English law In India would scarcely
tolerate such proceedings; but there is
scarcely IN Anglo-lndian who could
not testify to having come across in his
morning walk, especially where two
roads cross each other, the remains of
most homogeneous collection of arti-
cles--a miniature human image in the
center, surrounded by earthen pots of
variegated colors, containing rice,
barley and grain of other kinds in
terspersed here and there by little oil
lamps, placed in such relative positions
to each other as it Is calculated will
have deep and mysterious consequences.
To stranger. this would present u
spectacle which would be merely in
comprehensive, yet 1t is but the simple
and ordinary device. of n credulous and
superstitious people to seek relief from
a dangerous or malignant malady from
which one near or dear to them is SUI
fering.
Charms and propitiatory offerings
are more relied on than medicines In
sickness and pestilence; and this Offer
ing to the gods, accompanied with
many prayers and nominations, Is
placed on the highway in the implicit
belief that the malady of the person in
whom they are interested will leave
him and take to another; generally
supposed to be the first person who
comes across this magic collection of
articles Visitations OF cholera are at
tempted to be averted by professions Of
village maidens carrying garlands of
flowers or other offerings TO the god
presiding over their hamlet. Some
years ago, while cholera was virulcntly
raging in the Upper Provinces, u curl
Gus case was brought before the magis-
trates, in which the inhabitants of two
neighboring villages were charged with
being concerned in serious ARRAY.
The villagers of one hamlet made o
miniature cart, and placing an image,
rs they supposed, of the cholera in It,
they dragged it to the precincts Of a
ncighboring village, the inhabitants of
which, having been forcwarned, forcibly
resisted the entrance of the unwelcome
visitor. Had, however, the little chariot
got within their boundaries In spite of
their wishes and efforts, they would not
have rested till they had dragged it to
another village, where probably a
similar scene would have occurred.
II may well be supposed that amid so
superstitious a people, love-charms and
philtcrs of various kinds are believed
to have wonderful efficacy, and some of
these compounds are Of so dclcterous a
nature that persons partaking of them
have been known TO die from their
al. tls,t. ff,,. he,
purpose of captivating hearts, these
talismans being constructed in variety
of ways being tablet, on which
is inscribed a magic square, and set as
ring or bracelet; others are written
on thin plates Of metals, or upon paper
folded up and worn upon the person;
while a third consists of particular
roots, creepers, leaves, ETC., gathered
with many ceremonials, and tied up In
small bags. The efficacy of these
charms is based on the idea that GER
| tain objects and certain rites and cere-
monies have an inherent or mysterious
power existing in themselves Of pro-
ducing wonderful results. In Gujerat
there are six descriptions OF charms
or mu,atras-the n1a,'un nauntra has
the power Of taking away life;
nlohmn nsu,stra produces ocular or au-
ricular illusions; st,tmbhuna na17stra stops
what is in motion akershun nsy,.tra
calls or makes present everything;
Washekuy1tm nsu,stra has the power of
enthralling, and ooclt0trun muntrG Of
causing bodily injury short of death.
Perhaps it would be paying too great
| a compliment to even the most enlight-
ened natives of India to suppose that
they are wholly free from a superstition
that attaches credit to the influence of
| the Evil eye. On some occasions, it is
not proper to look at the party adj
dressed, in case such an opportunity
should permit an enemy to cast an evil
eye; and it is against all etiquette to
remark that a person is looking well or
growing fat, since it may be supposed
that such excellent condition may ex-
cite envy, and that the observation, ac-
companied by malignant glance,
would cause the object Of it to dwindle
and fade. 1t is believed that woman
who is born upon one of list Of days
laid down in the astrological books is a
'spoison daughter or gifted with the
evil eye. Such a person is called q
dakin or witch, and it is supposed that
| those on whom she casts her eyes suffer
as if they were possessed by evil spirits.
In India, no less than in other coun-
tries, there has existed, and still exists,
profound belief in the existence and
evil influence of witches. Though not
very frequent now, at one time cases
were brought continually before the