The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-07-07

cused admitted having caused the death
of another man, but said he had done
so in order to save himself, as the other
had threatened to turn himself into
tiger and kill him. There is a supersti-
ton among the hill-tribes to the effect
that such metamorphosis can be
made; and coupling this with the cir
cumstance that the crime was appar-
emily 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 Mohammedans adopt another
device for taking away the life of an
enemy; they construct an image of
earth taken out of a 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
lOuNltu llht u 1lullldI wi DSCY 10 COl-
veyed with funereal solemnity to the
cemetery of the place, and inferred in
the name of the person whose death is
desired, and who, it is believed, will
not long survive the performance of
these obsequies. This, happily, is not
a very common occurrence now, as the
English law in India would scarcely
tolerate such proceedings; but there is
scarcely an Anglo-Indian who could
not testify to having come across in his
morning walk, especially where two
roads cross each other, the remains of
a 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
spectacle which would be merely in
comprehensive, yet it is but the simple
and ordinary device of a credulous and
superstitious people to seek relief from
dangerous or malignant malady from
which one near or dear to them is suf-
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 lamentations, 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 virulently
raging in the Upper Provinces, 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 a
miniature cart, and placing an image,
as they supposed, of the cholera in it,
they dragged it to the precincts of
neighboring village, the inhabitants of
which, having been forewarned, 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.
1t may well be supposed that amid so
superstitious people, lOve-charms and
philters of various kinds are believed
to have wonderful efficacy, and some of
these compounds are of SO deleterious a
nature that persons partaking of them
have been known to die from their
effects. Some employ amulets for the
purpose of captivating hearts, these
talismans being constructedin variety
of ways-one being a tablet, on which
is inscribed magic square, and set as
a ring or bracelet; others are written
on thin plates of metals, or upon paper
folded up and worn upon the person;
while 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 mauntraS-the marun munstrG has
the power of taking away life;
nohun muaatra produces ocular or au-
ricular illusions; Stunabbun, n1at7atrd stops
what is in motion akershun n1untra
calls or makes present everything;
aCdShekurtm muntra has the power of
enthralling, and Oochatrum n1untra 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 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 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 a malignant glance,
would cause the object of it to dwindle