1890-91.] in the Central Himalayas. 401 



Finding that a party of Thibetans were returning from India 

 to Thibet, she accompanied their camp. But when about 

 one-third of the way from the outer range to the snowy 

 range, the Thibetans were robbed by the villagers ; and the 

 goddess, being angry, established herself in the country, instead 

 of going on to Mansarover. I hinted that this was very 

 weak and capricious conduct on the part of the goddess, but 

 the villagers saw no difficulty in it. They said, " Women are 

 always doing unaccountable things " ! Being now satisfied as 

 to the origin of the disease, I began my treatment, which I 

 need not inflict on you. People took my medicines, but 

 medicine was not what they chiefly trusted in. All over 

 the infected district prayers were constantly going on, and 

 goats were being sacrificed in all directions to the goddess 

 herself, and to the innumerable .local deities, especially to the 

 god Symdeo, the chief local god in Kumaon, — a deity not 

 known in the Hindoo pantheon, and utterly repudiated by 

 the Brahmins. All was in vain. Medicine was only a 

 partial success, and the prayers and goat sacrifices were a 

 total failure. All at once a deliverer appeared. One day 

 a crowd of suppliants had assembled before a temple of 

 Symdeo which had fallen into ruins, and which they intended 

 to rebuild to propitiate the god. A woman suddenly stepped 

 forward and addressed the crowd in vehement tones. Her 

 name was Harli, and she was twenty-eight years of age, the 

 wife of the village postal-runner, — a poor man, and of no 

 social importance. Harli informed the crowd that it was 

 useless rebuilding the temple or sacrificing any more goats ; 

 that the goddess of cholera had appeared to her, and told her 

 what ought to be clone. She herself was to be dressed in 

 red and carried in state from village to village, and wherever 

 she went cholera would cease. This the goddess had prom- 

 ised. The plan was adopted with enthusiasm. A sedan- 

 chair was procured, and Harli, seated in it, and carried by ten 

 or twelve men, commenced her round of visits to the dead 

 and dying. I met her next day entering a village which I 

 was leaving. In front was a band of musicians, and behind 

 a long train of people carrying red and white flags. Harli 

 was reclining in her sedan-chair, and took no notice of me as 

 I stood aside to let her pass. Never was prophetess more 



