Gimsyon) 
XXL—An Account of the Sheep-Eater of Hindistan. By Major-General 
Harowicxe, F.R.S., M.R.A.S. 
Read 21st of July 1832. 
Tue communication which Major-General Harpwicke has the honour to lay 
before the Roya Astaric Society of Great Britain anv Irevanp, though 
not describing an occurrence of recent date, he trusts may yet be found 
sufficiently interesting to claim a place in the Transactions of the Society. 
General Harpwicxe has frequently heard the subject mentioned of late, 
but has found very few persons who were inclined to attach credit to it, 
owing to its remarkable deviation from the usual course of nature; and 
having himself not only seen the man designated ‘“ the Sheep-eater,” and 
witnessed an exhibition of his carnivorous habits, but made notes and 
drawings in elucidation of the facts as displayed in the presence of many 
officers of the military station of Futtehgurh and the native inhabitants of 
the surrounding villages, on the 3d of March 1796; he now proceeds to 
subjoin the substance of his memorandums, in explanation of the accom- 
panying plate.* 
Early on the morning of the above date, the Sheep-eater, attended by 
his guru or spiritual father, appeared in front of the assembled crowd. He 
had with him two living sheep; and after a short harangue to the people, 
he commenced his attack on the first sheep, by seizing its fleece with his 
teeth ; and having held it thus for about a minute, he then, by a swing of. 
his head, flung it on its back on the ground.t In this position he held the 
animal down as at No.2. At No. 3, he is seen in the act of tearing open 
the abdomen, which he effected with his teeth only, by stripping off the 
skin from the flank to the breast; he then removed the intestines, and 
thrust in his head to drink the collected blood, as shewn at No.4. This 
employed him a minute or two, when he withdrew his head, and gazing 
around in expectation of applause, presented a very savage appearance 
* See Plate 12. + See the Plate, Fig. 1. 
