182 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



block of basalt smeared with red paint, before wliicli he 

 must necessarily present and prostrate himself, ere he 

 mounted to the lofty pinnacle wlience to spring on the 

 idol. Ere long he arrived, preceded by rude music. 

 He approached the amorphous idol with a light foot, 

 while a w^ild pleasure marked his countenance. As soon 

 as this subsided, and repeatedly during the painful 

 scene, I addressed myself to him, in the most urgent 

 possible manner, to recede from his rash resolve, pledg- 

 ing myself to ensure him protection and competence for 

 his life. I had taken the precaution to have a boat 

 close at hand, which in five minutes would have trans- 

 ported us beyond the sight of the multitude. In vain I 

 urged him. He now more resolutely replied that it was 

 beyond human power to remove the sacrifice of the 

 powerful Bhyroo ; evincing the most indomitable de- 

 termination, and displaying so great an infatuation as 

 even to request me to save him from the fell dagger of 

 the priestess,'" should he safely alight upon the idol. 

 So deep-rooted a delusion could only be surmounted by 

 force ; and to exercise that I was unauthorised. While 

 confronted with the idol, his delusion gained strength ; 

 and the barbarous throng cheered with voice and hand, 

 when by his motions he indicated a total and continued 

 disregard of my persuasions to desist. He made his 

 oflfering of cocoa-nuts, first breaking one ; and he 

 emptied into a gourd presented by the priestess his 

 previous collection of pice and cowries. She now 

 tendered to him some ardent spirit in the nut shell, first 



* The priestess here referred to was probably the Bheel custodian 

 of the shrine. There is nothing to prevent the hereditary custodian 

 from having been a female at tliat time ; but priestesses, properly 

 speaking, have never existed in India. Her receipt of his collections 

 from the people also indicates this conclusion. 



