THE KHOND HIGHLANDS. 245 



decorated with flowers. A heavy blow 

 on the head from the club of the priest 

 then put an end to the life of the victim, 

 and the flesh cut into small pieces was 

 distributed among the spectators, in 

 order to be buried in their fields. 



The disappearance of children from 

 the villages in the plains was at last 

 traced to professional kidnappers, and 

 further inquiry brought to light the 

 nature and object of their trade. The 

 discovery was mainly due to Captain 

 Macpherson, who has detailed in his 

 published work on the subject many 

 interesting particulars connected with 

 the Khonds. He was charged by the 

 supreme Government with the earliest 

 operations directed towards the extinc- 

 tion of the practice of human sacrifice, 



