268 PECULIAR HINDOO TRIBES. 



income of the state ; but the vainglory of the nobles could 

 not be confined Within these limits. A still more tragical 

 fate, at every period of life, impends over the females of 

 Rajwarra. In the deadly feuds of these turbulent tribes, if 

 the wives and daughters of a vanquished chief fall into the 

 hands of the victor, they become, according to a law similar 

 to that of ancient Greece, concubines or slaves to the enemy 

 of their house. This catastrophe in these proud families is 

 deemed intolerable ; and when the last extremity arrives, 

 death by their own hands, or those of their nearest kindred, 

 must save them from it. The repetition of such events 

 causes their life to be held cheap whenever interest or 

 honour appears to require its sacrifice. While resident in 

 Guzerat, General Walker, with his characteristic benevo- 

 lence, endeavoured to persuade the chiefs of that country to 

 renounce the practice of infanticide, and enjoyed at one 

 time a prospect of success, which, however, proved ulti- 

 mately fallacious. 



The Jharejahs, a Rajpoot tribe, who hold sway in the ter- 

 ritory of Cutch, are, by an intricate operation of the system 

 of caste, placed in such a situation that they cannot by any 

 means find a single individual with whom a daughter of 

 theirs can be suitably matched. In this dilemma they have 

 not hesitated to adopt the horrid expedient of putting to 

 death all their female children ; so that, as Mrs. Elwood 

 mentions, in a population of 12,000 there were not in 1818 

 more than thirty women alive. The infants are either 

 drowned in milk, or poisoned by opium applied to the breast 

 of the mother. The English have made vigorous attempts 

 to abolish this inhuman practice. By a condition of the 

 treaty with Catch in 1819, full protection was guarantied 

 to the Jharejah chiefs, on their consenting to discontinue 

 this criminal custom. Since that time it has not been per- 

 petrated openly ; but the interior of palaces and castles 

 affords ample means of concealment ; and the very small 

 number of girls in families makes it too clear that it still 

 prevails extensively. The Jharejahs, with this exception, 

 are described by Mr. Burries as a fine people ; and he did 

 not even observe that their excessive use of opium had much 

 debilitated either their minds or bodies. 



India contains other detached races marked by striking 

 peculiarities ; but none of them so important as to influence 



