OF THE OLD WOKLD. 1 ] 5 



He now handed round for our inspection a dry 

 maugoe-stone, which he afterwards buried in the 

 ground, muttering imprecations against all evil 

 spirits as he did so, and pouring a little water over 

 the spot, which he assured us came from the blessed 

 Ganges. 



He then produced a small stone image of the 

 goddess Bowanee,* to which he prayed that he 

 might live to eat of the fruit of the tree of which he 

 had just planted the seed. Immediately afterwards 

 he dug up the stone, and finding it in tlie same state 

 as when he had buried it, pretended to be in a great 

 rage, and commenced abusing the goddess in not 

 very measured terms, revealing certain antecedents 

 to her memory, which, if true, did not speak much 

 in favour of the general morality of the Hindoo 

 divinities. His ire even led him to forget common 

 politeness to the sex, for he struck her repeatedly 

 with his wand, but finished off by promisino- to 

 break cocoa-nuts in her name, provided she assisted 

 him to please the gentlemen; and after having 

 effected a reconciliation, he again dug up the seed 

 and showed it to us, with little white germs grow- 

 ing out of one end. 



He again buried it, and recommenced coaxing 

 the image to assist him, promising to sacrifice a 

 cock to her, provided she listened graciously to his 

 prayer, then covering the spot with a basket, to 



* Bowanee or Kalee— the Hindoo goddess of destruction, the 

 deity of the Thugs. 



