142 INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS. 



were some of her near relatives, were appre- 

 hended by the Magistrate, tried for the murder, 

 and condemned by the circuit Judges, who for- 

 warded a representation of the whole affair to 

 the Governor General, by whom a special de- 

 putation was sent to inquire into the particu- 

 lars of the prevailing custom. The conse- 

 quence was, the criminals were forgiven, but 

 a proclamation was issued, forbidding the pra- 

 ticein future, on penalty of death. 



Whenever a woman had been found by her 

 cast, guilty of witch-craft it had been the cus- 

 tom from time immemorial, to suspend around 

 her neck, two earthen pots, half filled with 

 sand or stones, and then to throw her into the 

 water. If she sunk, they considered her in- 

 nocent, and endeavoured to save her, but if 

 she floated, they stoned her to death. * 



* Exodus, Chap. 22, V. 18, " Thou shall not suffer a 

 witch to live." 



Formerly it was a common practice in England to nail 

 a horse shoe to the threshold of the door, to prevent 



