256 INDIAN 



put to death for the supposed practice of sor- 

 cery. I shall submit the circumstances of 

 this transaction, \vith some detail, before 

 the Society,, premising that it happened in a 

 district of Ramghur, the least civilized part 

 of the Company's possessions, amongst a 

 wild and unlettered tribe denominated Soon- 

 taar, who have reduced the detection and 

 trial of persons suspected of witch-craft to a 

 system. J> 



" Three men of the cast of Soontaar, were 

 in the year 1792 indicted for the murder of 

 five women; the prisoners without hesita- 

 tion confessed the crime with which they 

 were charged, and pleaded in their defence 

 that with their tribes it was the immemorial 

 custom and practice to try persons notorious 

 for witch-craft. That for this purpose an 

 assembly was convened of those of the 

 same tribe, from far and near, and if, after due 

 investigation the charge was proved, the sor- 

 cerers were put to death, and no complaint 

 was ever preferred on this account to the ru- 



