CUSTOMS. 259 



Secondly. Small portions of rice enveloped 

 in cloths, marked as above, are placed 

 in a nest of white ants; the consumption 

 of the rice in any of the bags, establishes 

 sorcery against the woman whose name it 

 bears. 



Thirdly. Lamps are lighted at night; wa- 

 ter is placed in cups made of leaves, and 

 mustard-seed and oil is poured, drop by drop, 

 into the water, whilst the name of each 

 woman in the village is pronounced; the 

 appearance of the shadow of any woman 

 on the water, during this ceremony, proves 

 her a witch. 



Such are the general rules for ascertain- 

 ing those who practice witch-craft. In the 

 instance which I have quoted, the witnesses 

 swore, and probably believed, that all the 

 proofs against the unfortunate women had 

 been duly verified : they asserted in evidence, 

 that the branches marked with the names of 

 the five women accused were withered ; that 

 T 



