HILLS NEAR RA'jAMAHALL. 67 



have practxes, in which they place implicit faith: 

 one is called Satane^ and is as follows : — A place 

 large enough for a man to sit in, is brushed and 

 washed, in the middle of which a small branch of 

 the bale-ZTQQ is planted, and a person sits opposite 

 to it ; another supplies him with a few grains of rice, 

 on a Bale-leaf, some of which he throws on the 

 branch, the remainder he is to eat ; the person who 

 gave it to him repeating, that he is to swallow it in the 

 names of all the inhabitants of the village; in which 

 should the sinner be, it is believed God will make 

 him throw up the rice. Should this happen, he is 

 next to eat some in the names of families, and again 

 in the name of all the individuals who compose that 

 on which the Satane proof falls. Another is called 

 Cherreen, and is thus: — A stone is suspended to a 

 string, which, it is believed, will be tossed to and fro, on 

 the name of the village, family, and offender. The 

 third is called Gobereen, and is of a more serious na- 

 ture than the two former. A pot with some cow-dung, 

 oil, and water, is put on the fire ; when boiling, a 

 ring is thrown in ; each person approaches to take 

 out the ring, calling on God to protect him if inno- 

 cent, and to burn him if guilty. On this trial, it is 

 believed, the innocent will escape unhurt in taking 

 out the ring, and that the guilty person will be se- 

 verely burned, without being able to put his hand 

 into the pot, as the mixture, it is said, will boil up to 

 meet his hand. 



When a married man has been detected in com- 

 mitting fornication, his wife or wives may insist on a 



F2 hoz 



