80 ON THE INHABITANTS OF THE 



he says, " if you decide contrary to your judgment, 

 and falsely, may this salt be your death." The per- 

 son swearing having repeated this imprecation, and 

 applied it to himself, the part of the blade where the 

 salt is, is held above his mouth, which he opens, and 

 it is washed off into his mouth w r ith some water, that 

 he may swallow it. Those who, from indisposition or 

 infirmity, do not like to swallow the salt, repeat the 

 oath, putting their hand on two arrows fixed trans- 

 versely in the ground, at about a cubit's distance, 

 with some salt between them. On some occasions a 

 man swearing repeats the oath, with his hand on a 

 sword ; while others repeat it, laying hold of any 

 person's hand : and all these forms are considered 

 equally binding. Next, the commitment and charge 

 are read and explained by the collector's officer, in 

 his, the collector's presence -, then the delinquent 

 must state his defence or confess his crime, sitting 

 on his hams ; after which the Maungy and Phojedar 

 of the village where it was committed, declare 

 what they know of it. Here the criminal is appa- 

 rently his own accuser, by never deviating from 

 truth ; the vice of lying being considered an ag- 

 gravation of any crime ; but I have known the aC- 

 cused refuse to speak ; for lying has not obtained 

 much among these highlanders. A man convicted of 

 falsehood, or who violates a promise, is called pas- 

 slary ; the meaning of which is, a person to whom 

 no credit is due, though he should even speak truth, 

 and whose professions or promises are not to be de- 

 pended on. Such a person is not admitted on any 



arbitration, 



