AND PRACTICES OF THE HINDUS. g45 



threatening to use it if his adversary should attempt 

 to molest or pass him, he thus completely arrests him. 

 ].n this situation the Brahmen fasts ; and by the rigor 

 of the etiquette, which is rarely infringed, the un^. 

 fortunate object of his arrest ought also to fast; and 

 thus they both remain until the institutor of the 

 Dherna obtains satisfaction. In this, as he seldom 

 makes the attempt without resolution to persevere, 

 he rarely fails; for if the party thus arrested were to 

 suffer the Brahmen sitting in Dherna to perish by hun- 

 ger, the sin would for ever lie upon his head. This 

 practice has been less frequent of late years, since 

 the institution of the Court of Justice at Benares in 

 1783 ; but the interference of that Court, and even 

 that of the Resident there, has occasionally proved 

 insufficient to check it ; as it has been deemed m ge- 

 neral most prudent to avoid for this purpose the use 

 of coercion, from an apprehension that the fust ap- 

 pearance of it might drive the setter in Dherna to 

 suicide. The discredit of the act would not only 

 fall upon the officers of justice, but upon the Go- 

 vernment itself. 



The practice of sitting in Dherna is not confined 

 to male Brahmens only. The following instance, which 

 happened at Benares in the year 1 7 89, will at once 

 prove and exemplify it : — 



Beenoo Bh a 1 the widow of a man of the Brabmini- 

 cal tribe, had a litigation with her brother-in-law 

 Balkisi! kn, which was tried by arbitration ; and the 

 trial and sentence were revised by the court of Jus- 

 tice at Benares, and again in Appeal. 



The suit of Bteuco involved a claim of property and 



a con- 



