346 °F SOME EXTRAORDINARY FACTS, CUSTOMS, 



a consideration of cast, which her antagonist declared 

 she had forfeited. The decision was favourable to 

 her, but not to -the extent of her wishes; and she re- 

 solved therefore to procure by the expedient of the 

 Dhcrna, as above explained, what neither the award of 

 arbitration nor the judicial decision had granted. 



In conformity to this resolution, Be enoo sat dowr* 

 jn Dberna on Bal k i s h e n ; and be, after a perse verance 

 of several days, apprehensive of her death, repaired 

 with her to a Hindu temple in Benares c where they 

 both continued to fast some time longer. Thirteen 

 days had elapsed from tht commencement of Bal- 

 k i s h en's arrest, when he yielded the contest, by enter- 

 ing into a conditional agreement with Be enoo, that if 

 she could establish the validity of her cast, and in 

 proof thereof prevail on some creditable members of 

 her own tribe to partake with her of an entertain- 

 ment of her providing, he would not only defray the 

 cxpence of it, but would also discharge her debts. 

 The conditions were accepted by Be enoo, who fulfil- 

 led her part of the obligation ; and her antagonist, 

 without hesitation, defrayed the charges of the en- 

 tertainment : but the non-performance ox his en- 

 gagement to discharge her debts, induced Be enoo 

 Bhai to institute a suit against him; and the prac- 

 tice of the Dberna, with the proofs of it, were thus 

 •brought forward to official notice. 



Iris not unworthy of remark, that some of the 



Pandits, on being consulted, admitted the validity of 



an obligation extorted by Dberna, provided the ob- 



t were to obtain a just cause, or right wickedly 



withheld 



