2 to ON SCttTE EXTRAORDINARY FACTS, CUSTOMS, 



approaching his house he cut off the head of his de- 

 ceased son's widow, and threw it out. His first in- 

 tention was to destroy his own wife ; but it was prov- 

 ed in evidence that, upon his indication of it, his 

 son's widow requested him to decapitate her; which 

 he instantly did. 



In this case, the process against Soodishter was 

 regular, his disobedience contemptuous ; his situation 

 in life entitled him to no particular exemption, he 

 had nothing to apprehend from obeying the requisi- 

 tion, and he was certain of redress if injury or in-<. 

 justice were practised upon him. 



Another B?abmen> named Baloo Paundeh, in 

 1793, was convicted of the murder of his daughter. 

 His own account of the transaction will best explain 

 it, and his motives ,- I give it in abstract. That about 

 twelve years before the period of the murder, he, 

 Baloo, and another man, were joint tenants and cul- 

 tivators of a spot of ground, when his partner Baloo 

 relinquished his share. In 1793 this partner again 

 brought forward a claim to a share in the ground : 

 the claim was referred to arbitration, and a decision, 

 was pronounced in favour of Baloo. He consequently 

 repaired to the land, and was ploughing it, when he 

 was interrupted by his opponent. The words of 

 Baloo are as follows: " I became angry, and en- 

 (f raged at his forbidding me, and bringing my own 

 *' little daughter Apmun ya, who was only a year and 

 " a half old, to the said field, I killed her with my 

 m sword." This transaction also happened in the 

 province oS Benafes. 



The 



