356 ON SOME EXTRAORDINARY FACTS, CUSTOMS, 



TJie following is a copy of the engagement which 

 the latter subscribed : — 



" Whereas it hath become known to the Go- 

 cc vernment of the Honourable East India Company, 

 <f that we of the tribe of Rajekoomars do not suffer 

 " our female children to live ; and whereas this is a 

 <c great 'crime, as mentioned in the Brehma By want 

 ft Pooran, where it is said that killing even a Fetus 

 <c is as criminal as killing a Brabmen\ and that for 

 " killing a female, or woman, the punishment is to 

 "suffer in the nerk> or hell, called Kat Shootul, for 

 <c as many years as there are hairs on their female's 

 " body, and that afterwards that person shall be born 

 " again, and successively become a leper, and be 

 <f afflicted with the Jukhima ; and whereas the British 

 " Government in India, whose subjects we are, have 

 c< an utter detestation of such murderous practices, 

 cc and we do ourselves acknowledge, that although 

 tf customary amon£ us, they are highly sinful, we 

 f( do therefore hereby agree not to commit any longer 

 " such detestable acts ; and any among us ( which God 

 " forbid} who shall be hereafter guilty thereof, or 

 " shall not bring up and get our daughters married, 

 cc to the best of our abilities, among thoseof our cast, 

 " shall be expelled from our tribe, and shall neither 

 ft eat nor keep society with us, besides suffering 

 <c hereafter the punishments denounced in the above 

 ** Poor an and Shatter. We have therefore entered 

 " into this agreement. 



a Bated the \~,th December, i7 8 9- ,> 



.A RE- 



