AND PRACTICES OF THE HINDUS. 357 



A record of the various superstitious ceremonies 

 which prevail throughout Hindustan, would form a 

 large and curious volume; but as all the preceding 

 instances which I have related, are taken from trans- 

 actions in Emmvcs, I cannot refrain from mentioning 

 the superstitious notions of the people of that pro- 

 vince regarding the sugar-cane : which proves an 

 ignorance that may be admitted in palliation of 

 grosser errors. The narrative is a mere extract from 

 an official record, with an omission of some words, 

 and some trifling verbal alterations. 



As it is usual with the ryots, or husbandmen, to re- 

 serve a certain portion of the canes of the preceding 

 year to serve as plants for their new cultivation, it very 

 frequently happens that inconsiderable portions of the 

 old cane remain unappropriated. Whenever this 

 happens, the proprietor repairs to the spot on the 

 25th of Jeyte> or about the nth of June> and having 

 sacrificed to Nagb el e, or the tutelary deity of the 

 cane, he immediately sets fire to the whole, and is ex- 

 ceedingly careful to have this operation executed in 

 as complete and efficacious a manner as possible. 



This act is performed from an apprehension, that 

 if the old canes were allowed to remain in the ground 

 beyond the 25th of Jey'te, they would in all proba- 

 bility produce flowers and seeds ; and the appearance 

 of these flowers they consider as one of the greatest 

 misfortunes that can befal them. 



They unanimously assert, that if the proprietor of 

 3. plantation ever happens to view even a single cane 

 therein in flower after the 25th of Jeyte> the greatest 



A a 3 calamities 



