AND PRACTICES OF THE HINDUS. 359 



posed to bear any proportion to the belief of the 

 power; although two recent instances occur to my 

 recollection, of individuals having been sacrificed to 

 this popular delusion ; or at least the imputation of 

 witchcraft was made the pretence for depriving them 

 of life. 



But the judicial records contain a case of great 

 enormity, in which five women were put to death for 

 the fupposed practice of sorcery. I shall submit the 

 circumstances of this transaction, with some detail, 

 before the Society, premising that it happened in a 

 district of Ramgiir, the least civilized part of the 

 Company's possessions, amongst a wild and unlettered 

 tribe, denominated Soontaar, who have reduced the 

 detection and trial of perfons suspected of witchcraft 

 to a system. 



Three men of the cast of Soontaar, were in the year 

 1792 indicted for the murder of five women; the pri- 

 soners without hesitation confessed the crime with 

 which they were charged, and pleaded in their defence 

 that with their tribes it was the immemorial custom 

 and practice to try perfons notorious for witchcraft. 

 That for this purpose an assembly was convened of 

 those of the same tribe, from far and near, and if after 

 due investigation the charge was proved, the sorcerers 

 were put to death, and no complaint was ever pre- 

 ferred on this account to the ruling power. That the 

 women -.ho were killed had undergone the pre- 

 scribed form of trial, were duly convicted of cauling 

 the death of the son of one of the prisoners by witch- 



A a 4 craft. 



