﻿458 AN ACCOUNT OF THE BAZEEGUllS, 



profits, besides a tax of two rupees wbich is levied 

 on the giri« oF each set, as often as they may have 

 attracted the notice of persons not of their own cast. 

 This from their mode of life, must be a tolerably 

 productive duty. When the parlies return from their 

 excursions, ibis money is p:iid to the Nardar Boutah, 

 who convenes his people, and they continue eating and 

 drinkino- till the whole is exj:)ended. When any of 

 the Surdars are suspected of giving in an unfair state- 

 nieiit of their profits, a Puiicha^et \s assembled, be- 

 fore whom the supposed culprit is ordered to undergo 

 a fiery orikal, by applying his tongue to a piece of 

 red hot iron ; if it burns him, he is declared guilty. 

 A fine, always consisting of liquor, is imposed, the 

 qu'intity agreeing, 1 suspect, more with the insati- 

 able desires of the Punchajdt than the nature of the 

 crinie. from a court so constituted, the verdict Js'ot 

 guilty, may seldom be looked for. If the liquor be 

 not immediately produced, the delinquent is banish- 

 ed friHii Uieir sojiety, hooted and execrated where- 

 ever he comes ; liis very vvife and children avoid 

 liim. Thus oppressed, he soon becomes a suppliant 

 to the Nardar Boutah ; to bring about a reconcilia- 

 tion, acknowledges the justice of their sentence, and 

 liis wdlingness to abide by their award. If he has 

 no money, and his friends cannot supply him, he 

 must get it, and probably the necessity of the case 

 may excuse the means, should they perchance not 

 square exactl)^ with our refined notions of honesty. 

 However, it is but justice to this particular set to 

 observe, that the country people seem in general to 

 consider tlicm as an honest inoffensive race. Among 

 themselves they lay claim to great veracity and 

 lionesty, and declare, notwithstanding the story of 

 the ordeal, that noBazeei^ur Mould. attempt a decep- 

 tion in the payment of his Clwut. If this be a true 

 statement of the case, we l^ave to lament, that the 

 rareness of such probity lenders the circumstance 

 rather difticultof belief, especially among the people 

 M'hose notions of morality must be very loose, if we 



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