198 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [August, 1905. 
with folklore, I would have regarded him a valuable “ find.” 
For many years now at the Divali festival, a lamp has been burnt 
at his grave for three nights in succession. This old man claimed 
to be able to tell just what form any man or animal has assumed 
in the last life, or incarnation. He said that he had some cattle, 
who were persons who had died owing him money ; and they had 
returned in this form to pay their debts. He himself claimed to 
have been a Rajput in the last life, and for some offence he was 
born a Chamar. He expected on his return to the earth to be born 
a Brahman. I once took him to see my horse which was tied in the 
stable. On our entering the stable the horse started. I said to 
ob an, “ Now, can you tell me what this horse was in the last 
life.” He was equal to the occasion, for he replied immediately, 
“He was a deer and was shot.” ‘“ How do you know?” I asked. 
“‘Did you not notice how he started when we entered,”’ he replied, 
“he is timid like a deer, and look at this,” pointing to a birth-mar 
on the side of the animal, “this is where a bullet has entered, 
e was a deer and was shot.” It is a common idea amongst the 
people of this district that marks on the body are transmitted. 
If a child should be born and should die almost immediately, 
the expression used is “ bahurgayd, ‘It has returned.” The idea 
: that the life came into this world and went back from whence 
1t Cam 
ample opportunity of making many interesting observa : 
conclusion I came to was, that during the epidemic the people feel 
that there is some strong personality in their ll th 
fluence or person. As is usually the case 
ves 
y a hedge of thorns or dried twigs nf 
pose is ay persons whose pre will annoy the 
goddess and to hinder persons with shod feet approaching the house 
Someone is always in attendance on the patie E ord he 
and will bring the coldest, purest water obtainable. In the delirium 
all the wild sayings of the patient are considered the utterances of 
beh 
