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 
Goburdhan, “‘ 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-mark 
on the side of the animal, “this is where a bullet has entered, 
He 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 
is that the life came into this world and went back from whence 
it came. 
82. Observation during a Small-poxr Hpidemic.—Harly in 1904 
there was a small-pox epidemic in the town of Mungeli; and I had 
ample opportunity of making many interesting observations. ‘The 
conclusion I came to was, that during the epidemic the people feel 
that there is some strong personality in their midst, and all their 
efforts are with the purpose of pleasing this great power or in- 
fluence or person. As is usually the case, they believe what 
would please themselves will please this great being or power. 
The mata or devi is supposed to be visiting the family in which there 
is a case of small-pox. It is not considered a misfortune but rather 
an honour. The yard of the house in which the patient lies is 
surrounded by a hedge of thorns or dried twigs. The pur- 
pose is to keep away persons whose presence will annoy the 
goddess and to hinder persons with shod feet approaching the house. 
Someone is always in attendance on the patient. Hvery word he 
may utter is considered the word of the goddess. If the patient 
requests water, the attendants will say, “The goddess is thirsty,” 
and will bring the coldest, purest water obtainable. In the delirium 
all the wild sayings of the patient are considered the utterances of 
the great person in their midst. The behests of this person must 
be complied with, however difficult and repulsive. If the patient 
says he wants food from the house of a scavenger, it must be done 
rather than incur the wrath of the goddess. Once a man walked 
eight miles to ask for food from my table. The reason was that 
his daughter had small-pox, and when asked what she wanted, she 
was understood to say she wanted food from the sahib’s house, and 
the father begged me to give him some. On several occasions the 
people have come asking for the fruit of the papiya from my 
