Wol. I, No. 8. j The People of Mungeli Tahsil. 199 
ENG Se] 
garden, as the mata had asked for thisfruit. If the goddess should 
demand a hen, the hen will be purchased and tied near the bed of the 
patient. Itis said that a hen with reversed feathers is the one 
most appreciated. During a small-pox epidemic I have known 
poultry with reversed feathers to sell at an exorbitant price. Some- 
times a goat is tied in the house of the patient and daintily fed in 
the name of the goddess, with a promise that it will be slaughtered 
in the event of the patient’s recovery. Hvery evening in each 
house in which there is a small-pox patient, music is heard and 
songs are sung in praise of the goddess. Musical instruments are 
also employed, more especially the drum. The friends of the patient 
will sit up all night. If the patient is in distress, nothing is 
-done to alleviate the suffering ; but the friends perplex themselves 
in trying to find out what they have done to annoy the goddess or 
what they have omitted to do which will please her. One evening 
I questioned a young man passing my gate as to where he was 
going. He replied he was going to join his friends who were to 
watch by the house of a caste-fellow who had small-pox. On in- 
quiring why he was going to watch, he replied, ‘‘ In case a dog or 
a cat should come near the house at night and annoy the goddess.” 
I asked how long the friend had had the sickness. He replied, ‘“ Six 
years.” On seeing my perplexity he explained that they say 
year for day in speaking of this illness. I then asked how much 
longer he expected the friend would be sick. He replied, “ Hight 
or ten years.” When the epidemic was abating in the town of 
Mungeli, the following story was told around and about the town 
and was believed to be true by all who heard and all who told it. A 
certain Bania, whose name was given, went from Mungeli to the 
neighbouring town of Nawagarh ; on his return after dark he came 
upon seven women seated by fires on the roadside. He addressed 
them as “friends” and asked them for fire to light his birhz (pipe). 
They paid no attention to him, and he noticed their fires had no 
smoke and that they burned steadily. He then went his way on 
horseback. His syce or groom came behind him and met these 
same women. They said to the syce, ‘‘ Your master addressed us as 
friends and we have destroyed two of his children. Tell him we 
have done our work in Mungeli and are now going to Nawagarh.” 
This story was believed to account for the sudden cessation of the 
disease in Mungeli and its sudden appearance in Nawagarh just at 
that time. I have been told that when the disease first appears on 
a@ person, he is seated on a bed and his feet are bathed with 
great ceremony. The waterin which his feet are washed must be 
taken from arunning stream ; and the water must be taken up in a 
vessel drawn against the current and not in the direction in which 
the water is flowing. Whenthe sickness has left the patient his en- 
tire body is bathed with great ceremony either on a Monday or a 
Thursday. Several months after the patient has recovered, the 
people have the ceremony of “ Vida karo,” that is, “sending away ”’ 
the goddess, as some visitor, is sent off, with ceremony. Special 
food is prepared, and the family party all wear new clothes, and 
with music and procession they all proceed to the river, where 
