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" but was opposed by the serpent, until he consented to follow 

 " it quietly, and was conducted to the place where the treasure was 

 " hid. Here the snake began to bite the ground, and make signs ; 

 " at length Sedasiva, having dug into the earth, found a cave filled 

 " with treasure, and containing a sword. Such are the fables by 

 " which the Hindoo chiefs endeavour to gain the admiration and 

 " respect of their countrymen, whose credulity indeed renders the 

 " means very adequate to the end proposed." 



Among other curious circumstances in my administration of 

 justice at Dhubo3 r , I was sometimes obliged to admit of the ordeal 

 trial. In the first instance a man was accused of stealing a child 

 covered with jewels, which is a common mode of adorning in- 

 fants among the wealthy Hindoos. Many circumstances appeared 

 against him, on which he demanded the ordeal: it was a measure to 

 which I was very averse, but at the particular request of the Hin- 

 doo arbitrators, who sat on the carpet of justice, and especially at 

 the earnest entreaty of the child's parents, 1 consented. A cauldron 

 of boiling oil was brought into the durbar, and after a short cere- 

 mony by the brahmins, the accused person, without shewing any 

 anxiety, dipped his hand to the bottom, and lookout a small silver 

 coin, which I still preserve in remembrance of this transaction. 

 He did not appear to have sustained any damage, or to suffer the 

 smallest pain; but the process went on no further, as the parents 

 declared themselves perfectly convinced of his innocence. 



In a former chapter I related some particulars respecting 

 the ordeal trial on the Malabar coast, where it is much used. 

 During my abode among the northern Hindoos I found it univer- 

 sally credited, and more or less used under all the governments 



