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in Guzerat. They are permitted to practise it in several different 

 modes, both under their own rajahs, and the Mahomedan princes. 

 These ordeals are by fire, water, poison, rice, the balance, and boil- 

 ing oil. I have already described the trials by water, and by rice, 

 I shall now confine my remarks to that by boiling oil, as being 

 most customary in the Dhuboy districts, and the only method 

 which came under my own observation. 



In general, on the day appointed for the trial, many religious 

 ceremonies are used by the brahmins, and the prisoner; the vessel 

 is consecrated, and the ground on which the fire is lighted, is pre- 

 viously covered with cow-dung; a substance much employed in 

 religious ceremonies by the Hindoos. When the oil is sufficiently 

 heated, a leaf of the holy pippal (ficus-religiosa) is put into the 

 vessel, and when it has evidently felt the effect of the fire, a solemn 

 prayer is offered by the superior brahmin; the accused is then 

 ordered to take out the ring or coin which had been placed at the 

 bottom of the vessel. There are some instances where the prisoner 

 has been terribly burnt; and there are many others, equally 

 well attested, where the hand and arm received no injury. 



Voltaire, in writing on the ancient ordeal in Europe, says, that in 

 the dark ages they were possessed of a secret to pass unhurt through 

 many of these singular trials; especially that of plunging in boil- 

 ing water, which consisted in rubbing the body over with spirit 

 of vitriol and alum mixed with the juice of onions. Whether this 

 was efficacious in those days I leave to the determination of anti- 

 quarians; in the Malabar ordeals, especially those permitted by 

 the English government, I know that every possible care was taken 

 to prevent deception. 



