1844.] Notes on the Kasia Hills, and People. 627 



persons generally shoot at once, they draw the arrow to the ear, and 

 the attitudes are often very striking, though to say the truth, they are 

 no Robin Hoods. The bow, the bowstring, the arrow, and the quiver 

 are all made from various species of the all-useful bamboo. When all 

 have shot, the arrows in the target are taken out, and the villagers 

 crowd round the umpire as he distributes them. As each arrow is 

 recognized, the party to which its owner belongs dance and leap about, 

 fencing with their bows, spinning them high in air, and shouting together 

 in a wild cadence. The villager whose arrows are in a minority pays a 

 trifling forfeit of a few cowries. 



They shew no very particular courtesy of bearing towards their 

 Rajas. Indeed the latter do not seem to have much power. They have 

 the right of calling on all to bear arms, or send a contribution in case 

 of war ; what public revenue they have is derived from fines, and in 

 some cases from trifling dues paid in kind by frequenters of the markets. 

 The chief is the judge, and when he calls for the attendance of any 

 party as criminal, defendant, or witness, he sends as a summons a 

 piece of pork ; the pig being probably charged in the loser's bill of 

 costs. Fining is almost universal as a punishment. Occasionally 

 however a man's whole goods are confiscated, whilst he and his family 

 become the slaves of the Raja ; and in some rare cases of murder, the 

 criminal is given over to the friends of the slain, for them to wreak their 

 vengeance. The water ordeal used to be a common mode of decision. 

 The opponents with much ceremony plunged their heads under water 

 on opposite sides of a consecrated pool, and he had the right who remained 

 longest under water. I have been told that it was lawful to use the 

 services of practised attornies in this mode of trial ; so that long-winded 

 lawyers have as decided a preference in these regions as they may have 

 elsewhere. The last case of this ordeal, between parties belonging to 

 Cherra Poonjee, occurred five or six years ago, and was fatal to both 

 plaintiff and defendant. 



The Kasias have a name for a Supreme, or at least for a chief god, 

 but as usual they principally regard inferior spirits. These are sup- 

 posed to reside on the tops of certain hills, or in rocky dells, and in 

 groves on the high land, to which they are believed to descend at night. 

 Temples and idols they have none, except in certain villages of Jaintia, 

 where Kali and her Brahmins have unfortunately effected a lodgment, 



4q 



