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OF THE MURDERERS CALLED P'HANSI'GARS. 



BY DOCTOR SH Ell WOOI>, 



Communicated hy Colonel McKenziea 



HILE Europeans have journeyed througlif he cxtennve territo 

 rics fubject to ihc Governntcnt of Fort St. Gj&brgS/ with a degree of 

 fecurity no where furpaffed, the path of the native traveller has been, 

 befe.t with penis litde known or fufpedted, into which, numbers annu- 

 ally falling, have my ftcriounydifappeared; the victims of villains as 

 fubtile, rapacious, and crueU a$ any who are to be met with in 

 records of human depravitj. 



The Phdnfigdrs, or ftranglers, arc thus defignated from the Hindu f- 

 tani word Fkanji, (a) a noofe. In the more northern parts of India^ 

 th'efe murderers are called I'Vi^^i, (b) fignifying deceivers :: in the Ta- 

 mul language, they are called Ari Ta/ucar, (c) or mulfulman noofers i 

 in Ganarefe, J'izwi/ Callcrd, (dyimplying thieves^' who: uFe a wire or 

 catgut noofe: and in Telagu, Wairlu> W.ahndlu,' ox Wartu Vayjh.ay-.. 

 WalmdloOi (e) meaning people who ufe the noofe. 



There is no-reafoji to believe that Europeans were aware of the ex? 

 iRence of fuch criminals as P'hdfrfigars, until fiiortly after the conqueji: 



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