OF THE MURDERERS 263 



defcended to prefent them with one of her teeth for a pickaxe, a rib 

 for a knife, and the hem of her lower garment for a noofe, and ordered 

 them, for the future, to cut and bury the bodies of thofe whom they 

 'deftroyed. 



WHiTE and yellow being confidered the favorite colors of their pa- 

 tronefs, and thofe in which fhe is arrayed ; the cloths for ftrancrlina- 

 are of one or other of thefe, to the excluflon, I believe, of all other 

 colors. 



Ridiculous as their fuperftitions mud appear, they are not devoid of 

 effeft. They ferve the important purpofes of cementing the union of 

 the gang s of kindling courage and confidence ; and, by an appeal to 

 religious texts deemed infallible, of imparting to their atrocities the fern- 

 blance of divine fandion. 



To the afcendancy of the fame fuperflitious feeling is alfo to be af- 

 cribed the curious circumftance that P*hdnsigdrs are accuftomed to re- 

 frainfrom murdering females, and perfonsof the Cam-ild c^fl ; which 

 includes gold, iron, and brafs, fmiths, carpenters, and ftone-cutters.) 

 Wafhermen, potmakers, pariahs, chucklers, lepers, the blind and mu- 

 tilated, a man driving a cow or a female goat, are alfo fpared. Thefe 

 perfons appear to be regarded either as the defcendants or fervants of 

 Jayi ; as her conftant worfhippers ; or as having claims to the efpecial 

 protedion of the goddefs, and are for thefe reafons exempted from 

 flaughter. 



When this rule is refpcfled any one of thefe perfons, travelling with 

 others of different cafts, proves a fafeguard to the whole party ; the 

 fame principle which prompts the P'hdnsigdrs to deftroy every iiidivi::^ 

 dual of a party, forbidding them to kill any unkfs the whole. 



