OF KAMAON. gg^ 



Aclieri, or fairy, the ghosts of young female children ; these reside 

 on the tops of the mountains, but descend at dusk to hold their revels in 

 more convenient spots. To fall in with the train, at the time, is fatal, as the 

 ^c/;m punish such intrusions with death: they occasionally also molest 

 those who may cross the sites of their abodes during the day, more particu- 

 larly females, who may have any red articles of dress on their person at the 

 time, the Acheri bearing a peculiar antipathy to that color. When female 

 children are taken suddenly ill, it is immediately concluded that the 

 Acheri have cast their spell or shadow (Chdijd) on the child, with the view 

 of adding her ghost to their numbers. The optical illusions and shadows, 

 seen in various mountainous countries, are also occasionally visible on 

 some of the mountains in this province, which are accordingly celebrated as 

 the peculiar resort of the Acheri, as the processions of elephants, horseSj 

 Sec. which sojnetimes appear on the summits, are naturally ascribed to those 

 ideal beings. A hill opj)osite to /Sriwajar, is celebrated in this respect; the 

 train of shadows which, from time to time, appears to move along its ridge, con« 

 tinues visible for some minutes, and is, in consequence, viewed by numbers of 

 the inhabitants of the town. It is therefore certain, that these shadows origi<. 

 nate in physical causes, and are not created by the imagination of individuals. 

 The theory, by which this illusion is explained in other places, is particularly 

 applicable here, as the shadows in question, are invariably seen at the same 

 hour, that is, when the sun is sinking below the horizon. 



The DeoSy or demons, form a numerous class, and scarce a village 

 but has its particular Deo: some of the tribe are obnoxious to men, others 

 to women or children, while a more ignoble race vent their malice on cat- 

 tle. An account of one of these Deos will serve as a description of the 

 whole tribe. This demon, called Runia, haunts the north pergunnas of 

 Kamaorit removing occasionally from one place to another; in his migra- 

 tions, he makes use of a large rock for a steed, on which also he nightly 



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