18 An account of the Maun Bhows. [Jan. 



and such persons as are too advanced in age, or from any 

 other cause, are rendered incapable of receiving instruction, 

 are taught a few sacred words or sentences, which they are 

 enjoined to continue repeating very frequently. Exclusive of 

 the Geeta every Maun Bhow has either a copy of the Hurry 

 Veeja, the Rookhmuny Sywur, the Radha Kishen, or the 

 Pandoo Purtaub in his possession ; these are in the Prokru-t 

 language. It is usual for some one of them to read a chapter 

 from one of these books of an evening : and a few of thj dif- 

 ferent classes of the villagers frequently form a portion of 

 their audience on such occasions. 



When the Maun Bhows are questioned by Brahmins or 

 other persons they are unacquainted with on the subject of 

 their faith, or in any way connected with their habits and 

 customs, they will not unfrequently reply by repeating some 

 proverb, or illustrate their explanation by means of parables : 

 I have seen some of them who are capital story tellers. 



The Maun Bhows wear leather shoes, but strictly speak- 

 ing they ought not to do so ; however, at the time they take 

 their wallet in one hand, and their staff in another, and go 

 begging from house to house, they are then barefooted; but 

 some few of them make up slippers of thick cloth which they 

 are permitted to wear at all times. Should four or five of 

 them or a larger number arrive at a village, instead of going 

 to each house they go to the Patell and ask him to grant 

 them something in charity ; and if they receive a sufficient 

 quantity of grain from him* they retire with it ; and as a 

 particular duty is assigned to each in preparing their vic- 

 tuals, they now respectively busy themselves in bringing 

 firewood and water, grinding the corn and cooking, &c. But 

 if they do not receive enough of grain in the first village they 

 visit, they move on until they have collected sufficient for the 

 days consumption. They hold flesh, fish, and spirituous li- 

 quors in abhorrence ; and so very anxious are they to avoid 

 giving pain or putting to death the smallest insect, that they 

 carefully strain the w T ater they intend for their own use 

 through a cloth ; and then turn the cloth upside down, shake 



* The Patell (headman of the village) collects a little from each of the villagers 

 and presents it to the Monks. 



