2C0 Sievemo?i''s area u at of the P'hans'igars. [Ju lt 



they are notorious for kidnapping children, and mImo for 

 an ahoniinahk^ tvafFic^ consisting in the sale of sinews 

 extracted from the breasts^ the wrists, and the ankles 

 of females ; these are supposed to be preservative charms 

 from all evil : but, in order that they may possess this 

 virtue to the full extent, they must be taken from the 

 person of a woman who has been very lately delivered. 

 An instance of this practice occurred at Sholapiir a few 

 years ago ; — a rich merchant named Deyel^vt had a 

 married daughter (Lakshmi) who resided in his hoiise^ 

 and who had been confined of her first child about ten 

 days, when she was suddenly missed. The infant was 

 found in its cradle, but no search was successful in dis - 

 covering the unfortunate mother. It was at last remem- 

 bered by some member of the family, that on the morn- 

 mg of the day on which the girl was missed a female 

 Shudgdrshid had been at the house, and had told the 

 fortunes of several of the inmates. Knowing the lia« 

 bits of these people, apprehensions and anxiety regard- 

 ing the fate of the lost Lakshmi were excited to their 

 height, as it was deemed beyond doubt that she had 

 been enticed away, and had fallen a victim to the Shud- 

 gdrsJdd, w^ho was immediately seized ; but nothing 

 could be learnt from her, for she denied ever having 

 seen the girl. In the course, however, of the inquiries 

 and cross -questioning of the friends — probably not con- 

 ducted in the mildest manner — some words dropped 

 from the juggler regarding a neighbouring tank. This 

 induced the parties to proceed there and to examine its 

 waters, in which the body of the unfortunate girl was 

 quickly found ; the sinews from the breast, ankles, and 

 wrists, had been extracted, but no further marks of vio- 

 lence w^ere visible. The event was now made know^n 

 to the civil authorities, but the Shudgdrshid continued 

 firm in her denial of all knowledge of the affair, nor was 

 any other information regarding the fate of the unhappy 



