§6 Customs and practices of the 71iug$ c [J»ly 



For this purpose they have connected themselves with several persons 

 residing in the Nizam's dominions, as Potails, and cultivators, of vil* 

 lages ; many of the latter of whom follow the profession of Thuggee, 

 in conjunction with their agricultural pursuits. The Marwaries, and 

 other petty bankers, are also frequently the channels of communication 

 between the Thugs, and there is no doubt of their being the purchasers 

 of the property of the murdered. The religious mendicants through* 

 out the country, occasionally assist in this measure, by becoming the 

 receivers of messages from bands of Thugs, to be delivered to the 

 next party that comes that way. With this view, also, they have 

 adopted the practice of forming Choolahs- or fire-places, of a particular 

 construction, to serve as marks of their progress through the country. 

 When a party of Thugs come to a road that branches off in two direc- 

 tions, they adopt the, precaution of making a mark, for the guidance of 

 their associates who may come after them, in the following manner. 

 The soil in a convenient spot is carefully smoothed, and the print of a 

 foot is distinctly stamped upon it. A Thug, on seeing this mark, which 

 he always searches for, knows, by the direction in which it points* 

 which track has been followed by those that precede him. 



The peculiar designation by which they are known, is a point on which 

 the Thugs are particularly tenacious, and they attach an importance, 

 and even respectability, to their profession, that they say no other class* 

 of delinquents is entitled to. The denomination of thief is one that is 

 peculiarly obnoxious to them, and they never refrain from soliciting 

 the erasure of the term, and the substitution of that of Thug, when- 

 ever it may occur in a paper regarding them ; declaring that, so fas 

 from following so disgraceful a practice as theft, they scorn the name, 

 and can prove themselves to be as honest and trust-worthy as any one 

 else, when occasion requires it. It seems that their ambition to be con- 

 sidered respectable persons, and, with this view, they expend much of 

 their gains on their personal decorations ; even those who have been 

 seized, and admitted as informers, are more solicitous about their dress 

 and decent appearance than any thing else. They mostly seem to be 

 men of mild and unobtrusive manners, possessing a cheerfulness of dis- 

 position, entirely opposed to the violent passions and ferocious de- 

 meanour, that are usually associated with the idea of a professed mur- 

 derer. Such is the extent to which this dreadful system has been car- 

 ried, that no idea can be formed of the expenditure of human life, to 

 which it has given occasion, or the immensity of the wealth that has 

 been acquired by its adoption. 



When it is taken into consideration, that many of the Thugs, already 

 seized, confess to their having, for the last twenty-five and thirty years, 

 annually made a tour, with parties of more than a hundred men, and 

 v. 1th no other object than that of murder and rapine j that they boast 



