203 



Statistical Report on the Northern and 



[No. 33, 



are averse to a life of ascetism and poverty, or if their talents prove 

 mean, the)* are permitted to secularize themselves, which is best 

 and most effectually done by marriage. Dungurs, and some of the 

 lower castes bring a daughter of a tender age as an offering to 

 their favourite divinity, these as they grow up are called Moorlees, 

 and become concubines to the Brahmin monks, or downright pros- 

 titutes ; but this vile custom is less common in Telinganah, than in 

 the Mahratta country. 



The belief in witchcraft or jadoo, as it is called, is universal — 

 but besides this charms, spells, and amulets, are believed to be of 

 most potent efficacy to invite the gifts of fortune, or scare away its 

 frowns, when words of power are spoken it is said to be muntrum ; 

 when figures are written or engraved they are called yuntrums, and 

 when formed by sand, chalk, or fuller's earth they are said to be 

 tuntrums — a very notable example of the last may be noticed be- 

 fore the doors of the villagers' houses in a morning, where the wo- 

 men may be seen preparing this cabalistic sign. The Coonbee ne- 

 ver daring to use the Brahmin's figure, nor the low caste man the 

 Coonbees. Those who practise jadoo, and some do so openly and 

 without shame, are knaves of the worst description — pandering as 

 they do to the vilest passions of the depraved, and using the gross- 

 est superstition for their means, they richly merit punishment, 

 but as was the case in Europe two centuries ago, there are many 

 hapless creatures, who from peculiarity of manner or appearance, 

 come under the suspicion of jadoo, on whom a fearful vengeance is 

 sometimes wreaked — on my visit to Mahdapore a town on the Gro- 

 davery in the Eamgheer Sircar last year — I heard of a case of this 

 kind. An unhappy Hujjam who had taken to the practice of medi- 

 cine, and was rather unsuccessful in his calling fell under suspicion 

 of being a wizard, and was hunted from his home ; after some time 

 he ventured to return, but was betrayed into the hands of his ene- 

 mies by his wife, he was summarily tried, and condemned to death, 

 the Zemindar of the place openly countenancing the proceeding, 

 he was sentenced to be hanged, and hanged he was, but not till 

 the blacksmith of the place had drawn, or rather punched out his 

 teeth, and the Chumar had filled his mouth with the foetid lees of 

 the tan pit. 



Amusements. — Chess is played after the Indian method by Brahmins 

 and others, who often become proficients at this game. A game call- 



