THE CHURRACK POOJA. 
185 
though, however, the distinction upon which the 
Hindoo so highly prides himself is often thus easily 
forfeited, it is not to he regained but by undergoing 
either severe mortification or some terrible infliction, 
which happened to be the case in the instance I am 
about to record. 
On landing we found a large concourse of people 
assembled, and forming a circle of about twenty yards 
in diameter, in the centre of which was a strong pole 
fixed upright in the ground. On the top of this 
pole a transverse bamboo, sufficiently strong to sus- 
tain the weight of a man, was attached to a move- 
able pivot, so that it could be swung either vertically 
or circularly as occasion might require. The insertion 
of the transverse bamboo was about one-third part 
from the end, leaving two-thirds on the other side, 
to which was attached a cord that reached the ground. 
At the extremity of the shorter division was a pully 
from which a strong cord depended about the size of 
a man’s middle finger, having two ends, to which 
were affixed a pair of bright steel hooks. Both the 
vertical and cross poles were of bamboo, which is 
extremely tough and difficult to break. When the 
apparatus was prepared, a Brahmin, who is usually the 
functionary on these occasions, advanced to the centre 
of the area, and having anointed the points of the 
hooks with a small portion of ghee, from a sacred 
vessel especially set apart for this holy purpose, he 
beckoned to the person about to undergo this trying 
ordeal. The penitentiary was a handsome man, in 
the full vigour of manhood, and had lost his caste by 
eating interdicted food during a voyage from Calcutta 
r 3 
