94 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
poor babe was earned to the temple, and, being laid 
upon its back, was, after certain diabolical ceremonies, 
destroyed by the club of the inhuman fakhir. This, 
however, it is but fair to state, was related to me by a 
Mussulman, who will never lose an opportunity of 
placing the religious conduct of the Hindoos in the 
most odious light possible. Among themselves, the 
very word Hindoo has become a word of abuse and op- 
probrium. The Mussulman is equally careful to con- 
ceal that there are certain heretical tribes of his own 
people who, through motives of indolence and self- 
interest, have been led to follow this barbarous custom 
of infanticide, which is, by the doctrines of Moham- 
medan law, denounced as a foul stain upon humanity, 
and prohibited under the most severe penalties both 
temporal and eternal. Very many instances of Mus- 
sulman families, however, are upon record, in which it 
has been openly practised, and the only explanation 
assigned is proudly affirmed to be, that their daughters 
could not be allied to any princes in the world without 
disgrace. Such are among the Jhats, the Mehwattis, 
and the Scusniwals, the former chiefs of Bhurtpore. 
About the time that the British government first 
began to take active measures for the suppression of 
this most inhuman crime, there was little difficulty in 
obtaining the concurrence in its abolition of nearly all 
those who practised it ; not in consequence of any con- 
viction of its enormity, but for the sake of continuing- 
in amity with our power. Among others, it had been 
