ORDEAL. 
MO 
trate themselves before it, pronounce a certain mentra op iricaiitation> 
agreeably to the Sastra, and, having written the substance of the 
accusation on a piece of paper, bind it on his head. Six minutes 
after, they place him again in the scale, and if he weighs more than 
before^ he is held guilty; if less, innocent; if exactly the same, he 
must be weighed a third time, when, as it is WTitten in the Mitac!- 
shera, there will certainly be a difference in his weight. Should the 
balance, though well fixed, break down, this would be considered as 
a proof of his guilt. — Ordeal by fire : In this, an excavation, nine 
hands long, two spans broad, and one span deep, is made in the 
ground, and filled with fire of a peculair wood ; into this the person 
accused must walk barefooted ; and if his feet be unhurt, they hold 
him blameless ; if burnt, guilty. — Ordeal by hot oil, is very simple, 
but preceded by certain superstitious ceremonies. It is thus per- 
formed : The ground appointed for the trial is cleared, and rubbed 
with cow-dung ; and the next day at sun-rise the Pandit w'orshipe 
Ganesa, or the Hindoo Janus, presents his obiatious, and pays adora>- 
tion to other deities, conformably to the Sastra ; then, having read 
the incantation prescribed, he places a round pan of gold, silver, 
copper, iron, or clay, with a diameter of sixteen fingers, and four 
fingers deep ; and throw's into it one ser, or eighty sicca weight, of 
clarified butter, or oil of sesamum. After this, a ring of gold, silver, 
or iron, is cleaned and washed with water, and cast into the oil ; 
which they proceed to heat, and when it is very hot, pour into it a 
fresh leaf of hippala, or of beleva; when the leaf is burned, the oil is 
know'll to be sufficiently hot: then, having pronounced a mentra, 
they order the party accused to take the ring out of the pan ; and if 
he takes it out without being burned, or without a blister on his band, 
his innocence is considered as proved; if not, his guilt. — Ordeal by 
images : To perform the ordeal by dharmareh, which is the Hindoo 
name appropriated to this mode of trial, either an image, named 
Dharma, or the genius of justice, is made of silver, and another, 
called Adharma, of clay or iron, both of which are thrown into a 
large earthen jar ; and the accused, having thrust his hand into it, 
is acquitted if he brings out the silver image, but condemned if he 
draws forth the iron. Or, the figure of a deity is painted on white 
cloth, and another on black; the first of which they name Dharma, 
and the second Adharma ; these are severally rolled up iti cow-dung, 
^ and thrown into a large jar, without ever having been shown to the 
accused ; who must put his hand 'into the jar, and is acquitted or 
convicted as he draws out the figure on white or on black cloth.— 
Ordeal by poison : There are two sorts of trial by poison ; first, the 
Pandits having performed their homa, and the person accused his 
ablution, two rettis and a half, or seven barley-corns, of vish&naga, 
a poisonous root, or of sancliga, that is, white arsenic, are mixed in 
eight mashas, or sixty-four rettis, of clarified butter, which the 
accused must eat from the hand of a brahman ; if the poison pro- 
duces no visible effects, he is acquitted; otherwise condemned. 
Secondly, the hooded snake, called iiaga, is tbrow'ii into a deep 
earthen pot, into which is dropped a ring, seal, or coin : this the 
person accused is ordered to take out with his hand; and, jfithe ser- 
