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without a blister on his hand, his innocence is considered as 
proved ; if not, his guilt.” 
“ On the trial by fire, the accused thus addresses the element; 
‘Thou, O Fire! pervadest all beings: O cause of purity! who givest 
evidence of virtue and of sin, declare the truth in this my hand/ 
In the ordeal by poison, the accused pronounces, 4 Thou, O Poison! 
art the child of Brahma, stedfast in justice and in truth! clear me 
from this heavy charge; and, if I have spoken truly, become nec- 
tar to me!” 
The Muck was, or Mucuars, at Tellicherry are an industrious 
useful set of people; some are Mahomedans, some Hindoos: 
they are considered a very low tribe among the Malabars, but 
are more valuable in society than many of higher pretensions: 
they make excellent palankeen-bearers, boatmen, fishermen, and 
porters of goods from the landing place to the storehouses. Some 
of the young women are pleasing in their countenance, and per- 
son, which is generally very much exposed ; their clothing con- 
sisting only of a white cotton cloth round the middle. The Hin- 
doo Mucuars are kept in a most degraded state by the brahmins, 
who allow them to eat all animal food, except beef: they may 
also drink strong liquors; and are not very nice in their matri- 
monial connexions. Dr. F. Buchanan says the deity of this cast 
is the goddess Bhadra-Kali, who is represented by a log of wood, 
placed in a hut that is called a temple: they assemble four times 
a year to sacrifice a cock, and make offerings of fruit to the log: 
one of the caste acts as priest, but his office is not hereditary. 
The Mucuars are not admitted to enter within the precincts of 
any of the temples dedicated to the great gods of the brahmins, 
