407 
REASONS FOR EXCLUDING WITNESSES" 
Persons excluded. 
Reasons for Exclusion. 
1 
Persons refusing to 
give evidence. 
But he is detained and punished should it be 
proved that he knows any thing about the mat¬ 
ter at issue. 
2 
Drunkards. 
Sufficiently obvious. 
3 
Opium smokers & 
Gamblers. 
Do. 
4 
Goldsmiths. 
Because they are all addicted to pilfering 
part of the gold entrusted to them. 
5 
Virgins or unmar¬ 
ried persons. 
Virgins and unmarried women. Because 
their minds are wandering in quest ofa husband 
and therefore apt to be swayed in any direction. 
6 
Notoriously bad 
character. 
Clear enough. 
7 
Irrascibie. 
Because they are considered as having no 
controul over their speech. 
8 
Shoemakers. 
Because of mean degree in society [a rule di¬ 
rectly derived from the Hindoos.] 
9 
Executioners. 
Because cruel. 
10 
Beggais. 
Because being in want they are obious to 
bribery. 
11 
Potters. 
On account of a story in the Bali work Cliun- 
na Khosokka of a Prince who having an un- 
dutiful son sent him with a note to a Potter 
directing him to kill the bearer. The latter 
gave the note to his brother who took it and was 
seized by the Potter and slain. The son who 
escaped was a Deva who had lisen by his vir¬ 
tue from the state of a beggar. 
12 
Pregnant Women 
Because their minds are not at rest and they 
are subject to sudden affections mental and bo¬ 
dily. 
13 
Women whose pro¬ 
fession is dancing and 
stage playing. 
Because all their actions and words are for 
applause. 
14 
Widow of a third 
husband. 
Not clearly explained. Seems to have arisen 
from some superstitious belief, or prejudice of 
the Hindus against a widow marrying again. 
15 
16 
Deaf persons. 
The blind. 
Not explained, otherwise than because they 
cannot hear questions. 
17 
Persons who have 
reached 70 years of 
age. 
Because considered as in their dotage. Na¬ 
tives of the East appear sooner to feel the effects 
of old age than those of Europe. 
18 
Children under se¬ 
ven years of age. 
Obvious enough. 
19 
Persons at the 
point of or near their 
death. 
Do. 
v The Siamese say that P,1ira Phoott,ha K.osa; who I find to be the Bud¬ 
dha Gosa of the Ceylonese JRahawansoj introduced these prohibitions mto 
Siam, 
