been already facrificed. The animal was brought with much
difficulty, to the place of facrifice, where the chief of the village
attended; he was perfectly naked, except a cloth round
his middle, and held a large and bright fabre in his hand.
The place round the altar was foon crowded with people;
men, women, and children attended, and the young men
were all perfectly naked. To prevent the efcape o f -the animal,
they firft ham-ftringed him, and then began the dreadful
operation! The chief Rood on the left tide of the animal,
and with his fabre ftriking the upper part of the-neck*
near to the fhoulder, muft have given exquifite pain to the.
poor animal, who exprefled it with great- violence,. by writhing,
bellowing, and ftruggling with thofe that held him; indeed,
their utmoft exertions were fcarcely fufficient to prevent
him from breaking away. This horrid bufinefs continued
for the fpace of more than a quarter of an hour, before the
fpinc of the neck was cut through. 7 When the animal fell,
the Melehifadeck of the day ftiU continued his work, and it
wasTome time before the head was perfealy feparated from the
body. Previous to the laR ftroke, he-paufed, and an univer-fal
filence reigned: when this was given, he Rood perfectly
ere&, and, by railing the arm which held the fabre t-o the ut-
moR extenfion, feemed to give the fignal to the multitude,
who rufh’d in and began fcooping up the blood of the animal,
which had liberally flowed from him on the ground. This
they drank up, mixed as it was with the duR and loam, and
befmeared each other with their hands. Bodies of them rufhed
over bodies,, and rolling inconfufed heaps, they appeared like
an affemblage of demons or bacchanals in their ihoft frantic
moments. The body was next cut to pieces, and devoured ;
the head, however, was referved, as thofe of the kid and the
cock ; ; fo various are men in their conceptions concerning
what may be mofi acceptable to the Deity. After the completion
of this facrifice, they retired to their feveral habitations
in parties, and began the rejoicing of the day, which, indeed,
was devote'd to univerfal revelling and intoxication; and I
could have wiflied, for the honour óf the fair lex, that thefe
latter exceflës had been confined, to the men After the rites
of Bacchus had far exceeded the bounds of temperance, thofe
who. were capable of fuRaining an ereót pofition, began dancing,
men and women promifcuOufly; others, in parties, roared
ou t their extravagant joy in Rich Rrains, as may be fuppofed
adapted to the prefent Rate of the performers; and the night
concluded with a dead filence.
M r . Cleveland did not remain long after the performance
of tjbe ceremony ; we therefore proceeded on our journey back
to Bauglepoor, and on tire following day arrived at Deogur,
a fin all village, famous for the refort of Hindoo pilgrims,
this being a facred fpot. There are five curious Pagodas here,
of perhaps the very oldefi conflruiRion to be found in India.
They are fimply pyramids, formed by pileing Rone on Rone,
the apex is cut off at about one feventh of the whole height
of the complete pyramid, and four of them have fmall oma