Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 4.djvu/122

SANSEEAS. It would be a motive of curiosity alone that would follow the Sanseeas into their secret rites and social customs. The rites are propitiatory, being sacrifices to Devi or Bhowani, on the blessing of the spear heads, for the dacoity, or the torches which are to light the gang to its work. Strict observance of omens, lucky or unlucky, and under some disguise perhaps, a feast to Brahmins, or caste-fellows, if much plunder has been secured, constitutes their religion, if such it may be called; yet which is practised with faith in the means employed, not for any motive of veneration, but to insure entire success.

Sanseeas have as many wives or concubines as they can support. With the first is a caste marriage, with the rest but scant ceremony. Some of their women are good looking, but with all classes, women and men, exists an appearance of suspicion in their features, which is repulsive. Sanseeas bury their dead, and wear the lock of hair on their heads common to most Hindoos. They never wear beards but for purposes of disguise. They are, as a class, in a condition of miserable poverty, living from hand to mouth, idle, disreputable, restless, without any settled homes, and, for the most part, without even habitations.

They have no distinct language of their own, but speak a dialect of Kajpootana, which is so disguised by slang, or Argot terais of their own, that it is unintelligible to other classes.