Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 1.djvu/319

 should be turned to prevent the striking of the ball on the bow; the sling should be a little higher than the centre of the bow, or the pellet will be liable to strike the left thumb,—a painful accident.

The pellets should be made about the size of a large marble, of stiff clay, with which a little cotton-wool should be mixed, and dried in the sun.

The shikar-ke-tilee, ammunition-pouch, is of ornamented leather.

Sorcery is practised with a charmed bow. At a suttēētēē?], bamboo levers are often brought down over the whole pile, to hold down the woman, and the corpse of her husband; and several persons are employed to keep down the levers, whilst others throw water upon them that the wood may not be scorched.

A person sometimes takes one of these bamboo levers after the bodies are burnt; and, making a bow and arrow with it, repeats incantations over it. He then makes an image of some enemy with clay, and lets fly the arrow at it. The person whose image is thus pierced is said to be immediately seized with a pain in his breast.

April 1st.—What would the people at home think of being up at five, and in church by six o'clock! This is the usual hour for divine service at this time of the year. To us Indians, accustomed to early rising, it is no fatigue.

7th.—This morning I cantered down to see our fields of oats by the side of the Ganges, which they have just begun to cut; such a fine crop! When they are stacked, we shall have three or four large ricks.