monies, as pans for water, branches of the mango tree, fruits, flowers, garlands, sandal wood, toolůsee and vilwŭ leaves, dōōrva and kooshů grass, rice, seeds of sesamum, curds, red lead, small twigs of sacred trees to be burnt, a mortar and pestle, spoons, meat offerings, garments, &c. The priest sitting on the altar worships certain gods; after which the altar is set in order for the sacrifice, and the fire prepared; the worship of Ugnee then takes place, at the commencement of which the priest repeats a prayer from the védů to this purport: Oh! Ugnee! thou who sittest. *on a goat, and hast seven columns of fire; thou art energy itself; thou art the mouth of the gods.-I worship thee; come.' One of the priests next purifies, with incantations, the vessels, the wood for the sacrifice, and the clarified butter; he then boils the rice, and afterwards performs the burnt-sacrifice either with clarified butter, the flesh of some animal, pieces of wood, vilwŭ leaves, flowers of the kŭrůvēērus or the water-lily, boiled rice, seeds of sesamum, or fruits. To this succeeds a burnt-sacrifice to certain gods, with rice, clarified butter, sugar, curds, milk, flesh, and other articles, and a sacrifice to the nine planets, and to all the gods whom the priest can remember. An atonement for any mistake which may have occurred is next made by a burnt-offering of clarified butter. The officiating priest must then put on the fire a new poita, cloth, flowers, a plantain, betle, and rice; when the sacrificer, standing behind the priest, must put his right hand on his shoulder, while the latter pours clarified butter on the fire, till the flame ascends to a great height. If the flame be free from smoke, and surround the altar in a southerly direction, the blessings sought by the sacrificer will be obtained. After this, the priest, sprinkling some water on the fire, dismisses • Ocymum gratissimum. Ægle marmelos. Nerium odorum. the god Ugnee. The sacrificer now presents fees to the priests, and the whole ends with a feast to the bramhuns, and the dismissing of the guests with presents. I have obtained from several works accounts of the following burnt-sacrifices : The sacrifice of a MAN!!-First, a covered altar1 is to be prepared in an open place near the house of the offerer; sixteen posts are to be erected, six of vilwŭ, six of khŭdirů, and four of oodoombůrů; a golden image of a man, and an iron one of a goat, are then to be set up; and also golden images of Vishnoo and Lukshmēē, a silver one of Shivă, with a golden bull on which Shivă rides, and a silver one of Guroorů. Brass pans are also to be provided for holding water, &c. Animals, as goats and sheep, are to be tied to the posts, one of the khŭdirŭ posts being left for the man who is to be sacrificed. Fire is next to be procured with a burning-glass, or with flint, or brought from the house of a devout bramhun. The priest, called brůmha, sits on a seat of kooshŭ grass at one corner of the altar with an alms' dish in his hand, and consecrates the different utensils. The priest, called hota, then performs certain minute ceremonies, and lays blades of kooshŭ grass all round the fire on the altar; to which succeeds the burntsacrifice to the ten guardian deities of the earth, to the nine planets, to Roodrů, Brůmha, Vastoo-poorooshŭ, and Vishnoo to each of the two latter clarified butter is to be poured on the fire a thousand times. Next follows another burnt-sacrifice, and the same sacrifice to sixty-four gods, : The Hindoo altar may have brick-work around it, but in the inside it is to be filled up with pure earth. In the centre some persons make a hole for the fire, and others raise on the centre a small elevation of sand, and on this kindle the fire. beginning with Douvariků. After this, in the name of all the gods above-mentioned, is made the burnt-sacrifice with the flesh of the other animals tied to the different posts. To this succeeds the human sacrifice. The victim must be free from bodily distemper, be neither a child nor advanced in years. After slaying the victim, the hota, with small pieces of flesh, must offer the sacrifice to the above-mentioned gods, walking round the altar after each separate offering. In the third book of the Muhabharůtů, a story is related respecting a king of the name of Somuků, who obtained from the gods a hundred sons in consequence of having offered a human sacrifice. The Ramayŭnă contains a story, respecting Muhēē-Ravůnů, who attempted to offer Ramŭ and Lukshmŭnů, when in patŭlů, as a sacrifice to Bhudra-Kalēē, in order to obtain success in war for his father Ravůnů. Another story is contained in the Ramayŭnů, that Umvůrēēshů, king of Uyodhya, once resolved on offering a human victim; which, after being prepared, was stolen by Indrů. The king traversed many countries unable to obtain another victim, till at last Kichēēku sold his second son to him, for heaps of the purest gold, jewels, and a hundred thousand cows.' The father refused to sell his eldest son, and the mother would not give up the youngest. The second son, after he had been sold, claimed the protection of the sage Vishwa-mitrů, who directed each one of his sons to give himself up to be sacrificed instead of this youth: but they all refused; when Vishwa-mitru cursed them, and i These victims were formerly bought for sacrifice. gave this youth an incantation, by repeating which the gods would deliver him from death. After he had been bound for execution, he repeated this incantation from the Rig-véda; when Indră delivered him, and bestowed on the king the blessing he sought by this sacrifice. The Shree bhagŭvůtů gives a similar story respecting an ascetic, JărăBhŭrůtů; but in this case the goddess worshipped burst from the image, rescued the devoteek, and destroyed those who were about to sacrifice him. The Institutes of Munoo contain the following para> graph: The sacrifice of a bull, of a man, or of a horse, in the kŭlēē age, must be avoided by twice-born men; so must a second gift of a married young woman, whose husband has died before consummation; the larger portion of an eldest brother, and procreation on a brother's widow or wife.' However shocking it may be, it is generally reported amongst the natives, that human sacrifices are to this day offered in some places in Bengal. At a village called Kshēērů, near the town of Burdwan, it is positively affirmed, that human sacrifices are still offered to the goddess Yoogadya, a form of Doorga; at Kirēētŭkona, near Moorshŭdubad, to Kalēē; and at many other places. The discovery of these murders in the name of religion is made by finding the bodies with the heads cut off near these images; and though no one acknowledges the act, yet the natives well know that these people have been offered in sacrifice. About seven years ago, at the village of Serampore, near Kutwa, before the temple of the goddess Tara, a human This man observed a voluntary silence, and refused all intercourse with human beings, that he might avoid injuring any one. body was found without a head; and in the inside of the temple different offerings, as ornaments, food, flowers, spirituous liquors, &c. All who saw it knew, that a human victim had been slaughtered in the night; and search was made after the murderers, but in vain. At Brumha-nēētŭla, near Nudēēya, is an image of Mŭnusa, before which the worship of Dōōrga is performed. It is currently reported, that at this place human victims are occasionally offered, as decapitated bodies are found there. Ramu-nat❜hu-Vachŭsputee, the second Sungskritů pŭndit in the College of Fort-William, once assured me, that about the year 1770, at the village of Sōōmŭra, near Gooptipara, he saw the head of a man, with a lamp placed on it, lying in a temple before the image of the goddess Siddhéshwŭree, and the body lying in the road opposite the temple. A similar fact is related respecting an image of BhurgaBheema at Tumlooků, where a decapitated body was found. At Chit-poorů, and at Kalee-ghatu', near Calcutta, it is said, that human sacrifices have been occasionally offered. About the year 1800, according to Ubhuyů-chůrůnů, a learned bramhun, who has assisted the author in this work, two Hindoos cut out their own tongues, and offered them to the idol at Kalee-ghatů. Both these men came from Hindoost'hanů: one of them was seen by my informant lying on the ground after the action, the blood running from his mouth. At Jwala-mookhů, to the N. W. of Delhi, from time immemorial infatuated Hindoos have cut out their tongues, and offered them to Sutēē, to whom this place is sacred, and where the tongue of this goddess is supposed to have fallen, when Shivů threw the members of her body into different parts of the earth. In the inside of the temple at this place (which appears to be part of a burning mountain) fire ascends, exhibiting |