be, at least, greatly lessened; as all the Raj-kumars with whom I conversed, did, while they admitted the fact, fully acknowledge its atrocity; in extenuation of which, they pleaded the great expense of procuring suitable matches for their daughters, if allowed to grow up. It yet appears, and ought in vindication of humanity to be here noticed, that in several cases, natural affection has induced the father of Raj-kumàr families to rear one or more of their female issue; though the instances where more than one daughter has been spared are (as far as I can judge from sundry questions put to these people during my few days halt among them) but very rare; and I heard only of one general exception of a whole village, the inhabitants of which, who are all of this tribe, had, as my Raj-kumar informant observed, sworn, as he supposed, or, at least solemnly pledged themselves to each other, to bring up their females: as a proof of which, he added, that there were now to be seen several Raj-kumar old maids in the village in question; since, from the great expense hitherto usually incurred by this tribe in their marriages, the parents had been unable to dispose of those women in that way, by procuring husbands for them.

"P. S. Since writing the above, the Raj-kumar renunciation of letting their daughters perish has been received, and it is subscribed by all those of that tribe in this part of the country, including ZALEM-SING and GURDAT-SING; the latter of whom is the only one of the subscribers who disallows by the words of his signature, of his having been guilty of this crime. I have sent a copy of this original engagement to the 'Amil of

i The head man of a district.

Juanpoor, with directions to him to see it enforced, and to apprehend and send into Benares, to take his trial, any Rajkumàr who shall hereafter be guilty of a breach thereof: of all of which I have duly apprized that body of men.

"I have also circulated a similar subscription in this Pergannah of Ghurwarah; for I find that its inhabitants, who are all * Durga-vansas, or descendants of one common ancestor, 'DURGA, are addicted, more or less, to the same practice of destroying their female infants."

Engagement entered into by the Ràj-kumàrs.

"Whereas it hath become known to the Government of the Honourable English East India Company, that we of the tribe of Raj-kumàr, do not suffer our female children to live; and whereas this is a great crime, as mentioned in the 'Brehma Bywant Purana, where it is said, that killing even a fœtus is as criminal as killing a Brahman; and that for killing a female or woman, the punishment is to suffer in the Naraka, or Hell,

In the MS. written DooRG, and Doorgbunsies. This sect may have been thus distinguished from the goddess DURGA, the terrific consort of the avenging deity SIVA. See Hindu Pantheon, under those words in the Index; also under Sects. Although a sectarial distinction, her worshippers may figuratively style themselves Durga vansa, the children or descendants of DURGA; as we find was not unusual among the ancient Europeans. "Priests and votaries (says BRYANT), were often styled the sons and the daughters of the deity whom they served." Analysis, Vol. III. p. 123. And in the conclusion of Mr. WILFORD's fourth essay, in Vol. IX. of the As. Res. he has the same remark on Raja-vansa and Raja-kumara. "In the east, and also in the west, the followers of a deity, or some legislator or institutor, are often called his offspring." E. M.

1 I have here retained nearly the spelling of the MS.” (Brehma Bywant Pooran), not being certain which of the eighteen sacred mythological poems, each bearing the common denomination of Purana, is here meant; it is that perhaps called the Brahmanda (or the mundane egg), which generally ranks as the third: or, it may be that called Brahma vaiverte. See Hindu Pantheon, p. 437, for a brief notice of the eighteen Puranas. E. M.

called "Kat Shutala, for as many years as there are hairs on that female's body; and that afterwards, such person shall be born again, and successively become a leper, and afflicted with the "jakhima'; and whereas the British Government in India, whose subjects we are, hold in detestation such murderous practices, and we do ourselves acknowledge, that although customary among us, they are highly sinful; we do therefore hereby agree, not to commit any longer such detestable acts; and any among us who shall (which God forbid!) be hereafter guilty thereof, or who shall not bring up and get our daughters married to the best of our abilities among those of our own cast, shall be expelled from our tribe, and shall neither eat, nor keep society with us; beides suffering hereafter the punishments denounced in the above Purana and Sastra. We have therefore entered into this engagement."

Dated 17th December, 1789.

Here ends Mr. DUNCAN's summary of the measures successfully adopted by him in the province of Benares, for the suppression of Infanticide in that, then the only discovered quarter. The next chapter is extracted also from Mr. DUNCAN's summary, which is throughout written in the third

m Naraka (in conversation called Nerka, or Nerk, as it is written in the MS.) is a general name of the hell of the Hindus; who have, however, twenty-one receptacles for sinners, one of which is also specifically named Naraka, or the region of serpents. In the Hindu Pantheon, page 297, is a list of the names of the hells; but that mentioned in the text, where in the MS. it is written Kat Shootul, is not among them. It may perhaps be a translation from some provincial dialect of the significant classical name. E. M.

n Or leprosy.

Sastra, formerly written Shaster, means generally an ordinance; more particularly a sacred ordinance delivered by inspiration, and is strictly applicable only to sacred literature. See Hindu Pantheon, under Sastra in the Index. E. M.

person, of the measures pursued in the western parts of India. I shall, however, previously quote, from the xxii article of the fourth volume of the Asiatic Researches, some observations. by Sir JOHN SHORE, now Lord TEIGN MOUTH, in which he introduced his brief notice of the discovery and suppression of Infanticide in the eastern parts of India; as above detailed more at length by the discoverer and suppressor, Mr. DunCAN himself.

"That the practice of Infanticide should ever be so ge. neral, as to become a custom with any sect or race of people, requires" (the Right Honourable author justly observes) "the most unexceptionable evidence to gain belief; and I am sorry to say, that the general practice, as far as regards female infants, is fully substantiated with respect to a particular tribe on the frontiers of Juanpore, a district of the province of Benares, adjoining to the country of Oude. A race of Hindus, called Rajekoomars, reside here; and it was discovered, in 1789 only, that the custom of putting to death their female offspring, by causing their mothers to starve them, had long subsisted, and did actually then very generally prevail amongst them. The Resident at Benares, in a circuit which he made through the country where the Rajekoomars dwell, had an opportunity of authenticating the existence of the custom from their own confessions: he conversed with several; all unequivocally admitted it, but all did not fully acknowledge its atrocity; and the only reason which they assigned for the inhuman practice, was the great expence of procuring suitable matches for their daughters, if they allowed them to grow up. It is some satisfaction to add, that the custom, though general, was not universal; as natural affection, or some other motive,

с

had induced the father of some Rajekoomar females to bring up one or more of their female issue; but the instances where more than one daughter had been spared were very rare. One village only furnished a complete exception to the general custom; and the Rajekoomar informant, who noticed it, supposed that the inhabitants had sworn, or solemnly pledged themselves to each other, to bring up their females. In proof of his assertion in favour of the village in question, he added, that several old maids of the Rajekoomar tribe then actually existed there; and that their celibacy proceeded from the difficulty of procuring husbands for them, in consequence of the great expenses attending the marriages of this class of people.

"It will naturally occur to the Society to ask, by what mode a race of men could be continued, under the existence of the horrid custom which I have described? To this my documents enable me to reply-partly from the exceptions to the general custom, which were occasionally admitted by the more wealthy Rajekoomars, more particularly those who happened to have no male issue; but chiefly by intermarriages with other Rajpoot families, to which the Rajekoomars were compelled by necessity.

"A prohibition" (continues his Lordship) "enforced by the denunciation of the severest temporal penalties, would have little efficacy in abolishing a custom which existed in opposition to the feelings of humanity and natural affection; and the sanction of that religion which the Rajekoomars professed, was appealed to in aid of the ordinances of civil authority. Upon this principle, an engagement, binding themselves to desist in future from the barbarous practice of