, and are much addicted to drink. In climbing [431]
palm trees to tap them for their juice the worker uses a heel-rope,
by which his feet are tied closely together. At the same time he has a
stout rope passing round the tree and his body. He leans back against
this rope and presses the soles of his feet, thus tied together,
against the tree. He then climbs up the tree by a series of hitches or
jerks of his back and feet alternately. The juice of the palmyra palm
(_tar_) and the date palm (_khajur_) is extracted by the Pasi. The
_tar_ trees, Sir H. Risley states, [432] are tapped from March to
May, and the date palm in the cold season. The juice of the former,
known as _tari_ or toddy, is used in the manufacture of bread, and an
intoxicating liquor is obtained from it by adding sugar and grains
of rice. Hindustani drunkards often mix _dhatura_ with the toddy to
increase its intoxicating properties. The quantity of juice extracted
from one tree varies from five to ten pounds. Date palm _tari_ is
less commonly drunk, being popularly believed to cause rheumatism,
but is extensively used in preparing sugar.

7. Criminal tendencies

Eighty years ago, when General Sleeman wrote, the Pasis were noted
thieves. In his _Journey through Oudh_ [433] he states that in Oudh
there were then supposed to be one hundred thousand families of Pasis,
who were skilful thieves and robbers by profession, and were formerly
Thugs and poisoners as well. They generally formed the worst part of
the gangs maintained by refractory landowners, "who keep Pasis to
fight for them, as they pay themselves out of the plunder and cost
little to their employers. They are all armed with bows and are
very formidable at night. They and their refractory employes keep
the country in a perpetual state of disorder." Mr. Gayer notes [434]
that the criminally disposed members of the caste take contracts for
the watch and sale of mangoes in groves distant from habitations,
so that their movements will not be seen by prying eyes. They also
seek employment as roof-thatchers, in which capacity they are enabled
to ascertain which houses contain articles worth stealing. They show
considerable cunning in disposing of their stolen property. The men
will go openly in the daytime to the receiver and acquaint him with
the fact that they have property to dispose of; the receiver goes to
the bazar, and the women come to him with grass for sale. They sell
the grass to the re