r as an offering to
the goddess. On the cloth Jowahir took his place, and seated with him
also on the cloth were seven Phansigars or stranglers, no Ghumgeea, or
any member of the gang of a grade inferior to an actual and experienced
strangler, being admitted to sit on the cloth.

"Jowahir then took some goor or sugar, which had been purchased with
that part of the plunder set apart for the goddess, and placed it
reverently in a hole in the ground. Having so done, he clasped his
hands devoutly and prayed as follows: 'Great Goddess, we pray thee to
grant us plunder, as thou hast to our fathers before us, and fulfil our
desires.'

"All repeated this prayer, and a portion of the goor or sacred sugar
having been given to each of those who sat on the cloth, Jowahir gave
the signal for strangling, as though a murder were about to be
committed, upon which they eat in solemn silence the portions of goor
they had received, washing it down with a draught of water. Thus ended
the Tapoonee or sacred feast.

"I will not weary and disgust your Majesty by relating all the series
of monotonous crimes or superstitious observances which I saw during
the two years I remained with these people.

"When that period had elapsed, and while engaged in prosecuting the
third expedition which they had undertaken since I had been with them,
a circumstance occurred which resulted in freeing me from my miserable
and degraded condition, and restoring me to the form and dignity of a
human being.

"One day, a day ever memorable to me, the spies returned and announced
to Jowahir the Jemadar and our gang of bandits, that they had met
advancing along the road towards our present encampment a party of
travellers whose appearance promised a rich booty. These travellers
consisted of a Rajah, whose name they had ascertained to be Gholab
Khan, who was on a journey accompanied by his wife and about a dozen
servants.

"This news, which powerfully affected me, was the occasion of a vast
deal of discussion and recrimination among the band of Thugs. Some
were for awaiting the arrival of the Rajah, and requesting to be
allowed to travel in his company for the sake of protection, after
which the first favourable opportunity might be taken to murder the
whole party and seize all the money and rich clothes and stores they
would be sure to have with them. As far as numbers were concerned,
this enterprise was quite feasible, for the gang of Jowahir Jemadar, o