deprived of water' (_aud_). The pious make
oblations to his cenotaph twice a year, and propitiate his ghost with
offerings of water to allay his thirst in the lower world. The
primaeval serpent-worship is perpetuated in the reverence paid to
traditional village-snakes. Of the local ghosts some are beneficent.
Sometimes they are only mischievous, like Robin Goodfellow, and will
milk the cows, and sour the milk, or pull your hair, if you wander
about at night in certain well-known uncanny places. A more dangerous
demon is heard in the crackling of the dry leaves of the date-tree in
the night wind; and some trees are haunted by a vampire, who will
drag you up and devour you, if you venture near them in the
darkness.' (_N.W.P. Gazetteer_, 1st ed., vol. vii. _Supplement_, p.
4.) See also the same author's work _Popular Religion and Folklore of
Northern India_, 2nd ed., 2 vols. Constable, 1896.

6. Compare the story of Ramkishan in Chapter 25. Books on
anthropology cite many instances of deaths caused by superstitious
fears.

7. Arrian, _Indica_, chap. 12: 'The sixth class consists of those
called "superintendents". They spy out what goes on in country and
town, and report everything to the king where the people have a king,
and to the magistrates where the people are self-governed, and it is
against use and wont for them to give a false report;--but indeed no
Indian is accused of lying.' (McCrindle, _Ancient India, as described
by Megasthenes and Arrian_, Truebner, 1877, p. 211). Arrian uses the
word [Greek text 1]; in the Fragments of Megasthenes quoted by
Diodorus and Strabo, the word is [Greek text 2]. The people referred
to seem to be the well-known 'news-writers' employed by Oriental
sovereigns (_ante_, chapter 33, note 7); a simple explanation missed
by McCrindle (op. cit. p. 43, note). The remark about the
truthfulness of the Indians appears to be Arrian's addition. It is
not in the Fragment of Megasthenes from which Arrian copies, and the
falsity of the remark is proved by the statement (ibid., p. 71) that
'a person convicted of bearing false witness suffers mutilation of
his extremities'. But in Fragment XXVII from Strabo (op. cit., p. 70)
Megasthenes says, 'Truth and virtue they hold alike in esteem'; and
in Fragment XXXIII (ibid., p. 85) he asserts that 'the ablest and
moat trustworthy men' are appointed [Greek text 2].

8. Up to the year 1827 'grand larceny', that is to say, stealing to a
value exceeding twel