still fresh when they were brought into Court. The prosecutor said, that they had hurt themselves in scrambling through the walls of the factory. After thus burning them, as they still persisted in denying, he caused their hands to be tied across the fingers, and having inserted small wooden wedges between each finger, he drove in the wedges, till the poor wretches, mad with pain, said they would confess any thing he chose. He then mentioned the names of six other persons, who were proved to be also his enemies, and they agreed to implicate them.

In this case, the Daroga, from an oversight, or, perhaps, from a better motive, sent the men in immediately with the wounds fresh. The men accused were proved by most respectable witnesses, to be men of excellent character. The quarrel with the prosecutor also came out. It appeared, that the prosecutor and two of his

friends

friends had, as joint property, a girl, whom they had compelled one of the villagers to keep in his house; he being a respectable man, was unwilling that the girl should live there, he asked assistance from the prisoners, and by their aid he had the woman removed from the village. The prosecutor, bent on révénge, was often heard to say, that "if the whole village should suffer, he "would keep the woman there." How he executed his revenge may be seen. The law demanded that I should make over this wretch to the Court of Circuit; but the proof might not have sufficed for the scrupulous conscience of a Mussulman Moluvee, -the man had many friends. I had him immediately, therefore, taken to his village, and punished there.

These instances will shew what we have to expect from professional Goindas. But, notwithstanding the many advantages I have mentioned as resulting from the employment

ployment of the other description of Goindas, I cannot conclude this Chapter, without again remarking, that even this description of men are yet only to be employed where other means have proved ineffectual: that where employed, it must be with caution; that their abuses of their power must be punished; and that, where their services are no longer necessary, they must be provided for, and never suffered to return to their villages.

2

CHAP.

CHAP. VI.

CONTINUATION OF THE CAUSES OF DELINQUEN

CY. FACILITY OF ACQUITTAL WHILE UNDER

TRIAL, IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE, AND AFTERWARDS BEFORE THE

COURT OF CIRCUIT.-FALSE EVIDENCE EASILY

OBTAINED. THIS ARISES FROM THE TOTAL DISREGARD WHICH THE NATIVES HAVE FOR TRUTH, AND FROM THE SMALL PUNISHMENT ATTACHED TO PERJURY.

N

In considering the facilities of acquittal which a criminal enjoys, and which is the subject of the present chapter, we must also notice the grounds on which he founds his hopes of escape; 1st, Before apprehension;

2dly, After apprehension, and previous to trial, as well as when on trial before the Magistrate; 3dly, After trial before the Court of Circuit, and while on trial there. This arrangement is more convenient than that of considering, as a separate cause, the chances of escape previous to trial.

Let us first consider the chances of escape for a criminal, without the form of a trial.

It is the habit of robbers and thieves to look only at the fair side of the picture of a criminal life. The gallows is either thrown into shade in the back ground, or it is left out entirely. In a Pamphlet of Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY, on the Defects of the Criminal Law in England, there is a speech which might be put into the mouth of almost every criminal, and which I have often heard from the natives of India: " Lord, "Sir, I never dreamt it would come to