night by aid of a human corpse, this is one of the things
which has led me to think that this part at least of these practices is
connected with Tantric black magic.

The bhagat performs two distinct functions: (1st), a kind of divination
called bhao (the same in Hindi), and (2nd), a kind of Shamanism called
darasta in Hindi, and bharotan in Horokaji, which, however, is resorted
to only on very grave occasions--as, for instance, when several families
think they are bewitched at one time and by the same najo.

The bhao is performed as follows:--The person having some query to
propound, makes a small dish out of a sal leaf and puts in it a little
uncooked rice and a few pice; he then proceeds to the bhagat and lays
before him the leaf and its contents, propounding at the same time his
query. The bhagat then directs him to go out and gather two golaichi
(varieties of Posinia) flowers (such practitioners usually having a
golaichi tree close to their abodes); after the flowers are brought the
bhagat seats himself with the rice close to the inquirer, and after some
consideration selects one of the flowers, and holding it by the stalk at
about a foot from his eyes in his left hand twirls it between his thumb
and fingers, occasionally with his right hand dropping on it a grain or
two of rice.* In a few minutes his eyes close and he begins to talk--
usually about things having nothing to do with the question in hand, but
after a few minutes of this, he suddenly yells out an answer to the
question, and without another word retires. The inquirer takes his
meaning as he can from the answer, which, I believe, is always
ambiguous.

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* This is the process by which the bhagat mesmerizes himself.
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The bharotan as I have above remarked is only resorted to when a matter
of grave import has to be inquired about; the bhagat makes a high
charge for a seance of this description. We will fancy that three or
four families in a village consider themselves bewitched by a najo, and
they resolve to have recourse to a bhagat to find out who the witch is;
with this view a day is fixed on, and two delegates are procured from
each of five neighbouring villages, who accompany the afflicted people
to the house of the bhagat, taking with them a dali or offering,
consisting of vegetables, which on arrival is formally presented to him.
Two delegates are posted at each of the four points of the compass, and
the other two sent