Indian Antiquary Vol 03

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 18

12
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JANUARY, 1874.
they had better barn their houses and fill bags They were exceedingly surprised at the sight, with the ashes, and open a shop in the bazaar, and asked him where he had found the horse; he and every one would buy them. So they said he had found it in the river Ghoradhuba, went home and burnt down their houses, but and added, "I was alone and could only catch the only result was that a great number of this small one, as I could not run very fast ; people seized them and kicked them and beat! there are a great many fine horses there, and if them with shoes. They were extremely enraged you were to go you could catch them." When at this, and went to the farmer's house and tied they heard this they asked what they must take him hand and foot and put him into a sack, and with them, and he said they must each bring a threw him into the river "Ghoradhuba," and sack and some strong rope, but when they had then ran away, thinking he would surely dio brought them he said he was going home; this time. But he went floating down-stream however, they persuaded him to stop, and he till he struck against a post. Now a man hap- told them all to go into the sacks, and he then pened to pass by on horseback, and the farmer threw one of them into the river, but took care called out to him, "If you will come and open to avoid the place where the post was. When the mouth of this sack I will cut grass for your the other five heard the bubbing of the water horse without pay." So the man came and they asked what it was, and he said it was only opened the mouth of the sack, and the farmer, the other man catching a horse; directly they stepping out on the clear, said, "If you will heard that, they all intreated him and began to give me your horse I will take him for an air- quarrel, saying "Throw me in first, throw me ing;" the man gave him the horse and went in first:" so he threw them all in, one after the home, but when the farmer had gone a little other, and in this way they all perished, and the way he mounted the horse and rode past the farmer ever after that spent his time in haphorses of the six men so that they could see him. piness.
FACSIMILE OF THE INSIDE OF AN ARABIC TALISMANIC MEDICINE CUP.
BY E. REHATSEK.
great virtue, and enhances its price far above A Talisman (Tacoma, pulb) consists of one or
its intrinsic value as a little brass vessel. several magic figures.or writings carved on | The cup (3.2 inches in diameter and l'1 inch metal or stone under certain favourable conjunc- deep) which I am now about to describe is the tions of some planets or horoscopes, said to property of the Bombay Branch of the Royal impart peculiar efficacy to the object thus treated. Asiatic Society, for which I have described it In the present instance this object is a brass cup and seven others, all larger than this one, the inscribed with various magic figures, amulets, largest of them measuring 8.2 inches in diameter sentences from the Qorân, and also certain and 28 in depth. But as some time must elapse "hocus pocus" words in a pretended secret before the Journal of the Society is printed and character, which on a closer examination appears published, I think I may be allowed to insert to consist of very few signs often repeated and the description of one of these cups, namely, the apparently used only "ad terrorem populi," al- smallest, in the Indian Antiquary. though each of these signs may possibly represent The hexagonal star which occurs four times the initial, or even the whole name, of some on this cup, namely, once in the so-called trilinholy personage; since, uocording to the sophe gual amulet to be described immediately) in or "science of letters," almost every letter of the shape of two triangles intersecting each the alphabet may in writings of this kind re- other, and thrice close to it, also forming present the name of some well-known sacred similar hexagonal star but drawn all in one person. Even the arithmetical numbers if con- piece and marking four points near the two verted into letters by means of the "Abujad" | magic circles intersecting, which is well known may be used to express these names and various over the whole world, seems to be of very words. This treatment of a cup imparts to it ancient origin, apparently Eastern, and enjoy