I find no one that has ever heard of a
member of this family dying of the bite of a snake. One of the Rajahs
of this family, who called on me to-day, declared that no member of
his family had ever been known to die of such a bite, and he could
account for it only "from their being descended from Salbahun, the
rival and conqueror of Bickermajeet, of Ojein."
This Salbahun* is said to have been a lineal descendant of the _sake-
god!_ He told me that the females of this family could never wear
cotton cloth of any colour but plain white; that when they could not
afford to wear silk or satin they never wore anything but the piece
of white cotton cloth which formed, in one, the waistband, petticoat,
and mantle, or robe (the dhootee and loongree), without hemming or
needlework of any kind whatever. Those who can afford to wear silk or
satin wear the petticoat and robe, or mantle of that material, and of
any colour. On their ankles they can wear nothing but silver, and
above the ankles, nothing but gold; and if not, nothing, not even
silver, except on the feet and ankles. No Hindoo of respectability,
however high or wealthy, can wear anything more valuable than silver
below the waist. The Tilokchundee Byses can never condescend to hold
the plough; and if obliged to serve, they enlist in the army or other
public establishments of the Oude or other States.
[* Salbahun must have been one of the leaders of the Scythian armies,
who conquered India in the reign of Vickramadittea.
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