The following is a description given by a Sansia of their ordeals:
[616] If a Jemadar suspects a Sipahi of secreting plunder a _panchayat_
is assembled, [617] the members of which receive five rupees from
both parties. Seven pipal [618] leaves are laid upon his hand and
bound round with thread, and upon these a heated iron _tawa_ or plate
is set; he is then ordered to walk seven paces and put the plate
down upon seven thorns; should he be able to do so he is pronounced
innocent, but if he is burnt by the plate and throws it down he is
considered guilty. Another ordeal is by fixing arrows, two of which
are shot off at once from one bow, one in the name of Bhagwan (god),
and the other in the name of the _panchayat_; the place being on the
bank of the river. The arrow that flies the farthest is stuck upright
into the ground; upon which a man carrying a long bamboo walks up to
his breast in the water and the suspected person is desired to join
him. One of the _panchayat_ then claps his hands seven times and runs
off to pick up the arrow; at this instant the suspected person is
obliged to put his head under water, and if he can hold his breath
until the other returns to the bank with the arrow and has again
clapped his hands seven times he is pronounced innocent. If he cannot
do so he is declared guilty and punished. A third form of ordeal was
as follows: The Jemadar and the gang assemble under a pipal tree,
and after knocking off the neck of an earthen pitcher they kill
a goat and collect its blood in the pitcher, and put some glass
bangles in it. Four lines are drawn on the pitcher with vermilion
(representing blood), and it is placed under a tree and 1 1/4 seers
[619] of _gur_ (sugar) are tied up in a piece of cloth 1 1/4 cubits
in length and hung on to a branch of the tree. The Jemadar then says,
'I will forgive any person who has not secreted more than fifteen
or twenty rupees, but whoever has stolen more than that sum shall
be punished.' The Jemadar dips his finger in the pitcher of blood,
and afterwards touches the sugar and calls out loudly, 'If I have
embezzled any money may Bhagwan punish me'; and each dacoit in turn
pronounces the same sentence. No one who is guilty will do this but
at once makes his confession. The oath pronounced on 1 1/4 seers of
sugar tied up in 1 1/4 cubits of cloth was considered the most solemn
and binding which a Sansia could take.