India & Its Inhabitants - Caleb Wright

LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF
SAN DIEGO
presented to the
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
SAN DIEGO
by
MRS. KENNEiH N. BAKER

INDIA AND ITS INHABITANTS.
BY
CALEB WRIGHT, A. M,
THE AUTHOR VISITED INDIA AND TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY

THERE, FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF COLLECTING
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN
THIS VOLUME.
THIRTY-FIRST THOUSAND.
ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS.
CINCINNATI, OHIO:
PUBLISHED BY J. A. BRAINERD,
1857.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854,
BY CALEB WRIGHT,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.
PRINTED BY
GEORGE C. BAND & AVEEY.
From Rev. Rufus Anderson, D.D., of Boston.
" Mr. Caleb Wright visited India a few years since, to qualify himself
for lecturing on the manners and customs of the people in that country ;
and the Lectures he has since published give evidence of the carefulness
of his observations, and of his faithfulness in description. The volume
entitled LIFE IN INDIA is valuable for its subject-matter, even
beyond any other similar collection of the size within my knowledge,"
From Rev. Jeremiah Day, D.D., LL.D., formerly President of Yale College.
" Mr.
"Wright has recently lectured in seven of the churches in this
city (New Haven), to large and highly gratified audiences. I believe his
Lectures are doing much good, and hope they will continue to receive the
patronage they deserve."
While Mr. Wright was lecturing in the principal cities and towns in
the United States, testimonials, similar to the above, were received from a
great number of persons in eminent stations, among whom were twenty

Presidents of Colleges and Theological Seminaries, viz. :
Rev. E. Nott, D.D., President of Union College.

L. Beecher, D.D., President of Lane Seminary.
J. Edwards, D.D., President (formerly) of Theol. Sem. Andover.
Jere. Day, LL.D., President (formerly) of Yale College.
H. Humphrey, D.D., President (formerly) of Amherst College.
Mark Hopkins, D.D., President of Williams College.
S. North, LL.D., President of Hamilton College.
Joel Parker, D.D.,. President of Union Theol. Seminary, N. T.
B. Tyler, D.D., President of Theol. Seminary at E. Windsor
B. Sears, D.D., President of Theol. Seminary at Newton.
R. Babcock, D.D., President (formerly) of Waterville College.
J. Bates, D.D., President (formerly) of Middlebury College.
N. Bangs, D.D., President (formerly) of Wesleyan University.
H. J. Clark, A.M., President of Alleghany College.
J. Carnahan, D.D., President of Princeton College.
Asa Mahan, A.M., President of Oberlin Institute.
E. W. Gilbert, President of Delaware College.
D.D, .
Benjamin Hale, D.D., President of Geneva College.

Silas Totten, D.D.,. President of Trinity College.
Hon. A. Hasbrouck, LL.D., President of Rutgers College.
ENGRAVINGS.
LECTURES ON INDIA.
HO. r''-
1. A Devotee, who had been standing eight years, 9
2. A Devotee, whose finger-nails were eight inches long, 11
8. A Devotee, whose arms were constantly elevated, 13
4. Hindu of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, 15
5. Mohammedan of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, 17
6. Byragee playing on a Timbrel, 19
7. Mohman Khaun, Nabob of Cambay, 21
8. Culi CV.cf, 23
9. Culi Soldier of the Forests of Raj pu tana, 25
10. Minaret at Delhi, 27
11. Columns of a Temple at Benares, 29
12. Columns from the ruins of a Temple at Barolli, 31
18. Temple of Vishnu, at Mahabalipooram, South India, .... 33
14. Entrance to the Cave Temple of Elephanta, 85

15. A Mosque at Delhi, 35
16. Hindu College at Calcutta 37
17. Fort of Haje Ka, on the Indus, 39
18. Town and Fort of Roree, on the Indus, . . . 41
19. Fort of Burkhur, on the Indus, 43

20. Hindu Family and Dwelling, 47
21. Travelling in a Palankeen, ....47
22. Specimens of Hindu Jewelry, 49
23. Celebrating the Huli Festival, 53

24. A Brahmin Reading the Shastcrs, ... 53
25. A Volume of the Shasters, written on Palm Leaf, 55
26. Vishnu reposing on his Serpent Couch, 59
27. Interior of a House in the City of Benares, 59
28. Temple of Kali near Calcutta, 63
29. The Goddess Kali, 6J
ENGRAVINGS.
NO. PICE
30. at Tanjore, 67
Temple
81. Images found among Ancient Ruins at Gaya, 71
71
32. Temple near Allahabad,
83. Two Portraits,
75
84. A View in the City of Benares, 75
35. Presenting Offerings to a Mendicant Priest, 79
86. An Infant Victim of Superstition, 83
37. Interior of a Chapel at Cuttack, 83
38. Baber, the founder of the Mogul Empire, 87

39. Ruins in the City of Delhi, 91
40. Interior of a Choultry, 91
41. Union of the Ganges and Jumna, 95
42. The Sick, brought to the Ganges, 95
43. A Pilgrim at his Devotions, 99

44. The God of Wisdom, Dancing Girl, and Musicians, 99
45. The Great Temple of Juggernaut at Puri, 103
46. Portrait of Juggernaut, 103
47. Car and Procession of Juggernaut, 107
48. The Goddess Luckshine, copied from an Ancient Sculpture, . . . 107
49. Ceremony of the Swinging of Krishna, Ill
50. A Tank and Temple near Benares, 115

51. The India Ox, 115
52. A Devotee leaping from a Precipice, 119
58. Transforming a Woman into an Evil Spirit by burning her alive, . .119
54. A Group of Women, 123
55. Interior of a Dwelling, ....... 123
56. Saugor Island, 127
57. Bannian Tree, 127
LECTURE ON WOMEN.
Commencing at Page 129.
58. Three Hindu Girls, educated at Burdwan, 131

59. Women of Calcutta, 135
60. Hindu Woman of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, 189
61. Mohammedan Woman of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, . . . 143
62. Parsee Woman of Bombay, of high rank, in full dress, 147
63. Hindu Dancing Girl, 1*1
64. Kyan Woman, a 155
ENGRAVINGS. Vll
0. FAOB.
65. Hindu Woman of the Brahmin Caste, . . 159
66. Hindu Mother lamenting the Death of her Child, 163
DESCRIPTION OF THE THUGS.

Commenting at Pagt 169.
67. A Thug disguised as a Merchant, 167

68. Carrier of Ganges Water, . . . . , 176
69. Interior of a Cave Temple at Ellora, 185
70. A Thug going to a Feast, .
, 190
71. A Mohammedan at Prayer, 191
72. Indru, King of the Minor Deities, 193
73. Cottage in the Forest, 197
DESCRIPTION OF FESTIVALS.
Commencing at Pagt 201.
74. Procession at a Hindu Festival, 199

75. Image of the Goddess Durga, 202
76. A Hindu Family carrying Offerings to an Idol, 209
77. Returning from a Sacrifice of Animals, 215
78. Dancing in Celebration of the Durga Festival, 219
79. Consigning an Image of Kali to the Ganges, j 223
SPECIMENS OF THE SHASTERS.

Commencing at Pagt 237.
80. Gautama, or Budh, 249

81. Chinese Budh, 251
82. Brahma, 251
83. Another Form of Brahma, 251
84. Huneman, 255
85. Another Form of Huneman, . 255
86. Vishnu, 255
87 Ganesa, the God of Wisdom, 258
88. Serpent God, 259
89. Colossal Bust of Shiva, from the Temple of Elephanta, .... 259
90. Shiva, 259
91. Temple of Nandi, at Tanjore, 269
92. Kartika, the God of War, . . 271
ENGRAVING, No. 1. Portrait of a Devotee who had been standing
eight years, day and night. See description at page 73.

No. 2. Portrait of a Devotee who had kept the left arm elevated
*n the position represented until it had become stiff,
and
the finger-nails had (frown six or eight inches
in length. See page 70.
No. 8. Portrait of a Devotee who had kept both arms elevated
until they had become stiff and immovable. See page 70.
No. 4. A Hindu of Bengal, of high rank, in full dreu.
No. 5 A Mohammedan of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress.
No. 6. A Byragee. See page 69.
No. 7. Mohman Khaun, Nabob of Cambay.
in
No. 8. A Guli Chief. The Cvlis are a tribe of Bobbers and Pirate
north-west part of Hindustan.
No. 9. A Cull Soldier of the Forests of Hajputana.
No. 10. THE GREAT MINARET AT DELHI.
This beautiful and magnificent tower is 242 feet in height. In the interim
it a spiral staircase, leading to the different balconies, and to
the top. It was built in the thirteenth century,
but for what purjtose is now unknown.

No. 11. SPECIMEN OF ABCHITECTURE AT BENARES.
Two of the eight columns which tupport the vestibule of a Temple, represented
by engraving, No. 34, page 75.

Ct>^- V=C
No. 12. SPECIMEN OP HINDU ARCH1TKCTURE AT BAROLLI.
These Columns are in the immediate vicinity of a very large and beautiful temptt, "on
in KIJ. They probably supported a swing, for the recreation of the god.
See engraving, representing the srcinging of Krishna, page 111.
No. 13. A TKMl'LE AT MAHABALIPOOHAM.
Each of four columns is composed of a single stone. During cer
the
tain Festivals an Image of Vishnu is brought from a larger temple

and placed in thin ftlifire to recti'* the }u>miy of his vvtunfi.
14. Temple of Elephanta.
No. 15. A Mosque at Delia.

LECTURES ON INDIA.
LECTURE I.
IT is the opinion of some eminent geographers, that India,

inder the name of Tarshish, was known in the days of Solomon,
and celebrated as the land of spices, gold, arid precious stones ;
but, whether it be the Tarshish of the ancients or not, it has for

a long time been justly regarded with great interest. Here, vast
and powerful empires have successively sprung up and flourished,
while Europe was in a state of barbarism. Long before Chris-
tianity shed its light upon the world, India was the land of science
and At the present time, however, its prominent char-
tHfe arts.
acteristics are ignorance, poverty, and superstition.

It is not my purpose to direct your attention to the whole of
but to that of it usually denominated Hindu-
India, only portion
stan, or India within the Ganges. This is a large peninsula, pro-
jecting into the Indian Ocean, south-west of the Chinese Empire,
from which it is separated by the Himalaya Mountains. Witli a
territory about as large as Mexico, it is
supposed to contain a poji-
ulation of one hundred and thirty millions, or more inhabitants
than England, Scotland, Ireland, Russia, and the continent of
America.
The Hindus are of various dissimilar races, differing materially
in stature, complexion, manners, language, and general character
The Rajpoots and mountaineers of the north are large and of great
muscular strength, while the inhabitants farther south are gener-
ally of small stature and of slender form. In complexion, they
vary from a dark olive approaching to black, to a light, transparent,
beautiful brown, resembling that of the natives of Northern Italy.
46 LECTURES ON INDIA.
They are very fond of ornaments, such as rings in the ears and
nose, with bracelets on the arms and ankles yet their dress is ex-
;
ceedingly simple. See Engravings, Nos. 20 and 22.

The dress of the male consists of two pieces of cotton cloth, each
containing about two yards. The one, called the dhotee, is girt
about the loins and extends to the ankles. The other, called the
chadder, is worn over the shoulders. The dress of the female is
called a saree,and consists of a single piece of cloth of from four

to seven yards. One end of this piece is wrapped around the
loins, the width reaching to the feet the other is gracefully
;
thrown around the shoulders. In some parts of the country, it

also covers the head. The children wear no clothing until they
are from five to eight years of age but they are frequently deco-
;
rated with ornaments and jewels of considerable value.

The food of this people, with but few exceptions, is vegetable
The use of animal food is denied them by their religion, unlest
the animals be first some idol. At their meals, they
sacrificed to
use neither tables, chairs, knives, forks, nor spoons. They sit upon
the floor, and put the food into the mouth with the fingers of the
right hand. They take their drink from a brass cup, which they
never touch with the lips, but pour the liquid into the mouth.
Fermented and distilled liquors are used only by the lowest castes ;
but the use of tobacco is almost universal, and here, as elsewhere

nas a most pernicious influence. Many of both sexes chew betel
a drug more filthy, if possible, than tobacco itself.
Most of the Hindu dwellings are rude huts,

See Engraving,
Number 20. The about eighteen feet long and twelve
usual size is
wide. The walls are built of mud, and the roof is thatched with
straw or with the leaves of the palm. In cities, however, and in
large villages, to prevent damage by fire, tiles are used instead of
thatch. The cost of such dwellings varies from five to twenty
dollars, according to the size and manner of finish. About one
house in a thousand is built of durable materials, such as brick or
stone. In cities they may be found from two to four stories high.
These have and are built around a court or open space
flat roofs,
in the centre. In some houses, the court is very large, and is dec-
orated with fountains, trees, and flowering shrubs. Most of the
windows open into the court. As Hindu dwellings have few or
no windows towards the street, they appear very much like prisons ;
and, in some respects, they are prisons for within their walls
;
the females are incarcerated for

life. Such is the jealousy of their
husbands, that they are never to be seen in the streets or in any
No. 20. Hindu Family and Dwelling.
No. 21. Travelling in a Palankeen.

No. 22. JEWELRY -FROM SPECIMENS COLLECTED BY THE AUTHOR
These engravings are of the size of the objects which they represent. No. 1 is an orna-
ment for the ear ; the lobe of the ear is pierced, and the aperture gradually stretched until
it becomes No. 2 is a nose jewel. No. 3 is a
sufficiently large to admit the ornament.
bracelet ; it is made of brass, and weighs one pound and nine ounces. Some of the women
deck the arms with from ten to twenty brass rings, neighing more than half a pound each.
LECTURES ON INDIA. 51
public assembly. It is only the higher class of fem&ies, however,
\vho are kept thus secluded among the common people, women
;
are to be seen at work in the fields, or going to market with large

bundles of wood, or other heavy burdens, borne upon the head.
engraving, No. 21
In you have a representation of the usual
method of travelling. With but few exceptions, there are no
roads; consequently, wheel carriages are seldom us:d. This ve-
hicleis called a palankeen. On the sides are sliding doors or Ve-
netians. Its construction in other respects will be readily under-
stood. The usual number of bearers is eight. Four of these carry
the pa.ankeen thirty or forty rods ;
then the others take it
upon
their shoulders; thus, alternately, they relieve each other. Beside
the bearers, several other men are employed to carry the baggage
and to bear lighted torches by night. The bearers and other
assistants are changed once in about ten miles, or as often as
stage-drivers change their horses. The traveller proceeds on his

journey from seventy to ninety miles in twenty-four hours, at an
expense of about twenty-five cents per mile.
i
No. 24 a Brahmin engaged in reading and explaining a poem

is
containing some hundred thousand stanzas written on palm-leaf.

It isone of many others equally voluminous, and has been handed
down from generation to generation for more than three thousand
" wonderful-
years it is written in Sanscrit, a dead language of a
;
construction more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the
Latin, and more exquisitely refined than either." It is a portion
o( the Holy Vedas. In a peculiar tone of voice, he chants the
sacred text, stopping at the end of each stanza to translate and
explain. His hearers listen attentively to the exciting narra-

tive, now convulsed with laughter at some dexterous exploit, and
then thrilled with horror at some dreadful calamity. All the re-
ligiousbooks of the Hindus, including the four Vedas, are called
Shaste-s.* They are so numerous that an entire human life
would not be sufficient for an attentive perusal of them.
No. 23 is a celebration of the Huli festival. On this occasion,
the people of all classes use the most obscene and abusive lan-
large syringes, bespatter each

other with
guage, ar.d, by means of
Sen Specimens of the Shart-rs or Sacred Books of the Brahmins, conaiatmg

if Songs Legendiry Tales, &r.,'' [Mgv 247 of this volume.
tolored water ; they also pelt each other with red and yellow
powder, and with the mud and filth of the streets. Should a
Hindu be asked why he conducts in this manner at the time of
" It is our
the Huli, he would say, custom, and it can be proved
from the Shasters that it has been the custom of our forefathers
for millions of generations." To the mind of a Hindu, whatever
is customary is proper ;
for he believes that the customs of his
forefathers, civil, social, and were instituted by the gods,
religious,
and are therefore incapable of improvement. The eflect of this
belief is to keep every thing stationary. There is no progress in
knowledge no change for the better in any department in life.
The fashion of dress, the form of agricultural and mechanical in-
struments, the manner of erecting habitations, and the performance
of various kinds of labor, are the same as they were thousands ol
years ago. This fact may be illustrated by an anecdote. An
English gentleman devised various plans of introducing improve-
ments among others, he wished to substitute wheelbarrows foi
;
the baskets in which the natives carry burdens on their heads.

He caused several of these useful articles to be constructed, and
labored with much assiduity to introduce them among his work-
men. In his presence, they used them with apparent cheerfulness,
and even admitted that they were far preferable to the baskets.
The gentleman was delighted with his success. On one occasion,
however, having been absent a few hours, on returning somewhat
'unexpectedly, he was surprised to find all his laborers carrying
the wheelbarrows filled with earth on their heads.
Their unyielding attachment to ancient customs is the natural
result of their religious belief. Any change, however slight, in
the mode of labor or business, is a violation of religious duty.
It evident, therefore, that the comforts and improvements of
is
civilized life can never be introduced among the Hindus until they
become convinced of the falsity of their Shasters and the foolish-
ness of their traditions. The first step in the process of reform
and: improvement is to renounce that system of religion which for
thousands of years has held them in the most cruel bondage.
The subject of engraving, No. 26 is beautifully sculptured on

the surface of a large rock in the Ganges, and is also frequently
represented by the Hindus in their paintings. An enormous ser-
pent, having many

heads, up is coiled in such a manner as
to form
a couch, upon which a Hindu divinity is sleeping. It illustrates a
familiar legend in their Shasters. After the destruction of a

No. 23. Celebrating the Huli Festival.
No. 24. A Brahmin reading the Shasters.

former world by a deluge, this divinity, whose name is Vishnu,

composed himself to sleep on a thousand-headed serpent, which
floated upon the surface of the waters during a nap of some mil-
;
lions of years, a water-lily grew from his body ; from this flower
issued Brahma, the Creator.
Having formed the world anew and
created many of the gods, he
proceeded to create man, when the
four classes or castes into which the Hindus are divided issued from
different parts of his body the Brahmins from his head, the Kshu-
:
tryus from his arms, the Voishnus from his breast, while the
Shudras had their ignoble origin in his feet agreeably to which
;
legend, the Brahmins are supposed to be entitled to a very high

rank, while the Shudras are hardly regarded as human beings.
These four classes have, from various causes, been divided into
more than two hundred distinct castes. If one of high caste vio-
late the rules of his community, he cannot receive an honorable
dismission, and enter a lower caste, but is forever excluded from

all respectable society ;repentance and reformation have no ten-
dency to restore him. One of low caste, though ever so learned,
wise, or virtuous, can make no approximation to a higher caste.
The distance between the Shudra, the lowest caste, and the
Brahmin, is immeasurably great the Brahmin cannot even instruct
;
the Shudra, but with the greatest precaution, lest he should be

defiled. But, low as the Shudra is, he has an honorable standing
in society when compared with the Parriahs, a race who are not
regarded as having any caste. They, when walking in the street,

must keep on the side opposite the sun, lest their filthy shadows
should fall upon the consecrated Brahmin. It is not uncommon
to see the lower castes prostrating themselves as worshippers at

the feet of the Brahmin, and greedily drinking the water which he
has condescended to sanctify by the immersion of his great toe.
The pernicious influence of caste is strikingly illustrated by an
incident related to me by Rev. Mr. Day, a missionary at Madras.
As he was riding through a native village, he saw a woman .ying
by the side of the street, apparently in the agonies of death ; she
had lain there about twenty-four hours, and, during all this time,
the villagers had been constantly passing and repassing, without
manifesting the least interest or sympathy. When Mr. Day asked
them why they thus neglected this woman, and suffered her to lie
there and die, they replied, " Why should we take care of her ? She
does not belong to our caste." A little rice-water, it
appears, had
been offered her, but she would not drink it, simply
because the per-
son offering it belonged to a lower caste. Had she tasted the rice-
water, or eaten any food cooked by these villagers, or even drank

pure water from their vessels, she would have lest caste. And
what then? Her own children would have fled from her as from
one infected with the plague; her husband would not have per-
mitted her to enter his house even the parental roof would not
;
have afforded her an asylum for a single moment had any friends ;
or relatives dared to associate with her, they too would have lost
caste and been involved in the same disgrace. Thus she would
necessarily become an outcast and a vagabond.
In most of the large houses in India, there is an apartment which

serves as a family chapel. Engraving, No. 27 represents such an
apartment in a very elegantly-finished house in the city of Benares,
In the farther part of the chapel is the altar or shrine on which the
idols are placed. Each member of the family is expected to offer
up his devotions to these idols every morning and evening.
According to their own standard, the Hindus are preeminently
a religious people. The number of their gods, as stated in their
Shasters, is three hundred and thirty millions. These fabled gods
are not represented as acting in concert they fight and quarrel with
;
each other, and with their wives and children, murder the innocent
for the sake of plunder, and commit crimes, the bare recital of which
to a Christian audience would excite the utmost horror and disgust.
It is
generally admitted, that neither nations nor individuals aim
at greater purity of morals than their religion requires. may We
expect to find any community below, rather than above this stand-
ard. This is true in regard to the Hindus. Their gods and god-
desses being extremely vicious, the manner in which they are
worshipped must correspond with their character it cannot be ;
expected that the moral character of the people should be other

than it is, a compound of every thing that is debasing. Gross
and polluted as their divinities are, they are yet too refined and
elevated, in their estimation, to be worshipped without imagery.
Images are made in forms as various, unnatural, and horrid, as the
imagination can conceive. When one of them is consecrated by
the Brahmin, the divinity for whom it is designed is supposed to
take up his abode in it,and is propitious or unpropitious accord-
ing to the manner in which it is worshipped.
The goddess Kali, (See Number 29) is represented as a woman

of a dark blue color, with four arms, in the act of trampling under
her feet her prostrate and supplicating husband. In one hand
Na 26. FtVmu, reposing on his Serpent Couch.
No. 27. Interior of a House in the City of Benares.

she holds the bloody head of a giant, and in another an extermi-

nating sword. Her long, dishevelled hair reaches to her feet her ;
tongue protrudes from her distorted mouth and her lips, eyebrows,
;
and breast, are stained with the blood of the victims of her fury,
whom she is supposed to devour by thousands. Her ear orna-
ments are composed of human carcasses. The girdle about her
waist consists of the bloody hands of giants slain by her in single
combat, and her necklace is composed of their skulls. This mon-
ster divinity is one of the most popular objects of Hindu worship.
She calls forth the shouts, the acclamations, and the free-will of-
ferings of myriads of infatuated worshippers. Her temples are

continually drenched with the blood of victims; even human
victims are occasionally sacrificed to her. In 1828, the ilajah of
the Goands sacrificed twenty men at one time, as the promised
reward of her supposed assistance in a single enterprise.
The Hindus, like the inhabitants of more civilized countries,
have secret societies. The most remarkable of these is the soci-
ety of the Thugs, which boasts of great antiquity. In some re-
spects, a religious society for its members believe that they
it is ;
are under the immediate guidance and protection of Kali, and that
she permits them to obtain their livelihood by murdering travellers
on the highway and then taking their property. It would be quite
inconsistent with their religious principles, to rob
any person uqtil
he is first deprived of
by strangulation. They affirm that this
life
system was instituted by Kali, and is consequently of divine

origin that, for many thousands of years, she assisted them in
;
escaping detection, by devouring the dead bodies of their victims ;

but, on a certain occasion, a Thug, contrary to her command,
looked back to see how she disposed of the corpses, and saw her
feasting This circumstance so offended her, that she
on them.
declared she would no longer devour those whom they murdered.
They believe, however, that she still continues to assist them, and
that she directs their movements by certain omens. When, there-
fore, they are about to commence their excursions, in order to pro-
pitiate the favor of Kali, they sacrifice a sheep, by cutting off its
nead, upon which the priest pours water and repeats the following
" Great Goddess Universal If this our medi-
prayer : ! Mother !
tated expedition is fitting in thy sight, vouchsafe us thine help

and the signs of thy approbation." While repeating this invoca-
tion, they watch the head of the victim if they observe tremu-
;
lous or convulsive motions in the mouth and nostrils, it is to them

the sign that Kali approves their expedition. When about to
murder a they hear or see any thing which, according

traveller, if
to their superstitious notions, indicates evil, they allow him to
on unmolested but if the omen is esteemed good, they re-
pass ;
gard it as a positive command to murder him. In 1826, the East

India Company adopted measures to suppress this system of whole-
sale murder. Since that time, between two and three thousand
Thugs have been arrested, tried, and convicted. Two hundred
and six were convicted at a single session of the court. It ap-
peared, in the course of the evidence, that these prisoners, at dif-
ferent times, had murdered four hundred and forty persons. In
view of these facts, who is prepared to carry out the doctrine, that
it matters not what a man believes, if he is only sincere ?
is a view of one of the most celebrated temples

Engraving, No. 28
in India. devoted to the worship of Kali, and is situated at
It is
Kali Ghat, three miles from Calcutta. The small building on the
and the other on the right, are temples of Shiva.
left,
In Calcutta, the missionaries have established several schools,
which are in a flourishing condition. The one under the super-
intendence of Rev. Dr. Duff is attended by more than a thou-
sand young men, belonging to the most respectable families in
the city. Kali Prasanna Mukarje, one of the young men edu-
cated at the mission schools, is a " Kulin Brahmin of the highest
caste, and, on his mother's side, is a Holdar Brahmin. The Hol-
dars are the original proprietors of Kali Ghat, and the hereditary
officiating priests of the temple, to whom all the offerings at this

shrine of idolatry belong. Kali Prasanna is heir to his mother's
property, being her only son ; he is also heir to his uncle, who is
a Zemindar, and one of the proprietors of the temple of Kali and, ;
by marriage, he is heir to his father-in-law's property. He is

thus the only male representative of three ancient and highly-
respectable families, and, by inheritance, would have been the prin-
cipal proprietor of Kali Ghat and the high priest of the temple."
Besides what he was to he possessed property to the
inherit,
amount of about one hundred thousand dollars. He was fully
aware that, should he become a Christian, he would, by the laws
of his country, not only be deprived of his property, but would be
despised by hi countrymen, forsaken by his relatives, and regarded

as an outcast. Yet he gave up all, was baptized, and became a
member of one of the mission churches. At various missionary
stations which I visited were several other Brahmins, who had
forfeited their title to large estates by becoming Christians.
No. 28. A Temple of Kali, near Calcutta,
No. 29. The Goddess Kali.

The figure on the left of engraving, No. 31, was found among
some ruins in Behar. It is an image of Shiva, who, according to
Hindu mythology, is the husband of Kali. He has eight arms and
three eyes, one of which is in the centre of his forehead. The ser-
pent with which he is decorated is rearing its head over his right
shoulder. With one foot he is crushing an enemy in the act of
drawing a sword with two of his hands he is tossing a human
;
victim on the points of a trident in a third he holds a drum, in a

;
fourth an axe, in a fifth a sword, in a sixth a portion of the Vedas,

and in a seventh a club, on the end of which is a human head.
The figure on the right was copied from a sculpture on the
wall of a temple at Gaya. It has four legs, sixteen arms, and
seven heads. Its girdle and crown are ornamented with heads.
In each hand it has an animal on a plate, as if dressed for food.

It is dancing on four men's bodies, two
prostrated and two ready
U> be crushed. Above, beneath, and on each side, were armed
female furies dancing on human carcasses but these are not
;
copied into the engraving. By the inhabitants of Gaya, this image

is called Mahamaya, another name for Kali but it is a male,
;
and, perhaps, was originally intended to represent her husband,

Shiva.
In the month of April, a festival in honor of Shiva is celebrated
in almost every town and village. One of these festivals I wit-
nessed in Calcutta. On first day, at sunset, the worshippers
the
assembled at different places, and danced, to the sound of drums
and other rude and noisy music, before an image of Shiva. Then,
one after another, they were suspended from a beam, with the
head downward, over a fire. The next day, about five o'clock
in the afternoon, each company reassembled and erected a stage
about ten feet in height, from which they threw themselves upon
large knives. The knives being placed in a sloping position,
the greater part of the thousands that fall upon them escape un-
hurt ; but occasionally an individual is cruelly mangled. About
forty persons threw themselves from one stage. None but th
last appeared to receive much injury. He pretended to be killed,
and was carried off with great shouting. During the whole of
the night, Calcutta resounded with the sound of gongs, drums,
trumpets, and the boisterous shouts of the worshippers. Early

the next morning, forty or fifty thousand persons were assembled
5
66 LECTURES ON IXDIA.
on the adjoining plain. Processions, accompanied by music, were

passing and repassing in every direction. In the processions
many persons were daubed over with the sacred ashes of cows'
ordure. Hundreds of these were inflicting self-torture. In one
procession, I saw ten persons, each with more than a hundred
iron pins inserted in the flesh. In another, each devotee had a
cluster of artificial serpents fastened with iron pins to his naked
back. In other processions, many had the left arm perforated, for
the insertion of rods from five to fifteen feet in length. These
rods were kept in constant and quick motion through the flesh, to
increase the pain. Some had their tongues pierced, for the inser-
tion of similar rods, which were occasionally drawn rapidly up
and down through the tongue. One man, having a rod fifteen
feet long, and, at the largest end, nearly one inch in diameter,
commencing with the smaller end, drew the whole rod through
his tongue. After wiping the blood from it upon his garment, be
thrust it again into his tongue. Others were drawing living ser-
pents through their tongues and dancing around like maniacs.
In the streets through which the processions passed were devotees,
with their sides pierced; a rope passed through each incision, and
the ends of the two ropes were fastened to four stakes driven into
fhe earth. In this condition, the infatuated creatures dance back-
ward and forward, drawing the ropes, at each movement, through
their lacerated flesh. On the afternoon of the next day, swinging
machines were erected at the places of concourse. They con-
sisted of a perpendicular post, about twenty-five feet high, upon
the top of which was a transverse beam, balanced on its centre,
and turning on a pivot. A rope was attached to one end of this
beam, by which the other cou.i be elevated or depressed at
pleasure. From
this end, many of the worshippers were sus-
pended by hooks
iron inserted into the muscular parts of their
backs. I have in my possession a pair of hooks which have been
used for that purpose. These hooks I saw thrust into a man's
4iaked back. The rope attached to them was made fast to the
beam of the machine, by which he was lifted up twenty-five or
thirty feet from the earth. It was then put in a circular motion
on its pivot,and the poor sufferer made to swing with great ra-
pidity for some minutes. Thousands and tens of thousands, an-
nually, are thus cruelly tortured on these machines.
. LECTURES ON INDIA. 69
No. 32 is a temple of Shiva, which I saw near Allahabad. It is

surrounded by a hxgh mound, composed wholly of the
fragments
of earthen bottles. On one of the last days of February, from
twenty to forty thousand pilgrims assemble, each being provided
with two or three earthen bottles, containing water from the
Ganges, and a few copper coins. Such is the offering they make
to Shiva and, believing him to be greatly pleased with the act,
;
they dash and break the bottles against the temple. The next
day, the Brahmins, faithful and true to Shiva, do not forget to
pick up the money, and, as the trustees of the idol, keep it for
him. That the temple may not be buried beneath the fragments
of this novel offering, and that no coin may escape their vigilance,
they also have the broken bottles removed to a short distance,
where they had accumulated to the extent here represented. It
cannot be difficult to understand why this peculiar mode of wor-
ship was invented by the Brahmins. It may also serve as an il-
lustration of the manner in which they take advantage of the
credulity of the people and secure a large amount of property.

The two figures in engraving 33 are portraits of individuals
whom I had the opportunity of frequently seeing. The one on
the left is the portrait of a religious mendicant. The number of
mendicants in India amounts to many hundreds of thousands.
As a religious duty, they forsake their families and friends, re-
nounce every useful occupation, and wander from place to place,
begging their food. They are literally clothed with filth and
rags the latter, in many instances, being less in quantity than

;
the former. Some of them are decorated with large quantities of

false hair, strings of human bones, and artificial snakes. Others
carry a human skull containing a most filthy mixture. If no
money or food be given them by those persons of whom they so-
licit alms, they profess to eat the filth out of the skull, as an act
of revenge. One sect of them, professing to be extremely anxious

to avoid destroying animal life, carry a broom, composed of soft
cotton threads, gently to sweep the insects from their path. Thoy
aiso erect hospitals for the reception of aged, sick, and lame ani-
mals. There is an institution of this kind in the vicinity of
Bombay, which, in 1840, contained from fifty to one hundred
horses, onehundred and seventy-five oxen and cows, and two
hundred dogs, beside cats, monkeys, and repl iles. It ha3 been said
that paganism never erected a hospital but this is not quite

;
true. I believe, however, that these are the only hospitals that
have been erected by the worshippers of idols.
There is another sect of mendicants, who are worshippers of
Krishna. Though men, they put on the dress and ornaments,
and assume the manners, of milkmaids. This is supposed to be
very pleasing to the object of their worship for, when he was on
;
earth, he is said to have been very partial to the milkmaids, and

to have married no fewer than sixteen thousand of them.
The other figure on the same engraving is a portrait of Puri-

Suttema, an individual with whom I was well acquainted. For
seven years he had been a religious mendicant. At length he
read a Christian tract entitled " A Precept to the Inhabitants of
this Part of the
"
World, by the Missionaries." By studying it,"
said he, " I found there was a great difference between the notions
I had imbibed and the virtuous precepts contained in that book ;
I plainly saw that my former way was all deception, and that this
book pointed out a better." He embraced that better way, and is
now a preacher of the gospel.
Many religious mendicants subject themselves to various modes

of self-torture. Engravings, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are portraits of individuals,
selected as specimens of this class of persons.
The devotee represented by engraving, No. 2 I saw at a festival
on the banks of the Ganges. He had kept his left arm thus ele-
vated until it had become stiff and permanently fixed, the muscles
and sinews had lost all power of producing motion, and the flesh
had become withered. The finger-nails, as you perceive, had
grown to the enormous length of six or eight inches. During
my residence in Hindustan, I saw as many as nine persons with
their arms elevated in the position here delineated.
The devotee represented by engraving, No. 3 has both arms ele-
vated. This man I saw frequently in the city of Benares. In
answer to my inquiries relative to his history, I was told that, in
the earlier part of his life, he served as a soldier but, having lost
;
his right leg, he became unfit for the duties of the army. In
order to secure a livelihood, as well as a large stock of religious
merit, he turned devotee. Having substituted a wooden leg in the
place of the one lost, he took a small idol in each hand, and ele-
vated them above his head until his arms became perfectly stiff
and immovable.
No. 31. Shiva. Mahamaya.
No. 32. A Temple (f Shiva.

may, perhaps, seem impossible, that a man should be able,

It
by own voluntary act, to keep his arms in this unnat jral po-
his
sition. One would suppose that in sleep, at least, the limbs would
resume their proper posture. In the first part of the process, it
becomes necessary to fasten the arms to poles lashed to the body ;
but it requires no great length of time so to paralyze the muscles

and sinews that they are no longer under the control of the mind.
Thedevotee representedbyengravingNo.il also frequently saw
at Benares. Under a wretched shed on the bank of the Ganges,
he had been standing, day and night, for eight years. He had
nothing to lean against but a piece of bamboo suspended by cords
from the roof of his shed. His dress was a ragged woollen blanket
saturated with filth. His face was smeared with the sacred ashes,
his body greatly emaciated, while his feet and legs were so drop-
sical and swollen as to require bandages to prevent their bursting,
Sometimes he slept as he stood, but generally he was awake and
busily employed in his devotions. In his right hand he held a
string of wooden beads contained in a red bag. Hour after hour
he repeated the names of the gods, and at each repetition passed a
bead between his thumb and finger. Occasionally he laid aside
his beads, and with his finger wrote, on a board covered with
ashes, *he names of the idol gods upon whom he depended for
happiness in a future life, as the reward of his self-inflicted mis-
eries. In this manner he had spent the last eight years of his
life. I asked him how long he intended to stand there. His re-
ply was, "Until Gunga calls for me," meaning until death,
when his body would be thrown into the River Gunga or Ganges.
On one occasion, I saw a devotee performing a pilgrimage to
the Ganges in He prostrated
a manner somewhat peculiar.
himself at full
length upon the ground, and, stretching forward
his hands, laid down a small stone he then struck his head three
;
times against the earth, arose, walked to the stone, and, picking
it up, again prostrated himself, as before ; and thus continued to
measure the road with his body. I was told by a missionary at
Benares, that he had recently seen a devotee prostrating himself
every six feet of the way towards the temple of Juggernaut, from
which he was then four hundred miles distant, and that he was
accompanied on his pilgrimage by a poor cripple, who, unable to
walk, was crawling along on his hands and knees. Another dev-
otee has been rolling upon the earth for the last nine years. He
has undertaken to roll from Benares to Cape Comoriu, a distance
of one thousand five hundred miles, and more than half of the
journey he has accomplished.
74 LECTURES OX INDIA.
It is universally believed by the Hindus, that, il a man perform
a pilgrimage, or swing upon hooks, or torture himself in any other

manner, he will be rewarded for it, either in this life or in a future
state of existence. No matter what the motive of the devotee
may be ;
he perform the service, he must receive the reward.
if
As an illustration of this delusive theory, permit me to relate an

anecdote from their sacred books.
Narayan is the name
of a Hindu god. A certain man, notori-
ously wicked, having a son of that name, was laid upon a sick-
bed. In the hour of death, being parched with a fever, he called
upon his son to give him water. The son being disobedient, the
father called again in anger, and expired. The messengers of
Yumu, the god of the infernal regions, immediately seized him, and
would have dragged him to the place of torment, but they were
prevented by the servants of Narayan, who took him by force and
carried him to heaven. The messengers of Yumu, in great rage,
hastened to their master and told him what had transpired. Yumu
ordered his recorder to examine his books. He did so, and found
that the man in question was a great sinner. Yumu then repaired
'n person to Narayan and demanded an explanation. Narayan
made this reply: "However sinful the man has been, in his last
moments, and with his last breath, he repeated my name and ;
you, Yumu, ought to know that, if any man, either by design or

accident, either in anger or derision, repeats my name with his
last breath, he must go to heaven." The doctrine of this fable is
literally and universally believed by the people. Hence, when a
person is in the agonies of death, his friends exhort him to repeat
the names of the gods and, ;
if he is so fortunate as to die with
one of these names upon his lips, they consider it a sure passport
to heaven. a
Many spend large portion of their time in repeating
the names of gods. Parrots are taught to do the same and such ;
a spokesman commands a great price, especially among business

men, who imagine that, by owning such a parrot, their spiritual
treasures are accumulating while they attend to their usual occu-
pations.
The opposite engraving, No. 34, is a view in Benares, the holy
city of the Hindus. It is situated upon the River Ganges, about

eight hundred miles from its mouth, and, with a population of two
hundred thousand, is estimated to contain one thousand temples.
Benares is not only celebrated for the number of its temples, and
the benefits they are supposed to confer, but for the learning and
sanctity of its Brahmins, for its schools of science and the arts
No. 33. Two Portraits.
No. 34. A View in the City of Benar<>s.

LECTUKES ON INDIA. 77
and, more especially, for its great antiquity. It is fabled to have
been built by Shiva, of pure gold, but has long since degenerated
into stone, brick, and clay, in consequence of the sins of the
people. It is visited by more pilgrims than any other place in

India. When travelling from Benares
to Allahabad, a distance of
only eighty miles, I estimated the number I saw by the way at

twelve thousand, or one hundred and fifty to every mile.
The large building on the right, a part of which is to be seen,
is a Mohammedan mosque. It stands upon the place once occupied
by a very and splendid Hindu temple, which contained an
large
image of Shiva, said to have fallen on this spot from heaven.
Soon after the commencement of the eighteenth century, Aurung-
zebe, a celebrated Mohammedan conqueror, demolished the temple
and built this mosque. The Hindus say that the indignant idol,
to escape the impious hands of the Mohammedans, while tearing
down the temple, threw itself into a neighboring well. This cir-
cumstance rendered the water very holy and purifying. The
well is in a spacious and beautiful pavilion, as represented near
the centre of the engraving. It is built of stone, and consists of a
roof supported by four rows of columns. On the left of the pa-
vilion are three temples of a pyramidical form. The one in the cen-
tre is esteemed the most holy temple in Benares, because it contains
the celebrated idol which concealed itself in the well. The Brah-
mins who officiate at this temple are also esteemed very holy. I
will relate a few incidents illustrative of their character. They
discovered that an aged pilgrim, who came there to worship, had a
large sum of money about him. They told him that, if he would
give them his money, and then, in the presence of the idol, cut his
throat, the idol would immediately restore him to the vigor and
freshness of youth. The deluded man believed them. He gave
up all his money, entered the temple, called on the name of Shiva,
and then cut his throat from ear to ear. Rev. Mr. Smith, who de-
scribed to me this horrid transaction, saw him weltering in his
blood. Mr. Smith also stated that, soon after he commenced his mis-
sionary labors in Benares, the Brahmins murdered a celebrated dan-
cing girl in this temple, for the sake of the jewels which decorated
her person. To prevent discovery, they cut off her head and threw
it into the Ganges. They then cut her body into small pieces
and strewed them about the streets, to be eaten by the dogs and
vultures.
There are more than eight thousand religious mendicants in
his city who li 7 e on charity. Those who belong to the sect called
Purumhunse have professedly attained to a state of perfection, and

aie worshipped as gods. They are readily distinguished by their
long hair and beards, which are never trimmed or cleansed, and
also by their dress, which is neither more comely nor substantial
than that which was in fashion before garments were made by
sewing together fig-leaves. These reputed gods sometimes come
in contact with men who have not attained to their state of per-
fection. Some years since, Mr. Bird, an English magistiate of
Benares, seeing a Purumhunse in his yard, ordered him to be gone,
and threatened to horsewhip hire, if he ever saw him there agaii/.
A few days afterwards he came again, and found that Mr. Bird
was faithful to his promise. The natives, who came running from
every direction, were greatly enraged that an unholy foreigner
should chastise one of their gods. Whatever power the whip may
have had in exciting the wrath of this human god, still he did not
dare to manifest it for, had he uttered a single angry word, he
;
would have lost all claim to perfection and divinity. He therefore

" It is all
said, with much apparent coolness and unconcern, right,
it is for I recollect that, in a former birth, this
perfectly right ;
magistrate wasdonkey. I used to ride him beyond his

my
strength, whip and abuse him, and now I am justly suffering for
the sins thus committed."
Engraving, No. 36 illustrates a custom which prevails in the

northern part of Bengal. I allude to a species of infanticide.
When an infant declines in health, the mother imagines that it is
under the influence of an evil spirit, to appease whose wrath, she
places her child in a basket and suspends it from the branch of a
tree in which evil spirits are supposed to reside. The infant is
generally visited and fed by its mother for three days. If it be

not devoured by ants nor birds of prey, nor die through exposure to
the cold and the rain, it is afterwards taken home. In the vicinity
of Malda, an infant thus exposed fell from its basket and wa? im-
mediately seized by a prowling jackal. Fortunately, the Rev.

Mr. Thomas happened to pass that way just in time to prevent
the child from being devoured. He had the satisfaction of pre-
senting it alive to its mother. On another occasion, as he was
passing under the same tree, he found a basket suspended from
its branches containing the skeleton of an infant, the flesh having
been devoured by the white ants.
Amongthe Jerejas, a fierce and warlike tribe, who live in the

north-west part of Hindustan, great numbers of female infants are
LECTURES Olf INDIA. 81
put to death immediately after birth. In one village, in which

were twenty-two boys, not one girl was to be found. The vil-
lagers confessed that they had all been murdered. In another
village were found fifty-eight boys and only four girls in another, ;
forty-four boys and four girls and, in many other villages, the
;
number of boys exceeded that of the girls in nearly the same pro-
portion.
The Jerejas have a tradition, that a curse was once pronounced
by a holy Brahmin upon all of their tribe who should suffer their
female children to live. To
escape the effects of this curse, and
to avoid the trouble and expense of bringing up their daughters,
whom they regard as worthless, they are induced to imbrue them
hands in their innocent blood. Mothers are the executioners of
their own They either strangle them or poison them
children.
with opium. That they should be the agents in sustaining so
horrid a custom is the more extraordinary when the fact is known
that they were born and brought up among other tribes, where
female infants are reared with comparative kindness. But such is
the debasing influence of heathenism, that natural affection is ex-

tinguished, and all the kind sympathies of the maternal heart give
place to the most savage ferocity.The infant, after it is destroyed,
isplaced naked in a small basket, and carried out and interred by
one of the female attendants.
The subject of engraving, number 37 is the interior of the

mission chapel in the city of Cuttack, in the province of Orissa.
It is an interesting fact, that this chapel stands upon the very spot
where once stood a temple devoted to Shiva.

About one hundred miles south-west of Cuttack is the country
of the Kunds. They worship a goddess called Bhuenee. To se-
cure her blessing upon the soil they cultivate, they deem it im-
portant at certain times to offer human sacrifices upon he* altars.
The victims, who must be in the freshness and bloom of youth,
are procured by stealing children from distant villages and rearing
them until they become large enough to be acceptable to the
goddess. At the time of sacrifice, the victim is tied to a post ;
the sacrificer, with an axe in his hand, slowly advances towards
him, chanting to the goddess and her train the following hymn,
which has been translated for me by Rev. Charles Lacy, one of
the missionaries at Cuttack :
6
"
Hail, mother, hail Hail, goddess Bhuenee
! !
Lo ! we present a sacrifice to thee.

Partake thereof, and let it pleasure give,
And, in return, let us thy grace receive.

With various music on this festive day,
Lo ! thee we honor, and thy rites obey.
Hail, all ye gods who in the mountain dwell,
In the wild jungle, or the lonely dell !
Come all together, come with one accord.
And eat the sacrifice we have prepared.
In all the fields and all the plots we sow,
O leta rich and plenteous harvest grow !
Ho, ye gods and goddesses give ear,

all !
And be propitious to our earnest prayer.

Behold a youth for sacrifice decreed,
Blooming with tender flesh and flushed with blood !
No sire, no matron, rears him as a son ;
His flesh, and blood, his life, and all, are thine.
Without the pale of sacred wedlock born,
We caught and reared him for thy rite alone.
Now, too, with rites from all pollution free,
We offer him, O Bhuenee ! to thee."
As soon as this hymn is finished, with one blow of the axe the
chest of the devoted youth is laid open. The sacrificer instantly
thrusts in his hand and tears out the heart. Then, while the
victim writhing in the agonies of death, the multitude rush
is
upon him, each one tearing out a part of his vitals or cutting off
a piece of flesh from the bones for, according to their superstitions,
;
the pieces have no virtue unless they are secured before life is ex-
tinct. Immediately they hasten with their bloody treasure and
bury it in their fields, expecting in this way to render them
fruitful.
Please notice those boys sitting on the floor, according to native

custom. There are ten of them, and they are Kunds. They had
once been stolen from their parents, and were kept for the pur-
pose of being sacrificed and, had they not been rescued by the
;
agents of the East India Company, they would have been de-
stroyed in the manner just described. But now they attend the
mission school during the week, and on the Sabbath they meet
in this chapel to worship that God whose kind providence saved
them from an early and cruel death.
Turn now to the young woman seated at the extreme left of
the audience. She, also, when a child, was stolen from her
1
No. 36. An Infant Victim of Superstition.
No. 37. Interior of a Chapel at Cuttack.

parents and reserved for the slaughter. She was kept until sho
had attained her sixteenth year, and was rescued only four days
before she was to have been offered in sacrifice. I heard the ac-
count of her sufferings from her own lips, and saw the scars made
by the fetters with which she had been confined. But now she
is a member of the mission church, and is
exerting a happy influ-
ence in teaching others the way of life.
In the course of a few months, the agents of the East India
Company rescued one hundred and eight children, whom the
Kunds were preparing for sacrifice. It may with propriety
be said, they were fattening them like beasts for the slaughter ;
for they believe that the goddess will not be pleased with the
sacrifice of young men and women, unless they are healthy and
blooming. How different this from the blessed training of our

children in the Sabbath school, that they may present their bodies
a living sacrifice to God What a contrast between Paganism and
!
Christianity! Here a Christian chapel has literally been built

upon the ruins of a heathen temple. It has also been rebuilt and
accommodate the increasing number of worshippers,
enlarged, to
more than one hundred of whom are communicants. What
has produced this change ? Why are not the cruel rites of Shiva
stillperformed upon this spotThe humble and unobtrusive
?
missionary has proclaimed the simple doctrines of the cross, and

the Divine Spirit has blessed his labors.
Saber, the Founder of the Great Mogul Empire.
LECTURES ON INDIA
LECTURE II.
THE attention of the traveller, in the south-western part of

Asia, is frequently arrested by splendid edifices, and occasionally
by large cities, long since deserted
by their inhabitants. They
were built
by Mohammedans, who, about the year one thou-
the
sand, invaded India, and, by a long series of the most ferocious
and cruel wars, established the great Mogul empire. This vast
empire, and other extensive countries in Asia, have, within the
last hundred years, been annexed to the British dominions.
Delhi, the residence of the Mogul emperors, is supposed to have

been founded about three hundred years before the Christian era.
In the course of a few centuries, it became the largest and most
magnificent city in India. In 1398, Tamerlane, having
slaughtered great numbers of the unoffending Hindus in battle,
and murdered one hundred thousand who had surrendered as
prisoners of war, besieged Delhi. The city surrendered, was
pillaged and almost destroyed. Delhi, however, not only recov-
ered from this calamity, but attained to still greater splendor and
magnificence than at any former period. In 1739, in the height
of its prosperity, and when its population was estimated at two
millions, was taken by Nadir Shah. He extorted one hundred
it
and ransom for the city, collected,

thirty millions of dollars, as a
in jewels and other valuable property, to the amount of two
hundred and seventy-five millions, and massacred one hundred
and twenty thousand of the inhabitants. Since that time, Delhi
has been pillaged and laid waste by other rapacious conquerors,
until it has become almost depopulated. The part now inhabited
is only seven miles in circuit, while the ruins cover a space much
larger than the city of London
For the purpose of procuring the praise of men and the favoi
of the gods, Rajahs, and other opulent natives, have, in many of
the large towns, built choultries, or inns, for the gratuitous accom-
modation of travellers. The choultry of Rajah Trimal Naig, at
Madura, (see engraving, number 40) consists of one vast hall,
three hundred and twelve feet long and one hundred and twenty-
five wide. The ceiling is supported by six rows of columns
twenty-five feet high. The entire edifice is composed of a
hard, gray granite, and every part of its surface is elaborately
carved into representations of cows, monkeys, tigers, lions, ele-
phants, men, women, giants, gods, and monsters.
Choultries generally have but one apartment, and are entirely
destitute of furniture of every kind. The ground, beaten hard,
and covered with lime cement, serves as a floor, which, at night,
is strewed with travellers of all classes and of both sexes,
wrapped
separately in their various-colored cotton cloths, and lying side
by side like so many bales of merchandise in a warehouse. As
choultries are much of the time unoccupied, they become the
favorite resortof bats, monkeys, rats, and serpents. Of these
troublesome creatures, the rats are the most annoying, for, while
the travellers are asleep, they eat the skin from the soles of their
feet, so as often to make it difficult for them to walk for some
days afterwards. "I was awoke, and astonished, one night,"

"
says a missionary, by something tugging at my ear. It was a
rat. The moment I stirred, my visitant made good his retreat ;
had my sleep been more sound, I should probably have suffered

severely." At another time, as he was sleeping in a choultry,
he was
" "
awoke by the cry of " Pambu !
pambu ! "A serpent ! a serpent !
His bearers were on the alert the serpent had passed between
;
them and himself without biting any one. Having ascertained

that it was not the cobra, which their superstitious reverence
will not allow them to destroy, they killed it, and found it was a
species of viper whose bite is fatal. The cobra, and various

other reptiles, receive religious homage. Inanimate objects are
also deified. Of this numerous class of divinities is the Ganges.
Shasters, which are regarded with as much reverence by
The the
Hindu as the Bible is by the Christian, contain these passages:
"If a has been guilty of killing cows* or Brahmins,
person
only le* him touch the water of the Ganges, desiring the remis-
* See page 24 7.
No. o9. Ruins in Delhi.
No. 40. Interior of the Great Choultry at Madura.

siou of these and they will immediately be forgiven."

sins,
And " bathing Ganges, accompanied by prayer, will re-
in the
move all sin." Millions of the Hindus, at a great expense of
time, health, and morals, perform pilgrimages to the Ganges.
Multitudes travel from five hundred to a thousand miles, and are
absent from their home and business five or six months at a
time. The Rev. Mr. "Thompson, a Baptist missionary, informed
me that, on one occasion, he saw more than three hundred thou-
sand pilgrims assembled at Hurdwar, to bathe at the place where
Brahma, the creator of the world, is said to have performed his
ablutions. At two o'clock in the morning, when it was announced
by the Brahmins that the propitious time for the ceremony had
arrived, the immense multitude rushed down a flight of steps into
the Ganges. Those who first entered the water and bathed,
attempted to return, but the passage continued to be wedged up
with the dense mass of those who were still descending. There
were, indeed, other passages by which they might have returned,
but that would not do it was not the custom.
;
To return by
another way would diminish the merit of the bathing. They
endeavored, therefore, to force their way upward. Consequently
a scene of great violence took place, which resulted in the death
of six hundred persons.
Engraving, No. 41 is a view of the junction of the Ganges and

.Jumna. It is believed that every person, of either sex, who,
immediately after being shared, bathes at the point of land where

those two rivers unite, will be permitted to dwell in heaven as
many years as the number of hairs removed by the razor. To
obtain immediate admission there, many thousands of the pil-
grims have drowned themselves here.
The strip of land extending from the point at the junction of
the rivers to the Fort of Allahabad, on the light of the engraving,
is a desolate waste; but during an annual festival, which I
witnessed here, it was crowded with tents, and huts, and more
than one hundred thousand pilgrims. On entering this vast en-
campment, I saw several missionaries, who, in a small shed by
the wayside, were preaching the gospel and distributing tractr,
A little beyond was the bazaar, or market, where food and various
kinds of merchandise were exposed for sale. In a conspicuous
place, near the bazaar, was a man seated upon a mat, and sur-
lounded by roots, herbs, lizard-skins, and dried snakes profess- ;
ing the ability, li/to the empirics of more enlightened lands, to

cure incurable diseases, and set death at defiance. In another
part of the encampment were about three hundred religious men-

dicants.
In the engraving, a barrier or fence is to be seen extending
from the Ganges to the Jumna. Soldiers were stationed there, to
prevent the pilgrims from passing it, until they had purchased of
the East India Company tickets granting permission to bathe.
Near the barrier, I saw three devotees, who had held the left arm
elevated above the head until it had become immovable, and the
finger nails had grown to the length of six or eight inches. A
portrait of one of them is to be seen on page 11,
of the first
lecture. As I approached the point, I saw two or three hundred

barbers employed in shaving the heads and bodies of the pilgrims
I also witnessed a very shrewd method
preparatory to bathing.
of getting rid of sin. The person who wished to become per-
fect took in his right hand some money and a few blades of
a particular grass, esteemed sacred. Then, with the same hand,
he grasped the tail of a cow, while a Brahmin poured on it some
water from the Ganges and repeated an incantation. The money
as a matter of course, was given to the Brahmin, the sins were
reputed to pass along the tail of the animal, the grass and the
deception remained to the pilgrim. Cows were stationed at six
or eight places for the convenience of performing this ceremony.
I next visited the point, and found the water, for a consider-
able distance, crowded with the pilgrims. To bathe at this par-
ticular spot was the great object of the pilgrimage.
No. 42 is a sick man, brought to the Ganges to die. His friends
have carried him into the sacred stream, and are performing the
It consists in pouring a large
last fatal rite. quantity of water
down his throat filling his mouth and nostrils with mud
; ;
" O mother Gan-

repeating the names of the gods, and shouting,
ges, receive his soul!" Thus the sick, instead of receiving
medical treatment, kind nursing, and appropriate nourishment,
are, in many cases, hurried away to the Ganges, to be purified
from their sins, by dying on its banks or in its waters. In Cal-
cutta alone, nineteen hundred sick persons have, in the course of
one month, been brought to the Ganges to die. Some are suffo-
catedby filling the mouth and nostrils with mud ;
others are left
where the rising tide will sweep them away.
It is a remarkable fact, that when the sick are brought to the
river-side to die, they cannot legally be restored to health. They
are regarded by the Hindu law as already dead. Their prop-
No. 41. Union of t/te Ganges and Jumna.
No. 42. Tfte Sick brought to the Ganges

erty passes to their heirs, and in the event of recovery, which

sometimes happens, they become outcasts. Their nearest rela-
tives will neither eat with them nor show them the smallest
favor. They are held in utter abhorrence, and are allowed to
associate only with persons in similar circumstances. I have
seen a large village, inhabited entirely by these wretched beings.

Great numbers of the dead are thrown into the Ganges, that
their souls may be purified. It has been officially stated that, in
the course of one month, more than a thousand human bodies

have been seen floating on the surface of the Ganges, in the im-
mediate vicinity of Calcutta. At that place, and as far as its
waters are agitated by the tide, it contains so much earthy matter
and other impurities, that no object can be seen at the distance of
two inches below its surface. Yet the inhabitants of the city use
the water of this river for drinking and culinary purposes, and
the numerous merchant vessels trading there are supplied with it
for the homeward voyage.
Pilgrims carry water from the Ganges into every part of India,
to be used for religious and medicinal purposes. It is put up in
glass bottles. These are packed in baskets, and suspended from

the ends of a bamboo which rests upon the pilgrim's shoulder. 1
have frequently seen the roads thronged with pilgrims thus ac-
coutred. They resembled an immense army on the march.
You will see one of them by turning to the next page of engravings.
He has stopped by the wayside, near Balasore, to worship cer-
tain stones, an accurate representation of which you see in the
engraving. There are his baskets filled with bottles of Ganges
water. Having made his salam, he mutters a few words
in a careless manner, and then takes a bottle of water from one
of his baskets, and pours a small quantity of it upon the stones.
To appease the wrath, or to procure the favor of divinities like
these, splendid festivals are instituted. About ten o'clock at
night, the worshippers assemble. By the glare of flaming torches,
and amid the shouts and loud peals of barbarous music, great
numbers of swine, sheep, goats, and buffaloes, are sacrificed
Many of the worshippers throw themselves upon the ground, and
wallow in the pools of warm blood flowing from the slaughtered
animals. Then, leaping upon their feet, reeking with gore and
filth, they jump and frolic, and twist themselves into the most
wanton attitudes, and vociferate the most indecent songs, for the
gratification of the image, or the rough stone before which these
acts of worship are performed.
Number 44 is a scene in the house of a wealthy native, at the

celebration of a festival in honor of Ganesa, the god of wisdom.
Ganesa is represented as a very corpulent man, of a red color,
with four arms, and the head of a white elephant. In front of
him is a rat, upon the back of which he is said to perform his
journeys. The men on the right are musicians. For the grati-
fication of the idol, and the multitude of assembled worshippers,
a dancing girl is performing. She is clad in garments of the
finest texture, and of the most brilliant colors, and is decorated
with a profusion of costly ornaments. Her movements are slow
and monotonous, and occasionally very indecent, and her songs
are plentifully spiced with amorous allusions. After singing and
dancing for some hours, her place is supplied, either by others of
the same class, or by playactors, jugglers, or mountebanks and ;
the performance is thus continued from ten o'clock till sunrise.

Many of the dancing girls belong to the temples, and are called
the wives of the gods. At an early age they are united in wed-
lock to the images worshipped in the temples. This strange
matrimonial connection is formed in compliance with the wishes
of the parents, who believe it to be a highly meritorious act
to present a beautiful daughter, in marriage, to a senseless
idol, and thus doom her to a life of vice and infamy. Dancing is
deemed so disreputable by the Hindus that none engage in it
but the most dissolute and abandoned. Here, as in other coun-
tries, there appears to be an intimate connection between dancing
and licentiousness.
The following is one of the songs, which, at religious festivals,
are sung for the amusement of the idols and their worshippers.
The boy mentioned in the first line is Krishna, the favorite
divinity, who married sixteen thousand wives. He is believed to
have been born of human parents, at Brindabun, on the Ganges,
where he spent his youthful days in playing on the flute, and
frolicking with the milkmaids.
" The pipe is heard of Nundh's sweet boy
The milkmaids' hearts beat high with joy ;
t
To the cool woods in crowds they speed ;
No danger fear, nor toil, they heed ;
And, if by chance the youth they spy,

Away go prudence, modesty.
They gaze, by his bright beauties burned,
And soon their pails are overturned ! "
then go to Jasooda, (Krishna's

They make
mother,) and tlie
following complaint :
No. 43. A Pilgrim at his Devotions.
No. 44. Ganesa, Dancing Girl, and Musicians.

" Jasooda ! listen to our prayer ;
Thy son's audacious frolics hear !
To Brindabun we bent our way ;
He seized our arms and bade us stay.

Lady ! our cheeks with shame were red ;
Lake modest girls, away we fled.

In vain we've milked, in vain we've churned,
For he our pails has overturned " !
Jasooda replies,
u
Go, bold and forward milkmaids, go !
No one your wily ways can know ;
Often in laughing groups you're seen

Bending your steps to coverts green ;
There in the cool retreats you rove,
And pass the hours in mirth and love ;
Then tell me, from your pranks returned,
w
Forsooth, your pails are overturned !
Extract from one of the Plays performed at Religious

Festivals.
KRISHNA.
Again, my fair one ! hast thou purchased me ?
MILKMAID.
Think'st thou uncalled I boldly come ? Ah, see !
The gathering clouds, dear youth, invite to love.
KRISHNA.
How could a frame do soft such dangers brave ?
While e'en thy pretty self was lost in night
How see thy way ?
MILKMAID.
The lightning gleamed so bright
KRISHNA.
O'er broken roads, through mire and tangling thorn -
Thy tender limbs must ache, thy feet be torn.

MILKMAID.
Steps light and firm will weariest way o'ercome.
KRISHNA.
Yet dark 's the night, and thou wert all alone.
MILKMAID.
No, my soul's lord for Love ! was with me still,
Pointed my path and warded every ilL

No. 45 is the great temple of Juggernaut. The principal edifice

rises to the elevation of two hundred feet. In the two adjacent
buildings, morning and evening, the dancing girls display their
professional skill, for the

amusement of the idols enthroned in
the large edifice. There, also, three times a day, large quantities
of the choicest food are presented to these wooden images. The
people are taught that the appetite of these gods is perfectly satis-
fied by smelling and seeing the food at a distance. This is a

remarkably fortunate circumstance, since the Brahmins always
take what the idols leave.
The wall which surrounds the temple is about twenty feet
high, and forms an enclosure six hundred and fifty feet square.
On each side of the square is a gateway. The gateway in the
engraving is through the base of a highly-ornamented tower.
The small buildings, in front of the wall, are the shops of mer-
chants, where clothing and ornaments are exposed for sale. The
column on the right is a very beautiful specimen of architecture.
The shaft, which is thirty feet high, is composed of a single
stone. The figure on the top is an image of Huneman, a deified
monkey.
The only foreigner who
saw the inside of this temple
ever
was an English officer, who, about thirty years since, succeeded
in gaining admission, by painting and dressing himself like a
native. When the Brahmins discovered that their holy place had
been thus defiled, they became so enraged that all the English
residing at the station were obliged to flee for their lives. Sus-
pecting their pursuers to be more desirous of gratifying their
avarice than their revenge, they strewed silver money by the way,
and, while the natives stopped to pick it up, they gained time,
and succeeded in reaching a place of safety.
Twelve annually celebrated here in honor of
festivals are
Juggernaut. The most

important of these are the bathing and
the car festivals. These I witnessed, and there were present
:nore than one hundred and fifty thousand pilgrims. Nearly
half were females. There is not only great suffering among the
multitude of pilgrims who, from distant places, attend these
festivals, but many of them die in consequence of excessive
fatigue, exposure to the annual rains, and the want of suitable

and sufficient food. The plains, in many places, are literally
whitened with the bones of the pilgrims, while dogs and vultures
are continually devouring the bodies of the dead. Rev. Mr. Lacy
informed me that, in 1825, he counted ninety dead bodies in one
No. 45. The Temple of Juggernaut.
No. 46. Portrait uf Juggernaut

place,and that his colleague, at the same time, counted one hun-
dred and forty more in another place. Great numbers perish on
their way home. The pilgrim, on leaving Puri, has a long
journey before him, and his means of support are often al-
most, if not entirely, exhausted. The rainy season has now com-
menced, and at every step his naked feet sink deep in the mud.
At length, exhausted by hunger and fatigue, he sits down by the
side of the road, unable to proceed any farther. His companions,
regarding only their own safety, leave him to his fate. Dogs,
jackals, and vultures, gather around him, watching his dying
struggles ;
and few hours his flesh has disappeared, and his
in a
bones J''e
bleaching on the plain. Since the erection of this
temple, in the twelfth century, such has been the fate of millions.
" The old
man, faint, just turns aside to rest,
Bethinking he will rise again, refreshed :
He rises not Nature can bear no more,
Exhausted. Ere the setting sun, his bones
Are left to whiten, where the pilgrim died.
Crowds press still onward, heedless of the plaints
From the way-side. No pity from his fellow
(Who soon will drop and groan, as he now groans)
The dying man receives. Forsaken quite,
He gasping far from the holy stream.
lies,
The vulture, with raw neck, and fulsome croak,

Claps her smeared wing ; she smells, as soaring high,
The riotous feast, and hastens to the spoil.
Hinnom thou slaughter valley, here behold
1
Thy counterpart. Not Moloch's self e'er saw

Such carnival of death ; drunk with the wine
Of overflowing vintage, lo ! he riots
Wantonly ;
and to mortal view it seems
He throws in random rage the fatal dart
That needs must hit."
No. 46 is a portrait of Juggernaut. I have taken his portrait as I

saw him in the morning, while the Brahmins were making his
toilet. He appeared to be well supplied with fine Cashmere
shawls and valuable jewels, and the Brahmins were so arranging
them as to display the beauties of his person to the best advan-
tage. In the evening he is entirely disrobed, and his shawls and
jewels, and also his hands and feet, which are made of gold, are
carefully locked up in a strong box. This precaution is not
through fear that the idol will convey himself away in the night,
but to secure these treasures from thieves. Nor is the strong box
106 LECTJJRES ON INDIA.
always a sufficient security, for on one occasion, upon opening it

in the morning, jewels to the value of some thousands of dollars
had disappeared.
To some, perhaps, it may seem impossible for the human mind
to become so debased as to worship an object having no higher
claims to homage than this but, strange as it may seem, this
;
monstrous form has received, and still receives, the adoration of

a large portion of the human race.
At one of the annual festivals, Juggernaut and two other images,
said tD be his brother and sister, are drawn out upon huge cars.
" Here rolls the hated car,
Grinding the crashing bones, and hearts, and brains

I Of men and women. Down they fling themselves
In the deep gash, and wait the heavy wheel
Slow rolling on its thunder bellowing axle,
Sunk in the wounded earth. The sigh, the breath,
The blood, and life, and soul, with spirting rush,
Beneath the horrid load, forsake the heap
Of pounded flesh, and the big roar continues
As though no soul had passed the bounds of time,
Nor orphans 'gan their wail, no kindly bonds
Had been dissolved ;
but the mad living throng,
Trampling by thousands o'er the dead and dying,

All nerve and sinew, swelter as they tug,
And howling, shouting, pulling, hear no groan,
Nor feel the throes of beings, crushed beneath them.
The welkin wide is troubled with long peals,
As though dark demons strode the sultry beams,
Helping the discord with strange screech or laugh."
No.47isthe car of Juggernaut. T^he platform on which tht,

image is placed is thirty-four feet square, and is supported by
sixteen wheels, six and a half feet in diameter. The upper part
is covered with English broadcloths in alternate stripes of red and
yellow. Near the idol is the strong box in which his hands,
feet, jewels, and clothing are deposited at night. Six ropes, or
cables, are attached to the car, six inches in diameter and three
hundred feet in length, by means of which the people draw it
from place to place. A devotee has cast himself under the
wheels to be crushed to death. As a reward for this act of devo-
tion, he expects to enjoy health, riches, and honors in the next life.
The car festival, which I witnessed at Puri, commenced on the
Sabbath. I went to the temple, about two o'e' >?k in the after-
No. 48. Luckf/tme, copied from an Ancieivt Sculpture.
noon, just as the pilgrims, who had encamped in great numbers

in the vicinity, were beginning to assemble. From an elevated
position, on an elephant, I saw them pouring from every di-
in
rection, until four o'clock, when the concourse became immense.

Every and avenue leading to the temple was thronged,
street
and the flat roofs of the houses were also densely crowded with
anxious spectators. About five o'clock, a company of men pro-
ceeded from the temple, making a horrid din with drums, gongs,
and trumpets. Next came the idols, shaded by umbrellas of state
and attended by various emblems of royalty. The vast multi-
tude greeted them with loud and long-continued shouts. Jugger-
naut, and his brother and sister, were now to mount their cars but ;
from the infirmities of age, or some more obvious cause, they

submitted to the awkward expedient of being dragged through
the mud to their elevated seats, by the aid of ropes and Brahmins.
A variety of ceremonies followed, but, as it was growing late, I
returned to my
lodgings.
At sunrise the next morning, the gates of the town were
thrown open, to admit the beggars. As they passed, I was in-
formed by the English magistrate, by whose order they were
admitted, that their number probably exceeded fifty thousand.
They were the most weary, ragged, filthy, wretched-looking
objects I ever saw. They had been prevented from entering the
town at an earlier period, because of their inability to pay the
tax which the Honorable East India Company demanded of their
heathen subjects for the privilege of seeing their idols. The
Company, I ascertained, had,, in the preceding thirty-four days,
received fifty-five thousand dollars as admission fees. Having
already extorted so large a sum from the richer pilgrims, they
could well afford, now that a part of the festival was over, to
admit gratuitously those from whom no money could be ex-
torted. It affords me much pleasure to say that this unrighteous
source of gain has recently been abolished. The multitude of

beggar pilgrims hastened onward to the cars, and appeared to be
lost in the much larger multitude there assembled.
Hearing the tumultuous sound of many voices at a distance, I
looked towards the place from which it came, when I saw about
a thousand men advancing, with green branches elevated in their
hands. the crowd, and,
They rushed forward, leaping* through
with mighty shoutings, seized the ropes of one of the cars, and
dragged it forth in triumph. Soon other companies, in a similar
manner, dashed forward and put the two remaining cars in motion.
LECTURES ON INDIA.
The pilgrims are taught to believe that the cars are not moved
and guided by the strength of the men who pull at the ropes, but
by the will and pleasure of the idols. This being admitted, it
must be that Juggernaut made a grand mistake, for he ran his
car against a house, and was not able to extricate himself until
the afternoon of the next day. But perhaps he was merely in a
surly mood, for they believe that the cars move only when the
idols are pleased with the worship. So, if for any reason a car
stops,they suppose that the idol thus expresses his disapprobation.
One of the priests then steps forward to the front of the platform,
as here represented, rehearses the deeds and extols the character of
the idol, in a manner the most obscene. No person, educated in
a Christian country, can possibly conceive expressions so debas-
ing and abominable as are used on such occasions. Should
the speaker quote from the Shasters, or invent an expression more
than usually lascivious, the multitude give a shout, or rather a
sensual yell. The men again pull, with renewed energy, at the
ropes, the idol is supposed to be delighted, and the car is permit-
ted to move on. When

dragged a short distance farther, it is
stopped again by a priest, who slyly clogs one of the wheels.
Then another scene of pollution is acted out with all its debasing
influence upon the mind angl morals of the people. In this man-
ner, eight days are spent in drawing the car about two miles.
In one of the apartments of Juggernaut's temple, there is a

golden image of Luckshme, the wife of Juggernaut. Near mid-
night, on the fourth day of the car festival, it was brought out of
the temple, on a splendid litter, borne on the shoulders of men.
Preceded by a band of rude music, and men bearing flaming
torches, they soon approached the cars, when Luckshme was
presented directly in front of Juggernaut, her husband. Immedi-
ately the whole multitude appeared to be in a perfect rage, and
rent the air with the most violent and clamorous yells. The
women, who at this time were unusually numerous, appeared
to be by far the most excited. In the midst of these dreadful
yells, which had now continued several minutes, one of the priests
took a garland of flowers from Juggernaut, and placed it around
the neck of his wife. She was then borne off towards the
temple, and the clamor erased.
I inquired the meaning of this strange and terrific ceremony.
The reply was, that on the first day of the festival, Juggernaut
had eloped with his sister. That, on the fourth, his wife heard of
No. 49. A AT THE TEMPLE OF JUGGERNAUT.
Krishna, accompanied by tvx> other images, is brought out of the temple and suspended from
a lofty stone arch, very curiously vrrought. He is thenswung by the
Brahmins for his gratification, and the amusement
of the worshippers. See page 98.

it,and, being stung with jealousy, determined on revenge. Ac-

cordingly, she set out in hot pursuit of her unfaithful spouse ;
and, having overtaken him at this place, she had given him a
sound scolding. The shouting and yelling of the multitude was
merely the effect of sympathy, they joining in the chorus with
the scolding wife. This accounts for the active part which the
women took in this ceremony. Juggernaut, like other peni-
tent husbands who have scolding wives, promises to do better in
future, and Luckshme is persuaded to be reconciled and to return
home.
You will readily perceive that this festival exerts a most perni-
cious influence upon the community. The ceremonies are not
only foolish, but most polluting in their tendencies and effects.
Here crimes of the foulest character are sanctioned by the con-
duct of their supreme god. It is not, therefore, a matter of sur
prise that impurity, and all its kindred abominations, pervade the
land. Let us, who live in this Christian country, thank God for
the revelation of his own glorious character and while we bless
;
him for the Bible, and for all those spiritual influences which have
made us to differ from the heathen, shall we not strive to send
them the gospel ? Freely we have received freely let us give.
;
Engraving, No. 50 is a view near the city of Benares. The

building at the right of the ghat, or flight of steps, is a temple of
Shiva. The one on the left is a resting-place for pilgrims. The
water is in a tank about two hundred feet square. In November,
about one hundred thousand persons assemble around this tank,
to perform a variety of ceremonies for the benefit of the souls of
deceased relatives.
The pepul-trees, in the engraving, are supposed to be the
favorite resort of such departed spirits as, from various causes,
have not yet been clothed with new bodies. While I was en-
gaged in taking a drawing of this place, several of the natives
came and put lighted lamps in the earthen pots which you see
suspended from the branches of the trees. On inquiring of
one why
"
he did so, he replied, That the soul of my relative may be in
light." I asked him how he knew whether
the soul of his relative
" It
was in darkness or light. He said, impossible for me to
is
know that.But it is our custom, when one of the family dies, to

pot from a pepul-tree, and for ten
an earthen successive
suspend
days to bring offerings of water and rice, with a lighted lamp, for
the benefit of the departed. On the tenth day, we break the pot,
and make a feast for the Brahmins." In Calcutta, I witnessed a
8
feast of this character, made by a wealthy merchant for the bene-

fit of his deceased mother. The number of guests was estimated
attwo hundred thousand, and the expense of the feast, together
with the presents made, was estimated at seventy-five thousand
dollars.
The efficacy of one of the numerous ceremonies for the benefit
ot deceased relatives supposed to depend very much upon the

is
If performed at a certain temple in

place where it is performed.
the town of Guyah, it is supposed that inconceivable benefits will
be conferred upon the deceased. The East India Company, seiz-
ing upon this superstitious feeling, have until recently made it a
source of revenue by imposing a tax upon all who perform this
ceremony at Guyah. The tax collected at that temple amounted

to about one hundred and twelve thousand dollars annually.
Ceremonies for the repose of the soul are exceedingly numer-
ous but I will mention only one more. The son of the deceased
;
procures one male and four female calves. These are tied to five
posts, near an altar, constructed for the occasion. Four learned
Brahmins sit on the four sides of the altar, and offer a burnt sacri-
fice. A fifth Brahmin reads certain passages in the Shasters, to
drive away evil spirits. The son washes the tail of the male calf,
and with the same water presents a drink-offering to his deceased
ancestors. The male and the four female calves are then gravely
united in wedlock. During the marriage ceremony, many formu-
las are repeated, in which the parties are recommended to culti-
vate love and mutual sympathy. The Brahmins, having per-
formed the duties of their sacred office, are dismissed with
presents, including the four brides ;
but the bridegroom is dedi-
cated to Shiva, and allowed Jo run at large until old age carries him
off. These vagrant calves may almost be said to constitute one of
the numerous orders of religious mendicants, or holy beggars. As no
provision is made for their daily wants, and as they are under the
necessity of securing their living, they become very cunning, and
are scarcely less impudent than the bipeds constituting the other
orders of that fraternity. It is not uncommon for them to walk up,
unbidden, to the stalls where vegetables are for sale, and help them-
selves. Being esteemed sacred, the poor deluded inhabitants dare
to use only the most gentle means of ridding themselves of their
unprofitable customers. During the first year or two, these, cattle

fare rather scantily but, after having learned their sacred functions,
;
they live well, and are the fattest and best-looking of all the ani-
mals to be seen in Hindustan.
No. 50. View w Benare*.
No. 51. TIte India Ox.

The Shasters teach that the souls of the departed are divided
into five classes. Those of the first class reunite with Brahm,
the Eternal Spirit, and thus lose their individuality. The
second are admitted to the various heavens of the gods. The
third are punished in places of torment. The fourth again be-
come the offspring of human parents. The fifth become beasts,
birds, and Hence, should a Hindu inhale an insect with
insects.
his breath, he knows not but, in so doing, he has swallowed somo
departed relative possibly his own father. There is one sect,

who, to prevent so horrid a catastrophe, wear a strainer over the
mouth.
Hinduism leads its votaries into the wildest and most absurd
vagaries in regard to omens, dreams, visions, evil spirits, and
witches. In the vicinity of Puna, a person dreamed that the
cholera, then raging in his village, was inflicted by a certain wo-
man commissioned by Zurremurre, the goddess of the cholera.
The villagers, on hearing this, immediately assembled and put
her to death. In Orissa, a woman was told by her priest that
Kali, the goddess whom she worshipped, had appeared to him in a
vision, and had commanded him to inform her that she must sac-
rifice her only child. In the night, while he slept, she cut off his
head, and gave it to the priest as an offering to the idol. In Nag-
pore, several persons died suddenly, which led many to believe
that they had been destroyed by witchcraft. They therefore
employed a man, who professed to be skilled in the art of magic,
to discover the authors of their death. He put some oil and rice
into a leaf, and began to repeat the name of each person belonging
to the village. When he called the name of a certain woman,
the oil, as he said, ran through the leaf. This circumstance was
regarded as sufficient proof of her guilt. She was immediately
seized, and whipped until death ended her sufferings. The death
of the favorite wife of Rajah Zelim Singh, of Kotah, being
attributed to witchcraft, he sentenced four hundred women to be
put into sacks and thrown into a tank. It is stated by General
Malcolm, in an official report, that, in the province of Malwa
alone, in course of thirty years, between two and three

the
thousand females had been put to death for the imputed crime of
witchcraft.
Many of the Hindus believe that those persons who commit

suicide become malignant spirits delighting in every kind of
mischief.
The scene represented by engraving No. 53 occurred in Ghaze-

pore. A man persuaded his wife to permit him to burn her alive,
that her soul might be transformed into an evil spirit, for the pur-
pose of haunting and tormenting one of their neighbors, who had
offended them. In Calcutta, a servant, having quarrelled with
his master, hung himself, in the night, in front of the street door,
that he might become a and haunt the premises. The
devil
house was immediately forsaken by its occupants, and, though a
l?rge and beautiful edifice, suffered to go to ruin.

In Mirzapoor, a Brahmin took his own child, an infant about
fifteen months old, from the arms of its mother, and, holding it
by the legs, dashed its head against the ground, that it might be-
come an evil spirit and torment a certain person by whom he
imagined himself injured. Another little girl was, by her own
father, beheaded with an axe. Another was stabbed to the heart,
with a dagger, and her bleeding body thrown at the door of the
person upon whom the murderer sought to be revenged. I could
give the particulars of many other murders which have been com-
mitted for similar purposes.
" the customs of the Hindus, there

Among is one which is called
Dherna. If a man demands satisfaction from his neighbor for
some grievous offence, if a creditor determines to
pursue ex-
treme measures with his debtor, to obtain what is due to
him, if
a relative has been cheated by another out of his or his
patrimony
rights, and wishes to exact them from him, they respectively
take the poniard or a cup of poison in their
hand, and, knowing
that the offending party is at home,
they sit down at his door, in
dherna. That moment the defendant within is considered as
under arrest. He cannot touch food, so long as his accuser con-
tinues to fast and, should he not come to terms, but
;
drive, by
his obstinacy, the plaintiff to
despair, and allow him to use the
dagger or drinx the poison, his blood rests upon his head. This
may be termed their ordeal their mode of demanding satisfac-
tion system of duelling
their their dernier resort.
" At the
t village of Pannabaka, in the presidency of Madras, there
was a priestly Brahmin, who had lately come from
Bellary, and
had undertaken to attend upon the idol of the His was
place.
the privilege to levy contributions on the inhabitants for his
sup-
No. 52. A Devotee leaping from a precipice.
No. 53. A man burning his wife alive.

port. A householder, who had for a time given him a halfpenny a

day, refused to continue his allowance and, though the priest
;
insisted upon the payment, he remained inflexible. The priest

then threatened that, unless he received the amount, he would
cut out hisown tongue, and the householder would have to an-
swer him such a provocation. Incensed at the obsti-
for giving
nacy of his opponent, he whetted his knife and cut off the tip of
his tongue. He bled profusely, and his tongue swelled to a pro-
digious size. The which he endured only served to render
pains
him more desperate, and he declared he would bring his whole
family and sit in dhema, till he should obtain a sum sufficient to
make a feast to his god. The householder was not to be intimi-
dated, and remained as obstinate as the Brahmin. The priest,
his wife, and his four sons, sat down, and kept their pos'*ion at
the door of the defendant ; but, during the second night, the fe-
male was by a snake, and died in the morning. This event
bit
exasperated the priest he increased his demand and, as the vil-

; ;
lage had remained neutral in the affair, he now laid a tax upon all
its As he had not only sustained a personal injury,
inhabitants.
but had wife while standing up for the rights of his order,
lost his
and for the honor of his god, nothing less would satisfy him now,
than a sum adequate to meet the expenses of the funeral and to
make a feast to propitiate the deity who was offended by such
daring sacrilege. Till these demands were met, he resolved to
keep his station, and to retain the corpse of his wife unburied at the
door of the house. As the people of the village rejected his claim,
he then threatened be avenged upon them, he would
that, in order to
first kill his four children, and then put an end to his own exist-
ence. It was the act of a Brahmin it might be viewed by Hindus

;
as a pardonable offence ; it was done in honor of his god it was ;
occasioned by the obstinacy of the people it was a sacrifice that,

;
according to a monstrous mythology, would meet with a future'

and a bountiful reward; its helpless victims were to be raised to
life again by the divinity whose honor it was done to vindicate.
But it is not ours to make we have only to record the
apologies ;
fact, that this priest this worshipper of Shiva this monster -
this raging fury took his knife, laid hold of three of his children,
and severed their heads from their bodies. It was not enough !
His eldest son tried to make his escape ;

but this murderous
father allured him back, and promised that, prior to his own self-
destruction, he c~ly wished to embrace him and bid him farewell.

Thus invited back by the soft whispers of love, he returned but, ;
the moment that he came within the grasp of the murderer, he

laid him prostrate, as another victim at the shrine of superstition
and reve: ige. His attempt to despatch himself ended in making a
dreadful wound in the back of his neck.
" It would not
Such, it may ce said, are only solitary
instances.
be right to quote such deeds to bring opprobrium upon a whole
people, any more than it would be just to appeal to the horrid
murders in Christian countries as a specimen of our own customs.
But the cases are utterly dissimilar. The inhabitants of Panna-
baka stood by and saw the horrid deed performed they seemed, ;
afterwards, to be amused and highly delighted at the bravery of

the act they expressed their resentment at one individual, and at
;
the police-officer, who called upon them to interfere to prevent it ;
and there can be no question that, if this priest had been restored
to his liberty and his horrid altar again, they would have received
him with enthusiasm, and revered him as a saint of superior sanc-
tity. In a village some miles distant from the spot, the people no
sooner heard of this murder, than they left their employment and
proceeded to Pannabaka with every demonstration of joy and, ;
after a few days, they returned, saying, The children are not
'
indeed restored to life ;

but why are they not ? It is entirely
owing to the inhabitants, who have not made a feast,' which would
cost two thousand rupees, to propitiate the favor of the god a
feast which the priest had declared to be necessary."
On a certain occasion, the Bhats of Mar war demanded a favor
of Umra I., and, being refused, determined to sit in dherna.
They assembled, with their women and children, in the court of
the royal palace, and, with their daggers, commenced a horrid
butchery. Eighty of their number lay weltering in their blood.
No. 54 is a group of women engaged, in various occupations.

One is
smoking tobacco. Another is spinning cotton. A third
is
preparing the thread for the weavers by winding it on a spool.
A fourth is preparing the cotton for spinning. A fifth is grinding,
upon a flat stone, cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger, and turmeric.
These, when stewed with a cucumber or melon, serve as a season-
ing for their boiled rice, which, in many parts of India, constitutes
more than seven eighths of the entire food of the inhabitants.
The woman with the large brass pot is carrying home water for
household use. The next is returning from her morning ablution
in the Ganges, with her hair spread upon her shoulders to dry
No. 54. A Group of Women.
No 55. Interior qf a Dwelling.

LECTURES ON INDIA, 125
In her left hand are two brass pots, which she has scoured b)
rubbing them with the mud of the river. Children are neve,
carried in the arms; they sit astride on the hip. The womai
carrying the child is going to market with a bundle of wood
borne upon the head.
Perhaps there no one point in which Christianity has a more
is
direct influence upon the state of the community than in respect

to the character and standing of the female. To a Hindu the
birth of a daughter is an occasion of sorrow. At the early age
of twelve or thirteen years, she is required to leave the parental
roof, and to become the wife of a man whom she has had no
voice in choosing as her companion. Her duties to him are thus
" When in the
prescribed in the Shasters :
presence of her hus-
band, a woman must keep her eyes upon her master, and be ready
to receive his commands. When he speaks, she must be quiet,
and listen to nothing beside. When he calls, she must leave
every thing else, and attend upon him alone. A woman has no
other god on earth than her husband. The most excellent of all
good works she can perform is, to gratify him with the strictest
obedience. This should be her only devotion. Though he be
aged, infirm, dissipated, a drunkard, or a debauchee, she must still
regard him as her god. She must serve him with all her might,
obeying him in all things, spying no defects in his character, and
giving him no cause for disquiet. If he laughs, she must also
laugh ;
if he weeps, she must also weep if he sings, she must ;
be in an ecstasy. She must never eat until her husband is satis-

fied. If he abstains, she must also fast and she must abstain ;
from whatever food her husband dislikes."
In engraving, No. 55 you will see the interior of a Hindu dwelling

at meal time. The husband, according to custom, is seated upon
a mat, eating his boiled rice with his fingers, while his wife is
standing by him ready to obey his commands. She is never
permitted to eat with her husband, but waits upon him in the
capacity of a servant, and afterwards partakes of the fragments
in retirement.
Schools are not uncommon in India, but there are none for the
'nstruction of the female. Her mind is entirely uncultivated, and
she has no fixed principles to regulate her conduct. She is
therefore an easy prey to vice, and the devoted slave of supersti-
tion. When her husband dies, she must either burn herself upon
his funeral pile, or, if she determines to live, it must be a life of
reproach and servitude. She may never marry again, however

young she may be. She must cast off all her ornaments, shave
her head, and either become a servant in the house of her lius
band's friends, or adopt a mode of life which will bring disgrace
not only upon herself, but upon the whole family. Hence it is,
that death upon the funeral pile is so often preferred to surviv-
ing widowhood. This cruel custom was, in 1827, prohibited by

the East India Company in their own dominions but in some of ;
the independent provinces the practice is still continued.

A large proportion of the persons who undertake long and haz-
ardous pilgrimages, and who subject themselves to painful modes
of self-torture, are females. " At a certain time," says a missionary
of my acquaintance, "as I was walking in a retired village, my
attention was arrested by seeing two objects, at some distance
before me, rolling in the mud. As I approached the spot, I found
two females, almost exhausted by fatigue. I learnt that they
had vowed to their goddess to roll, in this manner, from one tem-
ple to another. They had spent nearly the whole day, and had
not accomplished one half their journey. But no arguments,
no remonstrances, on my part, could induce them to relinquish
their undertaking for they feared that, unless they
; performed
their vow, the goddess would be angry with them. On leav-
" with
ing these deluded votaries of superstition," continued he,
my feelings aroused almost to indignation, I expostulated with a
learned Brahmin who stood not far distant, and pointed to the
miserable objects I had just ' '
left. O,' said he, this is woi-
ship exactly suited to the capacity of females. Let them alone
'
They are sincere of

: course their worship will be accepted.'
I might relate many other facts to show the wretched con-
dition of women in pagan lands, but these must suffice. The
respected ladies of this audience will permit me to say, in
conclusion, every thing in life, in death, and eternity, that can
inspire you with the love of existence, you derive from the
gospel. To you, then, in a special manner, is the gospel " glad
tidings of great joy."
No. 56. Saugor Island.
This island inhabited only by wild beasts.
is Here thousands of Hindu
mothers have thrown their children into the Gangas to be devoured by alligators.
No. 5". The Jiimnian Tree.

"
Branching so broad and long, that in the ground
The bending twigs take root ; and daughters grow
About the mother tree ; a pillared shade,
High overarched, with echoing walks between."
LECTURE
OK THE
CONDITION OF WOMEN IN INDIA,

AND OTHER
PAGAN AND MOHAMMEDAN COUNTRIES.
Woman, in her original state, (to use the language of another,)

'
was all thatis lovely in form, all that is graceful in manner, all
that exalted in mind, all that is pure in thought, all that is

is
delicate in sentiment, all that is enchanting in conversation." She

was God's most finished workmanship. Has she lost her original
purity and loveliness? But man has fallen too; and relatively
they are to each other still what they were before they took and
ate of the forbidden fruit. It is now, as ever, Heaven's will that
woman receive "due benevolence" from man, that he
all
regard her as his equal, and entitled to his warmest love that :
he throw his arm around her for protection, and combine

with the gentlest care the most respectful deference to her honor
and her happiness. "A man shall leave his father and his mother
and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." "Hus-
bands, love your wives," is God's command and nature's law,
for they are bone of each other's bone and flesh of each other's
flesh. SUCH is THE GENIUS OF CHRISTIANITY. And the result of
obedience to this eternal law of God and nature, is the lofty ele-
vation of the female character, the thorough cultivation of her
mind, the rich endowment of her heart, and the augmented
strength of all her capabilities of usefulness and enjoyment;
while the result of disobedience is fraught with all that is
degrading to intellect, vitiating to social principle, corrupting to
moral habits, and hostile to every upward movement of the
immortal powers.
And what is the spirit of heathenism, and of false religion in
it* varied forms, let the impartial
pen of history tell. Times,
9
130 LECTURE ON WOMEN.
ancient and modern, witnesses, Pagan, Mahometan, and Chris-

tian, be indiscriminately cited on this point. Their testi-
may
mony is one, truthful, melancholy, and decisive.
A daughter is born. 'T is a grievous calamity. The Hindu
fatherbecomes dejected, and his neighbors gather around him to
mingle their grief with his. The Chinese parent thus afflicted
denominates the little innocent a woo, a hated thing. Even
the Moorish mother repines, and though she had rejoiced greatly
at the birth of her son, and blackened her face forty days in
token of her joy, yet when a daughter comes into the world, she
ill conceals her mortification, by blackening half her face, for
half the period only.
It was not long since, that the lady of a missionary in the East,
having become the mother of a lovely daughter, a native friend

of the husband called on him the following day with a counte-
nance unusually sad. The missionary kindly inquired the cause
of his sadness. His friend, with most lugubrious face, replied, "I
have heard that your new-born infant is a daughter, and I have
come to condole with you, on your hard fate." So little valued
is the life of female infants, within the domains of Paganism, that
great numbers are put to death, solely to avoid the trouble and
expense of feeding and clothing them.
The singular custom formerly prevailed in the northern part
of Hindustan, whenever a female child was born, of carrying
her to the market-place, and there, holding up the child in one
hand, and a knife in the other, proclaiming, that if any person
wanted to rear her for a wife, they might then take her if none ;
appeared accept of her, she was immediately destroyed. The

to
consequence of this course, was, that the men of the tribe became
much more numerous than the women; and hence arose the
custom of appropriating several husbands to one wife, a custom
that still prevails in some of the southern as well as the northern
tribes of Hindustan. Among the Rajpoot tribes in the north-west
part of that country nearly all the female children are put to death
immediately after birth consequently the men are obliged to pro-
;
cure their wives from other tribes. And among some, at least,
of the Indian tribes of our own
land, the case is no better. Said
a Chippewa Indian, (in a recent address before a missionary
" When a
society in London,) boy is born in the tribe it is a
day of rejoicing, because it is considered that he will make a
fine warrior but when a
;
female is born, it is a time of sorrow
and it is a good-for-nothing girl is born.' The poor mother,
said,
'
knowing that the news is not good, kisses the poor child, and
Vse Hindu Girls Anna, Rajee and Rabee. They were
educated at the Orphan Girls School at Burdwan.
LECTURE ON WOMEN. 133
nays, Father does not love you, but I do;' and then, Ir.king the
'
infant by the legs, dashes out its brains, exclaiming, ' Would to
God, mymother had done so with me when I was born, I should

not then have been such a slave.' On one occasion the helpless
babe was rescued from mother, by her sisters, who said, It is
'
its
better that your child should be a slave than to kill it in this
way.' That babe is now grown up when fourteen years of age,

;
she was converted, and has now become a Sabbath school teacher,
and a useful member of society."
THE EDUCATION OF HEATHEN FEMALES IS ENTIRELY NEGLECTED.
Whi.e, throughout the Eastern world, schools are maintained for
the instruction of boys, and they are sufficiently taught to qualify
them for the common business of life, girls are left to utter igno-
rance of letters, and systematically refused all intellectual culture,
as useless to themselves and injurious to society. To a European
gentleman, (who endeavored to persuade the natives of a Hin-
du village that the education of their females in reading, writing,
and arithmetic, would be of advantage to their husbands, and
would render them their equals and companions, as well as
was replied, " All
helpers,) it this, Sahib, may be very true with
your people, but it do for us. It would be impossible

will never
for Hindus to keep their wives in subjection, if they were
educated." Shrewd reasoning this based on the preposterous
!
assumption, that man is created to be a master, and woman a

slave. In vain were these villagers assured that women of the
most refined education and extensive knowledge are the most
affectionate and faithful wives in the world, because governed by
reason, judgment, and common sense, they regard the interest

of their husbands as their own, and yield a systematic and cheer-
ful obedience in those things in which the husband's will ought to
have the preference, while, at the same time, he might enjoy the
advantages of her better judgment in matters which pertain to
her own sphere. Their only reply to such arguments is, " Our
women are not like yours, if educated they would be refractory,
and would no longer carry burdens, and collect cow's ordure for
fuel." On grounds like these, is the whole mass of female mind
throughout Hindustan, China, Burmah, Persia, Turkey, &c.,
doomed to perpetual darkness and
gloom, instead of sharing the
light of science, and rejoicing in the radiance of the sun of
righteousness.
THEY ARE NOT AT THEIR OWN DISPOSAL IN MARRIAGE. Of all the
relationships of life, this is the basis. Of all affinities, it is the
closest and most tender. Of earthly bliss, it is the purest foun-
tain, the brightest crown, the loveliest image of heaven's blest

communion.
" True bliss man may reach
(if it) is composed
Of hearts in union mutually disclosed;
And farewell else, all hope of pure delight."
" In " kindness is

marriage," (says Jeremy Taylor,) spread
abroad, and love is united, and made firm as a centre ;
it is the
nursery of heaven, it fills up the number of the elect. It is the
mother of the world, and preserves the kingdoms, and fills the
cities, and the churches, and heaven itself. Like the useful bee,
it builds a house, and gathers sweetness from every flower, and
labors, and unites into societies and republics, and sends out
colonies, and feeds the world with delicacies, and keeps order,
and promotes the interest of mankind, and is that state of good
things, to which God has designed the present constitution ol
the world."
But a supposes confidence and esteem, growing out of
1
! this
acquaintance between the parties, affection, inspiring a mutual

desire to please, and the immerging of individual interests in the
common stock of domestic enjoyments. And of this, Paganism
knows nothing. It holds females as articles of merchandise,
to be disposed of to those who will pay for them the highest

price. Girls of six or eight years are bought and sold by their
fathers as calves of the stall, to be taken, at twelve or fourteen,
(whether willing or unwilling,) from the home of their childhood,

and put into the hands of the man for whom they were pur-
chased.
In Hindustan,females, who remain unmarried till they are
fifteen or sixteen years of age, (however correct in their con-
duct,) are regarded as infamous, and (like widows) are never
sought for in marriage and widowers (even if sixty or seventy
;
years old) invariably marry girls of ten or twelve. Among the

poorer classes in China, when a man dies, his relatives (to regain
the money originally paid for his bride) are allowed to sell his
widow to become the wife of another man. The arrangement is
made without her knowledge, and (regardless of her wishes) she
is forced into a palenkeen, and carried to the house of her pur-
chaser. The price of a bride varies much in different countries.
In some parts of Africa ten or fifteen bullocks are paid as an
equivalent, while a handsome red-haired Circassian or Georgian
girlcannot be bought for less than six or seven thousand piasters.
In the kingdom of Dahomey, all unmarried women are held as
the property of the king. Once a year they assemble at the
Women of Calcutta.
palace, when he selects the handsomest for himself, and sells the
remainder to his subjects. The purchaser is allowed no choice,
but receives the wife selected for him by the king. But the whole
story of man's regard for woman in unevangelized lands, is told
in the simple language of the Modean of Siberia, who, at the
close of the marriage ceremony, places the brideon a mat, and
conveys her to the bridegroom, saying, "There, wolf, take thy
lamb."
It is not in heathen countries, however, that wives are
all
obtained by money or its equivalent. In some tribes more roman-

tic customs prevail. The New Hollander fixes his eye upon
some female of a tribe at enmity with his own. He steals upon
her at some moment when no protector is near, and deals out
blows with his club, upon her head, neck, back, indeed every
part of her body, till she becomes insensible and then drags her
;
by one of her arms, (the blood streaming from her wounds,) over
rocks, hills, stones and logs, with all the violence and ferocity
of a savage, till he reaches his trilk 3. The scene that follows,
admits not of description. Suffice it to say, the poor violated
woman becomes the wife of her ravisher, is admitted to his
tribe, and (notwithstanding the singularity of the courtship) is

contented with her lot, and rarely leaves her husband and her
home.
That genuine love may exist, even among these rude barba-
rians, and sometimes be exhibited in the purest forms, admits not
of doubt. Mr. Barrington (who had long resided in Parametta)
mentions an instance that fell under his own observation, pleas-
antly illustrating this fact. "A brother of twenty-three, and two

sisters of twenty and fourteen respectively, dwelt together affec-
tionately in a cave near the city. On returning one day from

hunting the kangaroo, just as the darkness of night mantled the
heavens, and while the forked lightning played vividly around
him, at the mouth of the cave, his eye caught the form of his
younger sister, bleeding on the ground. Troubled before at the
warring of the elements, his soul was now in agony. He
endeavored to raise her up, but she was senseless. At length,
however, his efforts were successful, and, with returning anima-
tion, she exclaimed, Dear brother our sister is torn from us,- -
'
!
a wretch came to the cave, beat her cruelly with his club, and
caught up one arm to drag her away, I laid hold of the other
to prevent him, but the moment he saw a single blow,
it, with
he knocked me to the ground, where you have now found me.'
The night was passed in the anguish of grief and amid harrow-
ing purposes of revenge. Morning came. Together they sought

the tribe of the offender. A
little before reaching it, they me'
the sister of the very man who had committed the outrage, gath-
ering sticks for a fire. A
fine opportunity was thus presented
for revenge. The
brother (bidding his sister to hide herself)
flew upon the young woman, with club in hand, and with all
the ferocity of a savage in his heart. The victim trembled but ;
knowing his power, she stood firmly, and looked him in the eye,
when, (like the lion of the forest, meeting the eye of intelligent
man,) he paused, he gazed, enchantment was on him she saw :
it, dropped on her knees and implored his compassion. Re-

venge softened into love throwing down his club, he clasped
;
her in his arms, and vowed eternal constancy. This nobleness

won her heart. He called his sister, who thirsted still for the
blood, and said She is now my wife.'

{ '
stranger's to her,
" Nor force nor interest joined unwilling hands,
But love consenting tied the blissful bands."
All three now love each other tenderly, and (under the instruc-
tion of a Christian friend) read the oracles of God, and cherish
the spirit that breathes from the bosom of Jesus.
POLYGAMY PREVENTS THE ENJOYMENT OF THE HUSBAND'S AFFECTION.
Conjugal love may be disturbed, or it may be diminished, or it
may be maddened into phrensy, or it may be annihilated, but
it cannot be divided. Abraham may become the husband of
Hagar, but his heart is with Sarah. Jacob may be the protector
of Leah, but he loves Rachel. Elkanah may deal kindly with
Peninnah, but his affections are with Hannah. Good men
these, and faithful to their marriage-vows, though borne away
into the transgression of the original law of Heaven, by the strong
current of the popular sentiment of the age in which they lived.
Then, though Heaven interfered not to prevent the practice, it
never sanctioned it by law and if it were not condemned by
;
statutes and penalties, it was powerfully rebuked by its effects

and consequences. Never did it fail, in the most auspicious cir-
cumstances for its indulgence, to produce domestic discord and
wretchedness. Jealousy, bitterness, and strife, are its inva-
riable attendants, even when associated with faith as strong as
that of the patriarchs, and piety as ardent as that of the sweet
singer of Israel. Its inconsistency with the spirit of the gospel

has expelled the practice from eva-y Christian *and; and its
incongruity with reason and expediency, has stamped it with
infamy. But it still prevails among the higher classes, in nearly
every part of the unevangelized world.
A Hindu Woman of Bengal, of high rank, in full
Drest.
Besides four queens, the king of Birmah has thirty wives, and
fivehundred other women at his disposal. The emperor of Tur-
key swells his harem, usually, with more than a thousand
wives, Achmet I. is said to have had three thousand.
the sultan
The king of Ashantee has three thousand three hundred and
thirty-three, a mystical number, on the integrity of which the
prosperity of his kingdom is supposed to depend. And the king
of Yarriba boasted to Capt. Clapperton, that his wives, linked
hand in hand, would reach entirely across his kingdom.
Not only kings, but nobles, and men of wealth and station, and
indeed men of all classes, who have the ability to sustain a
plurality of wives, are eager to possess them, not as objects of
affection, but as honorable appendages to their establishments, or
as ministering to their pride and sensuality. Love is not known
:
where pleasure is adored,

That ruling goddess, with a zoneless waist
And wandering eyes, still leaning on the arm
Of novelty."
but its place is supplied by envy, and rancor, and hate, bursting
forth, often, in words of wrath and deeds of cruelty, and the
wanton murder of the innocent. Says Lady Montague, during
her residence in Constantinople, " The body of a young woman
of surpassing beauty was found one morning near my house.
She had received two wounds, one in her side, and the other in
her breast, and was not quite cold. Many came to admire her
beauty but;
no one could tell who she was, no woman's face
being known out of her family. She was buried privately, and
little
inquiry made for the wretch who had imbrued his hands in
her blood." The Pacha of Acre, in Palestine, a few years since,
put to death seven of his wives, at one time, with his own hands.
And even where cruelties like these are not perpetrated, the wife
is kept a prisoner in the house of her lord, and her face is never
seen beyond it. She is thus entirely in the irresponsible power

of her husband, nor is one earthly ear but his, open to the tale
of her wrongs, how terrible soever they may be. That she
endures such wrongs, is no more to be questioned than the exist-
ence of caprice in man's proud heart, or of contempt for the
whole sex, which he regards is infinitely inferior to his own.
The Pagan or Mahometan wife is liable to divorce, and con-
sequent poverty and shame, at any moment when her husband
wills it. For one cause, and only one, Christianity permits the
disruption of the conjugal tie. And it is this inviolability of the
relation that operates so kindly in the restraint of unseemly pas-

sions, and in perpetuating
" Domestic
happiness, the only bliss
Of Paradise that has survived the fall."
But false religions allow to man unbounded license. Might and

but synonymous terms and woman
are
right, in their vocabulary, ;
without her own fault) is, at her husband's pleas-

(dishonored
ure turned an outcast from her home. Let the Arab's wife be
>
taken sick, and forthwith she is returned to her parents with the
message, "I paid for a healthy woman, and cannot afford the
Siberian become dissatisfied
support of a sickly one." Let the
with his wife, for any cause, and he has but to tear her cap
from her head, and the marriage contract is dissolved. Let the
husband of Sumatra but break a bamboo, in the presence of his
wife and their relatives, and the divorce is effected. Or, let the
Greenlander leave his home in apparent anger, and not return
for a few days the wife understands his meaning, picks up hei
;
clothes, and returns to her friends. Or let the South Sea Islandei
but speak the word, and the relation is dissolved, though no dis-
like of the wife to the husband can produce a separation without
his consent. But a divorce is ruin to the female, it dooms her
irrevocably to scorn and universal contempt, and (with scarcely
less certainty) to a life of vice and infamy.
But the degradation of woman under the fell influence of false
religions is not yet fully seen. She is her husband's slave, and
with unquestioning servility, must yield to his behest, on penalty
of torture, separation, or death. Nor is this a mere accident of
her condition. The religion of her country decrees it, the
sacred books demand it. The Koran, and the Hindu Shasters,
whose doctrines sway the mind, and determine the practice, of
more than two hundred millions of the human family, make
woman infinitely man's inferior, the mere pander to his passions,
the abject drudge, owing him unconditional submission. Says
" The
the Shaster of the Hindu, supreme duty of a wife, is, to
obey the mandate of her husband. Let the wife who wishes to
perform sacred ablution, wash the feet of her lord, and drink the
water, for the husband is to the wife greater than Vishnoo. If
a man goes on a journey his wife shall not divert herself by play,
nor shall see any public show, nor shall laugh, nor shall dress
herself in jewels and fine clothes, nor shall see dancing, nor hear
music, nor shall sit at the window, nor shall ride out, nor shall
behold anything choice and rare, but shall facten well the house
door, and remain private, and shall not eat any dainty food, and
A Mohammedan Woman of Bengal, of high rank, in full Drett
shall not blacken her eyes with powder, and shall not view her
face in a mirror, she shall never exercise herself in any such
agreeable employment during the absence of her husband."
" A woman shall never
Again, go out of the house without the
consent of her husband, and shall act according to the orders of
her husband, and shall not eat until she has served him,"
" if it be
though, physic, she may take it before he eat."
Not only in Hindustan, but in almost every unevangelize d
country, the wife is obliged to stand and wait upon her husband
while he eats, and to be content with such food as is ieft after
hiswants are satisfied. In the Society Islands, while Paganism
reigned, women were not only thus compelled to wait upon their
husband's table, but were not allowed, on pain of death, to eat
at all of those kinds of food which were most highly esteemed.
The cocoa-nut, the plantain, the fowl, the turtle, the swine, the
shark, and various kinds of fish, were tabued to them. Nor
were they allowed to eat in the same house with the men, nor to
cook their food at the same fire, nor to put it into the same ves-
sels. The transgression of these rules involved immediate
" The
drowning or strangulation. females of Raratonga," (says
the Rev. Mr. Williams,)
" were denied those kinds of food
reserved for the men and the gods, compelled to eat their scanty
meals by themselves, and forbidden to dwell under the same roof
with their tyrannical masters."
Till Riho Riho became ruler of the Sandwich Islands, similar
customs prevailed there. About the time when he caused the
idols to be destroyed, a dinner party was made, to which the prin-
cipal chiefs and other persons of distinction were invited. When

the company were seated around the table spread in an open
bower, the king took his seat between two of his queens, pre-
sented them with some of the forbidden food, and ate from the
same dish with them. The whole company were astonished at
such an innovation on ancient usages so great, indeed, was the
;
excitement produced, that it threatened a revolution in the gov-

ernment. The authority of the monarch, however, srstaii/ed by
the incipient influences of Christianity, prevailed.
In 1787, the emperor of China issued the following decree .
''Allpersons of the female sex, of whatever quality or condition,

are forbidden, upon any pretext whatever, to enter a temple or
quit their houses, except in cases of absolute necessity. Fathers,
husbands, brothers, sons or relatives, are commanded to keep
them at home, upon pain of being themselves severely pun-
ished. After this, any woman who shall enter a temple shall be
10
apprehended and imprisoned, till some one shall appear to claim

her, and to undergo the punishment due to his negligence,"
thus cutting off at a stroke the whole female population of the
empire from all the rites of religion, and all the pleasures of social
intercourse.
In some parts of Siberia the marriage ceremony is no sooner
performed, than the wife pulls off her husband's boots, in token of
submission. In other parts of the same country, the morning
after a wedding, a man representing the father of the bride,
delivers to the husband a whip, which, whenever the wife
offends, is to be used freely. In the interior of Java the bride
washes the bridegroom's feet in token of subjection. In Bamboukj
Africa, she takes off her sandals, kneels before the bridegroom,
pours water upon his feet, and wipes them with her mantle. In
Madagascar, when a husband returns from war, his wife gives
him the customary salutation of passing her tongue over his feet
most respectfully. In New Holland, the slightest offence given
to the husband brings down the club upon the wife, which nevei
fails to draw forth a stream of blood and often fractures the
skull. Among the Mandingoes, the terrible personage called
Mumbo Jumbo, is called forth to frighten the refractory wife into
submission. This demon form, assumed either by the husband
himself or some one instructed by him, gives notice of his
approach from the neighboring woods, near sunset, by the most
frightful yells. At dark the men go out to meet him. He has a
rod in his hand, a hideous mask on his head, and is fantastically
decorated with the bark of trees. He is conducted to the village,
where all the married women are assembled. The ceremonies
commence. Songs and dances continue till a late hour. Mumbo
Jumbo himself sings a song peculiar to the occasion. Then the
women are required to arrange themselves in a circle. After a
long pause and profound silence, Mumbo points out those that
have been disobedient to their husbands, or otherwise have
behaved improperly, and they are immediately seized, stripped,
tied to a post, and severely beaten with Mumbo's rod, amid the
shouts and deridings of the whole assembly.
And to such humiliation of woman, are boys, in some instan-
ces systematically trained.
at least, The Hottentot mother,
who has brought up her boy with tenderness till he has reached
the period when custom demands his initiation by certain cere-
monies into the society of men, is the first to feel the weight of
his arm on his return home from the scene of his transition for, ;
to show that he is now a man and has the spirit of a man, he

A Parsee Woman of Bombay, of high rank, in ftdl Drat.
beats her soundly ;

nor does censure follow the barbarous act, but
he is
applauded contempt of the society and authority of
for his
woman. For aught I know, the mother herself applauds it, but
how deep her degradation, when prepared to submit to insult like
this on maternal dignity and honor How unlike is the spirit ot
!
Christianity, prompting the son, in the perfection of his under-

standing, in the plenitude of his power, and amid the self-gratu-
lations of his independence, to submit to the mild reason of his
mother, to acknowledge her unassuming sway, and admit that

though independent of all things else, he cannot do without the
smiles of maternal approbation, the admonitions of maternal soli-
citude, and the reproofs of maternal tenderness and integrity.
Woman, in unevangelized lands, is forced to perform the most
perilous and menial services of the state and the family. The
three thousand wives of the king of Dahomey are enrolled in the
army, formed into regiments, armed with all the accoutrements

of war, and a part of them serve as the king's body-guard.
These numerous queens, and the other thousands belonging to
the kings of Ashantee and Yarriba, are but servants, maintained
for ostentation, to display the wealth and power of their royal
masters ;
and when not engaged in fighting the battles or guard-
ing the persons of their lords, they are doomed to labor in the
fields and submit to all the drudgery that pertains to the wife of
the meanest subject of the realm. Nor is this all. At the death
of an African king, his wives are slaughtered by scores and by
hundreds, from an idea that their attendance will be needed in
another world.
Go with me to Van Dieman's Land, and see the weaker sex
charged with the whole burden of supporting their families,
husbands, children and all. Is the rough soil to be cultivated ?
In their hands are the implements of labor. Is the sea to be
searched for the sea-carp or the lobster? They are found
plunging from the projecting rocks into the briny flood, remain-
ing on the rocky bottom, beneath the waves, twice as long (says
a naval officer) as the most expert of our divers, filling their
baskets, returning ashore, drying themselves a few minutes ly
the fire, and warming their chilled limbs, and then resuming
their perilous toils, while their husbands, through the whole, are
seated comfortably around the fire, feasting on the choicest of
and the most delicate of the broiled fern-roots.
the fish,
Nor need I carry you to the other side of the globe, to witness
the unseemly toils and bitter sufferings of benighted woman. Our
own continent supplies us practical illustrations without end.
Let a fact or two Father Joseph (a missionary on the

suffice.
banks of the Oronoco) ventured to reprove an Indian female, for
destroying her infant daughter. She replied, "O that my
mother had thus prevented the manifold sufferings I have
endured Consider, father, our deplorable condition. Our hus-
!
bands go out to hunt we are dragged along with one infant at

;
the breast and another in a basket. Though tired with long

walking, we are not allowed to sleep when we return, but must
labor thewhole night in grinding maize to make chica for them
They get drunk and beat us they drag us by the hair of the
;
head and tread us under foot. And after such a slavery of twenty
years, what have we to comfort us ? A young wife is brought
home and permitted to abuse us and our children. What kind-
ness can we show our daughters, equal to putting them to death?
Would to God my mother had put me under ground the moment
[ was born " !
One case more only " Soon after

for the sake of contrast. my
acquaintance with these Indians," (says a missionary to the
Choctaws,) "I one day saw a chief travelling on horseback,
quite at his ease, followed by his poor wife, who was not only on
foot, but carried his infant child, his rifle, and a quantity of pro-
visions in a large basket at her back, supported by a strap drawn
across her forehead. At a subsequent season, I met the same
family again on their travels the chief was now on foot, laden
;
with his own arms, and he had kindly placed his wife on the
saddle. The child, too, now much larger than before, was
sweetly sleeping in the arms of its father, who himself seemed
chserful and happy amid the fatigues of the way." The
language of the poet to his wife he practically adopted as
his own :
" On all her days let health and peace attend,
May she ne'er want nor lose a friend ;
May some new pleasure every hour employ,

But let her husband be her highest joy."
And what was the cause of this wonderful trans-

think you
formation? THE CHOCTAW CHIEF HAD BECOME A FOLLOWER OF
CHRIST.
But the widowhood of the Pagan wife and mother is, if pos-
sible, more wretched than her married life. As if Satan could
not bear that the daughters of the first victim of his seduction
should find peace in any condition, he first torments them as
daughters in the house of their fathers, then as wives in the
dwellings of their husbands, and then as widows, cast out from
^vYY
^^SX vN.X \ v v*w \ \
-
A Dancing Girl of Bengal.

every charity of human life. Under the dark covert of Pagan

superstition and Mahometan delusion, unopposed by the sword
of the Spirit, he accomplishes with ease his fiendish purposes,
and adds the wormwood and gall of universal malice and con-
tempt to all the bitterness of the dregs that had filled her cup of
woe, from the cradle to the death of her husband. Formerly,
the Caffre widow, on the decease of her husband, whatever
was the season of the year, and whatever her condition, was
compelled to fly to the forest, and houseless, hungry, and alone,
mourn her loss day after day. During her absence her dwelling
was plundered by her relatives of everything valuable, set on
fire, and consumed, and the only dowry allotted her from her
husband's property was a new garment, made from the hide of
one cf his oxen. On returning from the wildernesss, she built a
new hut with her own hands, and subsisted on the avails of her
own Missionary enterprise has succeeded in abolishing
labor.
this cruelcustom, and Mr. Shaw, the missionary who was instru-
mental in accomplishing it, received the name of Umkinets Um-
fazie, (the woman's shield,) by which he is now generally known
in Caffraria. In Greenland, when the husband dies, the widow,
if unprotected by friends, is usually robbed of a considerable por-
tion of her property by those who come to sympathize with her
by an affected condolence, and can obtain no redress. If aged
and infirm, she is not unfrequently buried alive by her own
children.
As the legitimate consequences of their servile and wretched
condition, females of every unevangelized land are devoid of
those sentiments of delicacy, and that refined taste and acute dis-
crimination between the lovely and the disgusting in manners
and customs, which distinguish the sex in lands enlightened by
the gospel. Before Christianity commenced its reign in the Soci-
ety Islands, wrestling was a favorite amusement of females, and
one in which those of the highest rank engaged, not only with
each other, but also with the men, in the presence of thousands
of spectators of both sexes. Immediately after marriage, every
female provided herself with an instrument set with rows of
shark's teeth, with which, on the death of any of the family, she
fearfully cut and lacerated herself, beating the head, temples,
cheeks, and breast, till blood flowed profusely, while she uttered
the most deafening and agonizing cries. Filthy in their persons,
indecent in their apparel, fantastic in their ornaments, and famil-
iar beyond endurance in their approaches to the other sex, their
character stands forth an enduring but sad monument of that
intellectual and moral degradation which Paganism and Mahom-

etanism have spread far and wide. Here their bodies arc rubbed
with bear's grease, and there with fish oil, or some offensive
compound of vegetable and animal matter. The sheep-skin, or
the bullock's hide, the tattered handkerchief, or the entrails of
slain beasts, serve for partial protection from the frosts of
winter,
or the burning summer's sun and scarcely answering the
;
purpose
of fig-leaves in the fallen first pair, are not unfrequently laid
aside as needless incumbrances, while the whole person is
exposed to the observation of every passer-by. In Arabia, they

stain their fingers and toes red their eye-brows black, and
;
their lips blue. In Persia, they paint a black streak around the
eyes, color their eye-brows and hair, and stain the face and neck
with figures of beasts, birds, flowers, &c. The Hottentot women
paint the entire body in compartments of red and black. Hin-
du females,when they wish to appear particularly lovely, paint
the body with saffron and tumeric mixed with grease. In nearly
all the islands of the Pacific and Indian oceans, and in many other
parts of the world, like the men, they tattoo the body, with an
instrument resembling somewhat a fine- toothed comb, whose sharp
teeth,dipped into a solution of indigo or soot, are thrust into the
flesh,introducing the coloring matter to remain forever, and im-
printing a great variety of fanciful figures on the face, the lips,
the tongue, the limbs, the whole body. The process is painful,
though not more so than that of the female Greenlander, who
first saturates threads with soot, and then inserts them beneath
the skin, and draws them through. In New Holland, the women
cut themselves with shells, and by keeping open the wounds a
long time, form wales or seams on the flesh, which they deem
high' y ornamental. And
another singular addition is made to
their beauty by taking off the little finger of the left hand, at the
second joint, a process performed in infancy by tying a hair
around it so tight as to produce mortification. In some parts of
Hindustan, at the time of marriage, a like portion of the third
and little finger is A similar custom prevails among
removed.
the Hottentots. Among some of the savage tribes of America,
and also in Sumatra and Arracan, continual pressure is applied
to the skull to flatten it, and add to the beauty of its form. In
nearly all the South Sea Islands, custom requires an incision to
be made in the lobe of each ear, into which rolls of leaves, or
long pieces of wood or ivory are inserted, and from these, shells
or fish teeth are suspended, to such an amount that their weight
A KYAN' WOMAN.
From a portraittaken by M. gym's, Esq., for the East India Company. Kyan is the
tame of a people inhabiting the mountains between Arracan and Ava. All the rvomen
of that tribe, rvhen they arrive at a certain age, r^ns the face tattooed. For a description
tf u process
If of tattooing, see
opposite page.
draws down the ear nearly to the shoulder, and not unfrequently
tears it asunder. The mother of Sumatra carefully flattens the
nose of her daughter; and in New Guinea, the nose is perforated,
and a large piece of wood or bone inserted, making it difficult to
breathe. On the north-west coast of America, an incision more
than two inches in length is made in the lower lip, and filled with
a wooden plug. In Guiana, the lip is pierced with thorns, the
heads being inside the mouth and the points resting on the chin.
And in Java, Borneo, and Celebes, they file their teeth to a point,
and color them black, considering it disgraceful to let them
remain " white like the teeth of dogs."
In some countries corpulency is esteemed essential to beauty ;
and the wives of kings and chiefs are beloved in proportion to the
sleek fatness and gross weight of their persons The Tunisian
woman, of moderate pretensions to beauty, needs a slave under
each arm to support her when she walks, and a perfect belle car-
ries flesh enough to load down a camel. So anxious are motheia
that their daughters should attain this unwieldy size, that they
compel them to eat enormous quantities of fattening food and

drink several bowls of camel's milk every day. Mungo Park
describes a poor girl as crying for more than an hour, with a
bowl at her lips, while her mother stood over her with a rod, and
beat her cruelly, she failed to swallow fast enough. And Capt.
if
Clapperton found himself in not a little difficulty at Houssa,

through the importunity of an Arab widow, whose wealth and
rank, enforced by the charms of a huge person, black-dyed eye-
brows, blue hair, red stained hands and feet, all adorned with
necklaces, girdles and bracelets, seemed to fit her for the station of
a queen, whither her aspirations tended, and to which, with Clap-
perton for a husband, she doubted not she might attain. But he
"
happened not (O cruel !) to fancy a walking tun-butt" for a wife,
and preferred the loss of the honors of African royalty to the life-
companionship of five hundred pounds of Arab flesh.
The beauty of a Chinese lady is in her feet, which in childhood
are so compressed by bandages as effectually to prevent any fur-
ther increase in size. The four smaller toes are turned under the
of which they firmly adhere. The poor girl not
foot, to the sole
only endures much pain, but becomes a cripple for life. Another
mark of beauty and distinction lies in the length to which the
finger nails are allowed to grow, a length that requires them to
be shielded from accident by casings of bamboo. The ambitious
beauties of Siam, not content with protecting carefully these
with
ever-growing excrescences of nature, provide themselves
artificial r ?, Js four inches long.
Allow " there is

agreeably to the proverb,
that, no disputing
of *astes," and that no nation or individual is responsible to
another for peculiar customs, Trill it be questioned that the wear-
ing of cumbrous and unwieldy ornaments, and the disfiguring of
the body, and forcing it into uncouth forms at the expense of so
much customs offensive to nature, and to nature's
suffering, are
God, the legitimate progeny of Paganism ? and so far as ever
grafted upon the stock of Christianity, are they more incongruous
with its simplicity and at variance with its spirit, than repulsive
to reason and common sense? Foolish and unseemly customs
are not confined to Pagan and Mahometan females, it is true,
they exist in more enlightened lands but in these lands, they are
;
one after another assailed, changed and banished by the mild genius
of Christianity while, in the darker portions of the earth, they
;
enter into the very constitution of society, and know no change

or modification, more than the elements of nature, or the imme-
morial rites of a bloody superstition. Deplorable, then, are the
delusions under which the god of this world hath bound down
the nations that yield unresistingly to his sway, severe the bond-
age under which they wear out hated life, and melancholy the
barbarous customs, which through conscience, fancy, or caprice,
his tyrant arm imposes on successive generations.
To may be added their unbounded superstition. Their
all this
servile fear of the gods amounts to a terror which quenches the
kindlings of natural affection, and drives them on to deeds of

darkest inhumanity. Ignorant of the God of love, and conceiving
of their divinities as capricious, malignant and revengeful, they
are easily impelled to sacrifices at which nature shudders, and
every sentiment of true piety stands aghast. Unenlightened by
education, and enslaved by the spirit of idolatry, they become the
victims of priestly craft, without resistance, and the dupes of
their own vain imaginings, as if reason and conscience entered
not at moral constitution. The African female
all into their
ventures not to commence a

journey, nor to undertake important
business of any kind, till well furnished with protective charms,
consisting chiefly of bits of paper, which contain a written sen-
tence, orfragment of a sentence, carefully deposited within a bag
fastened to her person. The women of Houssa, seeing Major
Denham using a pen, came to him in crowds, to obtain a scrawl
that should serve as an amulet to restore their beauty, to preserve
the affections of their lovers, or to destroy a rival. If a child be*
born in Madagascar, on a day reputed unlucky, its evil destiny
must be averted, by the destruction of its life, under the hands
A Hindu Woman of the Brahmin caste. She has prepared a dinner of rice, placed *
upon a Plantain leaf, and is carrying it to her husband.
of its The only alternative is, to leave it in a narrow

parents.
path, over which a herd of cattle is furiously driven, while the
parents stand looking on from a distance; and if it chance to
escape unhurt, they run to embrace it, convinced that the malig-
nani influence Sometimes the child is drowned in a
is removed.
vessel of water prepared for the purpose, or thrown into a
pit,
with its face downward, or suffocated by stuffing a cloth into its
mouth ;
but the parents themselves are commonly the execution-
ers, under the impression that there is no other way of saving the
child from the misfortunes that await its future years. From
time immemorial, Hindu mothers have thrown their infant
children into the Ganges, to be devoured by alligators not ;
because they were destitute of maternal affection, but because a

mother's love was overpowered by her fears of the wrath of some
offended deity. The Hindu widow burns on the funeral pile
of her husband. Thus she escapes the obloquy of widowhood,
and becomes entitled, as she believes, to a residence with her
husband and their relatives in heaven. Thanks to the gospel of
has relaxed its grasp on Indian
Christ, this horrid superstition
mind but, till within a few years, thousands of widows became
;
annually its victims and at the death of princes and other men
;
of elevated rank, possessed of many wives, the dreadful sacri-

fice has been all that Abaddon himself could desire. Twelve
widows one instance, eighteen in another,* thirty-seven in
in
another, and on the death of Ajie, prince of Mai war, fifty-eight

threw themselves on the funeral piles of their husbands and per-
ished. As late as 1844 twenty-four women were burnt in Pun-
jab. There can be no doubt that this dreadful sacrifice is some-
times voluntary on the part of the victim, but it is by no means
universally so. Not only is all the earthly glory of the deed, and
the happiness of a Pagan heaven promised on the one hand, and
allthe terrors of contempt and persecution through life, with ever-
lasting infamy, arrayed on the other, but force is applied, with
fiend-like perseverance, to compel the unhappy wife to mount
the blazing altar of Moloch.
Follow me to the immolation of a Brahmin's widow in Northern
Hindustan. The unfortunate woman, of her own accord, has
ascended the burning pile. The torture of the fire is more than she
can endure, and by a violent struggle she throws herself beyond
the reach of the flames, and tottering to a river near
by, is kindly
plunged into it by some English gentlemen present, to assuage her
torments. She retains her senses perfectly, shrinks with dread
from mother encounter with the flames, and refuses so to die. Her
11
inhuman relatives then take her by the head and feet, and throw
her upon the pile, and Hold her there till driven away by the heat.
They endeavor too, to stun her with blows, but again she escapes
and makes to the river. Her relatives then try to drown her,
but one of the English gentlemen mentioned interferes, and she
throws herself into his arms, begging him to save her. " I can-
not describe to you," says one present at the scene, " the horror
I felt at seeing her mangled condition almost every inch of skin
;
on her body had been burnt off, her legs and thighs, her arms
and back, were completely raw, her breasts dreadfully torn, and
the skin dangling from them in threads, the skin and nails of
her fingers had peeled wholly off, and were hanging to the back
of her hands. In fact, I never saw and never read of so entire a
picture of misery as this poor woman displayed. She still dread-
ed being again committed to the fire, and called to us to save her.
Her friends at length desisted from their efforts. We sent her to
the hospital. Every medical assistance was given, but, after
lingering twenty hours, in excruciating pain, her spirit departed."
Such is the superstition of heathen lands. Its forms are vari-
ous, but its spirit iseverywhere the same. It leads its vota-
themselves with the mud of the streets, to measure
ries to defile
the distance from their homes to their temples, by the length of
every six feet of the way, to swing in the

their bodies prostrated
air,suspended by hooks thrust through the muscles of the back,

and to submit to a thousand other tortures, in honor of some
cruel but imaginary deity. It teaches the brother to betray
the sister, the mother to imbrue her hands in the blood of her
own offspring, and the son to light the pile which consumes the
mother that gave him life. It glories in deeds like these, as more
pleasing to the gods than any alleviation of human woe that
kindness can effect, and more intrinsically meritorious than all
the moral virtues commended by the philosophy of Seneca, or the
precepts of Christ.
But it is time to close. We have now cursorily glanced at the
character of woman, as unaffected by the refining and elevating
influences of Christianity. We have seen her trodden down as
the mire of the streets by him whom Heaven created to be her
protector and comforter. We have seen unevangelized man
everywhere, like the fabled generation of warriors springing
from the serpent's teeth armed for the work of destruction, direct-
ing his chief malignities against woman, his best friend, his
safest counsellor, most unfailing solace, because her native
his
timidity and weakness invite the violence and insult of a coward-

A HINDU MOTHER LAMENTING THE DEATH OF HER CHILD.
" From time
immemorial, mothers have thrown their children into the Ganges, to *
devoured by alligators, not because they were destitute of maternal affection, but because a
mother's love was overpowered by her fears of the wrath of some offended deity." P. 161
arm f We haveseen her lost to self-respect, dead to instinctive

affection, ignorant of the rights with which her Maker has invested
her, unacquainted with her relations to eternity, indulgent to the
wildest passions of depraved nature, and plunged far down the
abyss of unnatural crime. We
have marked her wanderings,
listened to her complaints, and seen her scalding tears. And
have we no sympathy in her sufferings? no arm that will
extend to her relief? no voice that will call her to Calvary, and
direct her eye to woman's friend and Saviour, and thence to
a world of unmingled purity and love ? Measures are in pro-
gress (thank God !) for restoring woman to her true dignity, and
re-establishing her just relations to man as her husband, guar-
dian, and unfailing friend. The same measures will restore the
world to the dominion of Christ, and man, in all his tribes, to the
sway of reason and revelation. Then shall it no more be said
that
-" his ambition is to
sink,
To reach a depth profounder still, and still
Profounder, in the fathomless abyss

Of folly, plunging in pursuit of death j"
but he shall rise to " glory, honor, and immortality," and share
it with the helper of his faith and love, the mother of his chil-
dren, the softener of his dying pillow, the kind angel that hovers
over him as his soaring spirit takes its flight. Not far distant is
the day, unless we quite mistake the " signs of the times,"
when, throughout all nations, woman shall resume the station

Heaven first assigned her, and form again the loveliest ornament
of humanity, man's coadjutor in works of faith and labors of

love, and childhood's most persuasive teacher of all that is virtu-
ous, lovely, and of good report, in human disposition and action.
Soon let that day of brightness dawn, that glorious era be fully
ushered in ;
for it shall prove the termination of earth's bitterest
woes, and the consummation of Heaven's most earnest labors
A Tliug disguised
as a Merchant.
HABITS AND SUPERSTITIONS OF THE THUGS,
A SECT WHO PROFESS TO BE
DIVINELY AUTHORIZED TO PLUNDER AND MURDER.

COMPILED PRINCIPALLY FROM THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS OF CAPT. 8LEEMAN, AGENT
OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY FOR HIE SUPPRESSION OF THUGGEE
WHILE Europeans have generally travelled through India in

comparative security, arising from the dread inspired by the
power and dominion of the British government, the path of the
native has been beset with perils
by hordes of ferocious robbers,
which every where abound, from the highest regions of the
Himelaya Mountains to the southern extremity of Hindoostan.
The most sanguinary class of these freebooters are the Thugs,
or Phansigars. Their existence appears to have been entirely
unknown to Europeans until about the year 1800. From Janu-
ary, 1826, to December, 1835, the number of Thugs committed
by various magistrates amounted to 1562. Of these 328 were
punished by death, 999 by transportation, 77 by imprisonment
for life; from 21 security was required; 71 were sentenced to
limited periods of imprisonment making a total of 1450 con-
;
victed. Of the remainder, 21 were acquitted, 11 escaped, 31

died before sentence, and 49 were admitted evidence for the
prosecution.
Gangs of Thugs sometimes consist of two or three hundred
persons. commonly follow each other,
In such instances, they
in small parties of ten or twenty, upon roads parallel to each
other, being prepared to concentrate on any point, when neces-

sary. Different parties frequently act in concert, apprizing one
another of the approach of travellers whose destruction promises
a valuable booty. They assume the appearance of ordinary
travellers : sometimes they pretend to be traders ; and, if en-
riched by former spoliations, travel on horseback, with tents,
and pass for wealthy merchants, or other persons of consequence.
Sometimes they commence their route in more humble charac-
ters but acquiring, in their rapacious progress, horses and bul-
;
locks, these at once furnish them with the means of transporting

the remainder of their plunder, and of making pretensions to
higher degrees of wealth and station.

170 HABITS AND SUPERSTITIONS
Thugs areaccustomed to wait at choultries, on the high roads,

or near towns where travellers rest. They arrive at such places,
and enter towns and villages, in straggling parties of three or
four persons, appearing to meet by accident, and to have no pre-
vious acquaintance. On such occasions, some of the gang are
employed as emissaries, to collect information, and, especially,
to learn if any persons with property in their possession are
about to undertake a journey. They are often accompanied by
children of ten years of age and upwards who, while they per-
;
form menial offices, are gradually initiated into the horrid prac-
tices of Thuggee, and contribute to prevent suspicion of their
real character. Skilled in the arts of deception, they enter into
conversation, and insinuate themselves by obsequious attentions
into the confidence of travellers of all descriptions, to learn from
them whence they came, whither and for what purpose they are
journeying, and of what property they are possessed. When,
after obtainingsuch information as they deem requisite, the
Thugs determine to attack a traveller, they usually propose to
him, under the specious plea of mutual safety, or for the sake
of society, to travel together or else they follow him at a little
;
distance, and, when a fit opportunity offers for effecting their

purpose, one of the gang suddenly throws a rope or sash round
the neck of the unfortunate victim, while the rest contribute, in
various ways, to aid the murderous work.
Intrepidity does not appear to be a characteristic of the Thugs ;
and, in truth, it is a quality not to be looked for in assassins by
profession. A
superiority in physical force is generally regarded
as an indispensable preliminary to success. TwoThugs, at the
least, are thought necessary for the murder of one man and,;
more commonly, three are engaged. Some Thugs pride them-

selves upon being able to strangle a man single-handed and ;
this is esteemed a most honorable distinction. But the majority

of them are, and ever have been, firm adherents of the maxim,
that "discretionis the better part of valor."
Some variations have existed in the manner of perpetrating

the murders but the following seems to be the most general.
;
While travelling along, one of the gang suddenly throws the

rope or cloth round the neck of the devoted individual, and
retains hold of one end, the other end being seized by an accom-
plice. The instrument of death, crossed behind the neck, is

then drawn very tight, the two Thugs who hold it pressing the
head of the victim forwards a third villain, who is in readiness
:
OF THE THUGS. 171
behind the traveller, seizes him by the legs, and he is thus

thrown on the ground. In this situation, there is little opportu-
nity of resistance. The operation of the noose is aided by kicks
inflicted in the manner most
likely to produce vital injury, and
the sufferer is thus quickly despatched.
The best precautions are taken to guard against discovery or
surprise. Before the perpetration of the murder, some of the

gang are sent in advance, and some left in the rear of the place,
to keep watch, to prevent intrusion, and to give warning, if
occasion requires, to those engaged in the act. Should any
persons unexpectedly pass thatway before the murdered body is
buried, some artifice is practised to prevent discovery, such as
covering the body with a cloth, while loud lamentations are
made, professedly on account of the sickness or death of one of
their comrades or one of the watchers will fall down, apparently
;
writhing with pain, in order to excite the pity of the intruding

travellers, and to detain them from the scene of murder.
Such are the perseverance and caution of the Thugs, that, in
the absence of a convenient opportunity, they have been known
to travel in company with persons, whom they have devoted to
destruction, for several days before they executed their inten-

tion. If circumstances favor them, they generally commit the
murder in a jungle, or in an unfrequented part of the country,
and near a sandy place or dry watercourse. Particular tracts
are chosen, in every part of India, where they may exercise their
horrid profession with the greatest convenience and security.
The most favorite places are much-frequented roads, passing
through extensive jungles, where the ground is soft for the grave,
and where the local authorities take no notice of the bodies.
In these chosen spots, a hole, three or four feet in depth, usu-
ally forms the grave of the unhappy traveller, who is placed in
it with his face downwards. The barbarous character of the
Thugs is displayed in their treatment of the wretched remains
of the murdered persons. Though death brings a termination of
suffering, it does not put an end to the outrages of the murder-
ers. Long and deep gashes are made in various parts of the
bodies sometimes the limbs are disjointed, and the figure dis-
:
torted into unusual positions. These outrages arise from various

motives. Their intention generally is to expedite the decom-
position of the body, and to prevent its inflation, which, by
causing fissures in the superincumbent sand, might attract jack-
als, and thus lead to the discovery of the corpse. Sometimes.
however, these deeds have been the result of disappointment,

and the emanations of a petty and unmanly revenge. When the
amount of plunder is less than had been expected, the villains
have frequently vented their displeasure in wanton indignities
on the unconscious remains of the dead.
If, when a murder is perpetrated,
a convenient place for inter-
ring the near, or if the Thugs be apprehensive of dis-
body be not
covery, Heither
is tied in a sack, and carried to some spot where
it is not likely to be found, or is put into a river or a well. In
Oude, where the fields are almost all irrigated from wells, the
bodies were generally thrown into them and when the cultivat-
;
ors discovered these relics of crime, they hardly ever thought

it worth while to ask how they came there so accustomed were
they to find them. If none of these expedients be advisable, a

shallow hole is dug, in which the corpse is buried till a fit place
for interring it can be discovered, when it is removed, and cut
in the manner already mentioned. If compelled to perform the
interment under circumstances which subject them to the risk
of observation, the Thugs put up a screen on the wall for a
tent, and bury the body within the enclosure pretending, if ;
made, that their women are within the screen. If

inquiries are
had a dog, it is killed, lest the affection of the ani-
the traveller
mal should cause the discovery of the body of his murdered
mabter.
Travellers resting in the same choultry with Thugs are some-
times destroyed in the night. On these occasions, a person is
not always murdered when asleep as, while he is in a recum-
;
bent posture, the stranglers find a difficulty in applying the cloth.

The usual practice is, first to awaken him suddenly, with an
alarm of a snake or a scorpion, and then to strangle him.
In attacking a traveller on horseback, one of the gang goes in
front of the horse, and another has his station in the rear a third, ;
walking by the side of the traveller, keeps him engaged in con-

versation, finding that he is off his guard, he suddenly seizes
till,
the victim by the arm, and drags him to the ground, the horse
at the same time being seized by the foremost villain: the mis-
is then strangled in the usual manner.
erable sufferer
Against Thugs, it must be obvious that arms, and the ordinary
precautions taken against robbers, are unavailing. When a per-
son is armed with a dagger, it is usual for one of the villains to
secure his hands. Itsometimes happens that entire parties of

travellers, while journeying in imaginary security, are suddenly
OF THE THUGS. 173
cut off.Such are the cruelty and cupidity of these wretches,

that, on the presumption of every traveller possessing concealed
treasure, or some property, however trifling, the greatest appa-
rent indigence does not always afford security.
The plunder is sometimes carried home, sometimes disposed
of fin the road. If the murdered person resided near the place
of his assassination, the property is carried to a distance : if,
asis more commonly the case, he is a stranger, they do not scru-
ple to offer the fruits of their rapine in the immediate vicinity

of their crime : the only precaution taken is, that the place of
sale be in advance of that where the murder was committed, and
not a village where the traveller had previously been seen.
A
portion of the plunder is usually appropriated to defraying
the expenses of religious ceremonies and sometimes a part is
;
also allotted for the benefit of widows and families of deceased

members of the gang. The
residue of the booty, being divided
into several parts, is generally shared as follows to the leader,
two shares ;
to the men actually concerned in perpetrating the
murder, and to the person who cut the dead body, each one
share and a half and to the remainder of the gang, each one
;
share.
The operations of the Thugs are facilitated, and their designs
cloaked, by a peculiar dialect they have recourse, also, to a
:
variety of signs. Drawing the back of the hand along the chin,
from the throat outwards, implies that caution is requisite that
some stranger is approaching. Putting the open hand over the
mouth, and drawing it gently down, implies that there is no
longer cause for alarm. If an advanced party of Thugs over-
take any traveller whom they design to destroy, but have need of
more assistance, they make certain marks on the roads, by which
those of the gang who follow understand that they are required
to hasten forward. A
party in advance also leaves certain
marks, where a road branches off, as intimations to those who
are behind. They draw their feet along the dust, in the direc-
tion they have taken and if their friends are to follow quickly,
;
they leave the dust piled up at the end of the line where the
foot drops, or make a hole in the dust with the heel. If the
road afford no dust, they leave two stones, placed one upon the
other, in the line they have taken, and strew a few leaves of
trees along the road. If their coadjutors are to make haste, they
make a very long 1'ne of leaves. They have many other signs,
for similar purposes
Of the number of persons who fall victims to these lawless

associations, it is obvious that no estimate can be made deserving
of the slightest confidence. The number has, without doubt,
varied greatly at different periods. There is reason to believe
that, from the time of the conquest of Mysore, in 1799, to 1807
and 1808, the practice, in that part of India, reached its height,
and that hundreds of persons were annually destroyed. In one
of his reports, the magistrate of Chittoor observes, " I believe
that some of the Phansigars have been concerned in above two
hundred murders nor will this estimate appear extravagant, if
:
it be remembered that murder was their frequently

profession
their only means of gaining a subsistence. Every man of fifty
years of age has probably been actively engaged, during twenty-
five years of his life, in murder and, on the most moderate com-
;
putation, it may be reckoned that he has made one excursion a

year, and met, each time, with ten victims."
The profession of a Thug, like almost every thing in India,
is hereditary, the fraternity, however, receiving occasional ree'n-
forcement from strangers but these are admitted with great
;
caution, and seldom they have attained mature age.

after
The children of Thugs, during their more tender years, are
kept in ignorance of the occupation of their fathers. After a

time they are permitted to accompany them but a veil is thrown
;
over the darker scenes of the drama. To the novice, indeed,

the expedition presents nothing but an aspect of pleasure. He
is mounted on a and the laws of the Thugs,
pony ; being, by
entitled to his share of the booty, he receives a portion of it, in
presents suited to his years the delight attending the acquisi-

;
tion being unalloyed by any consciousness of the means by which

it has been obtained. The truth reveals itself by degrees. In
a short time, the tyro becomes aware that his presents are the
fruits of robbery. After a while, he has reason to suspect that
robbery is aggravated by a fouler crime. At length, suspicion
passes into certainty and finally, the pupil is permitted to wit-
;
ness the exercise of the frightful handicraft which he is destined

to pursue. The moral contamination is now complete but it ;
is long before the disciple is intrusted with the performance of

the last atrocity. He passes through a long course of prepara-
tory study being first employed as a scout, next as a sexton,
then as a holder of the limbs before he is in any case thoughl
worthy of being elevated to the dignity of a strangler.
A too precipitate disclosure of the frightful truth has some
OF THE THUGS. 175
times produced fatal consequences. The following affecting

story, related a
by Thug who had become approver against his
comrados, will illustrate this. "About twelve years ago," said
" Aman took out with us
the narrator, my cousin, Subahdar, my
cousin Kurhora, brother of Omrow, (approver,) a lad of fourteen,
for the first time. He was mounted on a pretty pony and ;
Hursooka, an adopted son of Aman, was appointed to take

charge of the boy. We fell in with five Sieks; and when we
set out before daylight in the morning, Hursooka, who had been
already on three expeditions, was ordered to take the bridle, and

keep the boy in the rear, out of sight and hearing. The boy
became alarmed and impatient, got away from Hursooka, and
galloped up at the instant the '/ hirneej or signal for murder,
was given. He heard the screams of the men, and saw them
all strangled. He was seized with a trembling, and fell from his
pony. He became immediately delirious, was dreadfully alarmed
at the turbans of the murdered men, and, when any one touched
or spoke to him, talked wildly about the murders, screamed as
if in sleep, and trembled violently. We
could not get him for-
ward; and, after burying the bodies, Aman, myself, and a few
others, satby him while the gang went on. We were very fond
of him, and tried all we could to tranquillize him, but he never
recovered his senses, and before evening he died. I have seen
many instances of feelings greatly shocked at the sight of the

first murder, but never one so strong as Kurhora was a
this.
fine boy and Hursooka took hte death

;
much to heart, and
turned Byragee. He is now at some temple on the banks of the
Nerbudda River."
The which these miscreants might
indiscriminate slaughter in
oe tempted to indulge some degree restrained by supersti-
is in
*ion. It is deemed unlucky to kill certain castes and classes ;
and their members are therefore usually respected. The most

important and extended exception to the general rule of murder,
isthat of the female sex. Thugs, who have any real regard to
the principles which they profess to respect, never take the lives
of women. It cannot, however, be
supposed that such a rule
should be invariably observed by such persons as form the soci-
"
ety of Thugs and, in fact, it is constantly violated.
; Among
us," said one of the approvers interrogated by Captain Sleeman,
" it is a rule never to kill a woman but if a rich old woman is
;
found, the gang sometimes get a man to strangle her, by giving

him an extra share of the booty, and inducing him to take the
responsibility upon himself. We have sometimes killed other

prohibited people, particularly those of low caste, whom we
ought not even to have touched."
Among the privileged classes are washermen, poets, profess-
ors of dancing, blacksmiths, carpenters, musicians, oil-venders,
sweepers, the maimed, the leprous, and those persons who carry
the water of the Ganges into distant parts of India, to be used
for religious purposes.
The sacred cow, in
the eyes of all Hindoos
who have any preten-
sions to consistency, is
a protection to its pos-
sessor ;
art is, howev-
er, sometimes resorted
to, for the purpose of
removing this impedi-

ment to business. A
party of Thugs pro-
jected the murder of
fourteen persons, in-
cluding several wo-
men but the design
;
could not be carried

into effect, because
Jl Carrier of the Ganges Water.

the victims had a cow
them. With
with
some they were persuaded to sell the cow to the
difficulty,
Thugs who, to induce the travellers to consent to the sale,
;
pretended that they had vowed to make an offering of a cow

at Shaphore, and were much in want of one. The cow was
actually presented to a Brahman at Shaphore ; and, the obsta-
cle being removed, the whole of the unsuspecting travellers,
including the females, were, two or three hours afterwards,

strangled.
The movementsof the followers of Thuggee are invariably
governed by omens with which they believe their goddess favors
them. However favorably an expedition may have been com-
menced, success is liable to be postponed by a multiplicity of
ominous appearances. The dog enjoys the prerogative of putting
a veto on their proceedings, by shaking his head. Sneezing
entitles all the travellers within the gripe of the assassins to the
OF THE THUGS. 177
privilege of an escape, and no one dares to put them to death.

The fighting of cats, in the fore part of the night, is a good
omen but, if heard towards morning, it betokens evil the evil,
; ;
however, may be averted by gargling the mouth with a little

sour milk, and then spirting it out. The fighting of cats during
the day is a very bad omen, and threatens great evil: if the
cats fall down from a height while fighting, it is still worse.
These ills are beyond the healing influence of sour milk, and
call for nothing less than sacrifice. The noise of jackals fight-
ing is also a very bad omen, and involves the necessity of leav-
ing the part of the country in which the gang hears it. Almost
every sound made by animals, birds, and insects, and also their
various movements, are regarded as ominous either of good or of
" There are "
evil. always signs around us," say the Thugs, to
guide us to rich booty and to warn us of danger and if we are ;
only wise enough to discern them, and religious enough to

attend to them, we shall prosper in all our undertakings."
The following illustrate the opinions, enter-
colloquy will
tained by Thugs generally, as to the danger of associating with
those who have not been regularly educated the importance ;
of attending to rules and omens and the value and excellence;
of Thug learning.
Capt. Sleeman. You consider that a borka (a leader) is
capable of forming a gang, in any part of India to which he may
be obliged to flee ?
Sahib and Nasir. Certainly ;

in any part that we have seen
of it.
Capt. S. Do you know any instance of it ?

Sahib and Nasir. A great number. Mudee Khan was from
the old Sindouse stock, and was obliged to emigrate after the
attack upon that place. Many years afterwards, we met him in
the Deccan and he had then a gang of fifty Thugs, of all castes
;
and descriptions. We asked him who they were he told us :
that they were weavers, braziers, bracelet-makers, and all kinds

of ragamuffins, whom he had scraped together, about his new
abode on the banks of the Heran and Nerbudda Rivers, in the
districts of Jebulpore and Nursingpore. He was a Mussulman ;
and so were Lai Khan, and Kalee Khan, who formed gangs,
after the Sindouse dispersion, along the same rivers.
Capt. S. But these men have all been punished which does ;
not indicate the protection of Davy.

Sahib and Nasir. It indicates the danger of scraping to-
12
gether such a set of fellows for Thuggee. They Killed all
people indiscriminately, women and men, of allcastes and pro-

fessions ;
and knew so little about omens, that they entered
upon their expeditions, and killed people, in spite of such as the

most ignorant ought to have known were prohibited. They were
punished, in consequence, as we all knew that they would be ;
and we always used to think it dangerous to be associated with
them, for even a few days. Ask many of them who are now
here Kureem Khan, Sheikh Kureem, Rumzanee, and others
whether this is not true and whether they ever let go even a
;
sweeper, if he appeared to have a rupee about him.

Capt. S. And you think that, if they had been well instruct-
ed in the signs and rules, and attended to them, they would
have thrived ?
Sahib and Nasir. Undoubtedly! so should we.all.
Capt. S. You think that an inexperienced person could not
any where form a gang of Thugs of himself?
Sahib and Nasir. Never. He could know nothing of our
rules of augury, or proceedings and how could he possibly suc-
;
ceed ? Does not all our success depend upon knowing and ob-
serving omens and rules ?
Capt. S. would, therefore, never be very dangerous to
It
release such a man.

Sahib and Nasir. Never unless he could join men better
;
instructed than himself. Every one must be convinced, that it

is by knowing and
attending to omens and rules that Thuggee
has thrived.
The practice of Thuggee is not confined to adventurers upon
land. The rivers of India are infested by bands of fresh-water
pirates, of similar habits to those of the land Thugs, possessing

the same feeling, and differing from them only in a few trifling
paiticulars. There is still another class of Thugs, who murder
such persons only as are travelling with their children. Their
only object is to secure the children and sell them into slavery.
The dark and cheerless night of superstition, which has long
clouded the moral vision of India, has given rise to institutions
and practices so horrible, that, without the most convincing evi-
dence, their existence could not be credited by minds trained
under happier circumstances than those which prevail in the East.
That giant power, which has held the human race in chains
wherever the pure and unadulterated doctrines of revelation
have not penetrated, has, in India, revelled in the wantonness of
OF THE THUGS. 179
prosperity ;
the foundations of delusion have been laid wide and
deep the _>oison of a false and brutalizing creed has been insin-
;
uated into every action of daily life and the most obvious dis-
;
tinctions of right and wrong have been obliterated.

The fact of the existence of the cold-blooded miscreants who,
in India, make a trade of assassination, is sufficiently horrible ;
but when it is added, that their occupation is sanctioned by the

national religion, that the Thugs regard themselves as engaged
in the special service of one of the dark divinities of the Hindoo
creed, that the instruments of murder are in their eyes holy,

and that their faith in the protection of their goddess, and the
perpetuity of their craft, is not to be shaken, we must be struck
by the reflection, that we have a
opened page in the history of
man, fearful and humiliating beyond the ordinary records of
iniquity.
The genius of Paganism, which has deified every vice, and
thus provided a justification of the indulgence of every evil pro-
pensity, has furnished the Thugs with a patron goddess worthy
of those whom
she is believed to protect. Of Kalee, the deity
3f destruction,they are the most devout and assiduous worship-
pers: in her name they practise their execrable art; and their
victims are immolated in her honor. The Thugs believe that
Kalee formerly cooperated more directly with them, by dispos-
ing of the bodies of those whom they murdered, but she required
them not to look back to witness her operations. All was well,
so long as they observed this rule but the services of the god-
;
dess as a sextoness were lost through the carelessness or indiscreet

curiosity of one of the association. Of the circumstances attend-
ant on this mischance, there are different versions and at least
;
two are in pretty general circulation. According to one, a party

of Thugs, having destroyed a traveller, left the body, as usual,
unburied, in perfect confidence of receiving the wonted aid from
the goddess. A novice, however, unguardedly looking behind
him, saw the patroness of the Thugs in the act of feasting on
the corpse, one half of it hanging out of her mouth. According
to another report, the person looking back was a slave and the ;
goddess was engaged, not in satisfying the demands of hunger,

or gratifying a taste for luxury by swallowing the murdered
traveller, but in tossing the body into the air for what purpose
;
does not appear. The offence to the goddess is said, also, to

have been aggravated by the fact that she was not attired with
sufficient strictness to satisfy her sense of decorum. Both tales
agree in representing the goddess as highly displeased, and as visit-

ing her displeasure upon her servants, the Thugs, by condemning
*hem to bury their victims themselves. Though she refused any
longer to relieve the earth of the loathsome burdens with which
her worshippers encumbered it, she was so considerate as to pre-
sent her friends with one of her teeth for a pickaxe, a rib for a
knife, and the hem of her lower garment for a noose. Whether or
not this origin of the pickaxe be generally received, it is certain
that this instrument is held by the Thugs, throughout India, in
the highest veneration. Its fabrication is superintended with the
greatest care ;
and it is consecrated to the holy duty to which it
is destined with many ceremonies. In the first place, a lucky
day must be fixed upon : the leader of the gang then instructs a
smith to make the required tool, and the process is conducted
with the most profound secrecy. The door is peremptorily
closed against all intrusion the leader never quits the forge
;
while the manufacture is going on ;

and the smith must engage in
no other work till his sacred task is completed. The pickaxe, being
made, must next be consecrated. Certain days of the week are
deemed more auspicious for this purpose than the rest Monday, :
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, enjoy the distinction. Care

is taken that the shadow of no living thing may fall on the axe,
as this would contaminate the devoted implement, and frustrate

all the pains that had been taken in its formation. A doctor
most deeply versed in the learning of the Thugs undertakes the
solemn office of consecration. He sits down with his face to
the west, and receives the pickaxe in a brass dish. The instru-
ment which is to supply the want occasioned by the cessation
of the goddess's personal labors is first washed in water, which
is received into a pit dug for the purpose. The pickaxe then re-
ceives three other ablutions. The second washing is made with
a mixture of sugar and water ;
the third with sour milk and ;
the fourth with ardent spirits. With red lead the pickaxe is
marked, from the head to the point, with seven spots. It is

again placed on the brass dish, and, with it, a cocoa-nut, some
cloves white sandal-wood, sugar, and a few other articles. A
fire is now kindled, and the fuel consists of dried cow-dung and
the wood of the mango or byr-tree. All the articles deposited

in the brass pan are, with the exception of the cocoa-nut, thrown
into the fire and when the flame rises, the Thug priest, hold-
;
ing the pickaxe with both hands, passes it seven times through
the fire. The cocoa-nut is now stripped of its outer coat, and
OF THE THUGS.
placed on the ground. The controller of the pickaxe, holding it

" " The
by the point, then says, Shall I strike ? by-standers sig-
nifying their assent, he strikes the cocoa-nut with the butt-end of
the pickaxe, and breaks it, exclaiming, " All hail, mighty Davy,*
" The surrounding spectators respond,
great Mother of us all !
" All and prosper the Thugs "

hail, Davy ! This is a most !
interesting and exciting moment for, upon the hardness of the

;
nut, the skill of the operator, and the accidental circumstances

which may affect the force or direction of the blow, depends the
realization of the hopes of -the community. If the cocoa-nutbe
not severed at one blow, all the labor is thrown away the ;
goddess is understood to be unpropitious; another day must be

selected for the repetition of the ceremonies, and all the trouble
be incurred again. If, however, the nut is cleft at once, the
proof of the approval of the goddess is indisputable. The whole

of the shell, and some of the kernel of the nut, is thrown into the
fire the pickaxe is carefully tied up in a clean white cloth, and,
;
being placed on the ground to the west, the assembled specta-

tors, turning in that direction, prostrate themselves in adoration
before "that which their own hands have made;" that which
the labor of the smith might have fashioned with equal facility
into an object of reverence or of contempt and which, while it ;
receives divine honors, is destined to assist in a series of acts

most horrible and disgusting.
The ceremony of prostration concluded, all present receive a
portion of the cocoa-nut. The and
fragments are then collected,
thrown into the pit which had been previously prepared, lest, if
they remained on the ground, the sacred relics might be outraged
by the defiling touch of some human foot. These ceremonies,
elaborate as they are, suflice only for a single expedition.
When the sacred pickaxe is thus prepared, it must be placed
in safe custody it is not every Thug who can be trusted with
:
it. The person who bears it is selected, principally, for his

shrewdness, caution, and sobriety. It is, however, only when
on a journey that it is intrusted to human care at all. When in
camp, deposited in the earth, under the especial protection

it is
of the goddess. When buried, it is always placed with the

point in the direction in which the party intend to proceed and ;
they have the fullest confidence that, if another course is to be

preferred, the point will be found to have veered round so as to
indicate the better way.
* names of same goddes*.
Davy, Bhowanee, and Kalee, are different the
When the pickaxe is buried, no foot must touch the earth

which covers it ;
nor must any time, be approached by an
it, at
unclean animal, or any object which bears contamination. After

each time that it has been used for the preparation of a grave, it
must be submitted to the purification of the bath.
If the pickaxe falls from the hand of the man who bears it,
dismay spreads through the gang. The omen is regarded as of

the most fearful description its horrors are aggravated by
:
uncertainty as to the nature of the approaching evil, and even

as to the party upon whom
it is to descend. The omen may
indicate the death of the individual who had the care of the
sacred weapon, and who, through heedlessness or unavoidable
fatality, suffered it to drop from his embrace ; or it may fore-
bode some dreadful reverse to the fortunes of the gang. Meas-
ures are immediately taken to frustrate the evil omen ;
and
the first step is, to deprive the unhappy pickaxe-bearer of his
office.
The which they are engaged, whatever it be

enterprise in
isimmediately abandoned and the pickaxe must be consecrated
;
anew. Even these precautions are insufficient to restore things

to their original state. The misfortune upon the gang is a sen-
tence of excommunication from the society of all faithful Thugs.
No other party will ever associate with one whose pickaxe has
they should be involved in the evil which
fallen, lest is appre-
hended to the " doomed ones."
The pickaxe affords the most solemn sanction of an oath
among these murderers and if any sanction can bind their con-
;
sciences, perhaps, the only one capable of effecting that pur-

it is.
pose. Compared with it, neither the water of the Ganges weighs
with the nor the Koran with the Mussulman. " If
Hindoo, any
man swears to a falsehood upon a pickaxe properly consecrated,"
said the Thugs, " we will consent to be hanged if he survive the
time appointed. Appoint one, two, or three days, when he
swears, and we pledge ourselves that he does not live a moment
beyond the time. He will die a horrid death his head will turn ;
round, his face towards the back ;

and he will writhe in torture
till he dies." The pickaxe is, in short, the standard around
which all the
gloomy family of Thug superstitions rally it is ;
regarded as the great source of security and prosperity. The

instrument of strangulation is he d in esteem but that of burial ;
in infinitely more; the Thugs think of it with enthusiasm.

" Do we " do
not," said one interrogated by Captain Sleeman
OF THE THUGS. 183
we not worship it every seventh day ? Is it not our standard ?

Is itssound ever heard, when digging the grave, by any but a
"
Thug? And can any man ever swear to a falsehood upon it?
" How could we " with
dig graves," asked another, any other
instrument ? This is the one appointed by Davy, and conse-
crated and we should never have survived the attempt to
;
use any other. No man," it was added, " but a Thug, who
has been a strangler, and is remarkable for his cleanliness and
decorum, is permitted to carry it."
The Thugs profess to believe that their system of murder and

plunder was instituted by Kalee, the goddess whom they serve,
and is, consequently, of divine origin. This they attempt to
prove by the following legend :
In remote ages, a demon infested the earth, and devoured man-

kind as soon as created. This devouring monster was so gigan-
tic, that the water did not reach his waist in the unfathomable
parts of the ocean and he strode over the world unrestrained,

;
rioting in the destruction of the human race. The world was

thus kept unpeopled, until the goddess of the Thugs came to the
rescue. She attacked the demon, and cut him down but from ;
every drop of his blood another demon arose and though the ;
goddess continued to cut down these rising demons with won-

derful alacrity and scientific skill, other demons sprang from
their blood, and thediabolical race consequently multiplied with
fearful rapidity. The never-ending labor of cutting down de-
mons, whose number was only increased by this operation, at
length fatigued and disheartened the goddess. She found it
indispensably necessary to make a change in her tactics and ;
here the tale, which is thus far universally received, becomes

subject to variations. admitted by all Hindoos, that the
It is
demons multiplied manner described but there is a dif-

in the ;
ference of opinion respecting the manner in which they were
finally disposed of. The orthodox opinion is that, when th%

goddess found the drops of blood thus rapidly passing into de-
mons, a fact which, with all her divine attributes, it seems,
she only learned by experience, she hit upon a very happy
expedient to prevent the blood reaching the earth, where the
demoniacal transformation took place. Being furnished with
a tongue of extraordinary dimensions, she, after every blow,
promptly and carefully licked the blood away A preventive !
check being thus placed upon the further propagation of demons,

the goddess was enabled to destroy, at her leisure, those previ-
ously existing. Such is the commonly received account of th

goddess's dexterity and address. That of the Thugs is varied,
for the purpose of affording a superhuman sanction to their mode
of assassination. According to Thug mythology, the goddess,
when she became embarrassed by the constant reinforcements
of the demon army which accrued from her labors, relinquished
all personal efforts for their suppression, and formed two men
from the perspiration brushed from her arms. To each of these

men she gave a handkerchief how fabricated, at a time when
;
reelsand looms were not, is a question open to the discussion of

the learned. With these handkerchiefs they were commanded
demons to death, without shedding a drop of blood.
to put all the
Itdoes not appear why the goddess might not thus have plied
the handkerchief herself it may be presumed that she was too
:
much exhausted by her previous exertions. Her commands,

however, were faithfully executed; and the demons were all
strangled without delay.
There is some difficulty in understanding how demons so pow-
erful succumbed thus readily to two agents, who, though sprung
from an exudation of the goddess's arms, were, as appears by
the sequel of the tale, merely children of mortality. But the
difficulty never seems to have occurred to the Thugs whose
;
faith, like that of the mass of their countrymen, is of a very un-

scrupulous character. The story is wound up with such poet-
ical justice as might be expected in a Hindoo legend. The
champions, having vanquished the demons, offered, like hon-
all
est men, to return the handkerchiefs but their patroness, in the

;
spi- of a grateful goddess, desired that they would retain them,

;
t.
not merely as memorials of their heroism, but as the implements

of a lucrative trade in which their descendants were to labor
and They were not only permitted, but commanded, to
thrive.
strangle men, as they had strangled demons. They forbore,

indeed, to exercise this privilege for a long period, and several
generations passed before Thuggee became practised as a profes-
sion. Whether this forbearance was founded on the principle
according to which a sportsman suffers game to accumulate, is
not stated. The privilege slept but, though dormant, it was not
;
lost and in due time it was abundantly exercised. The lapse

;
between the grant of the patent and the use of it might

tend to raise a presumption against its having been granted ;
but Hindoo casuists are not accustomed to scrutinize evidence

with the severity which prevails in Westminster Hall.
OF THE THUGS. 185
The convic-
tion of tue divine
origin of Thug-
gee is
strength-
ened in the minds
of its followers
by the belief that

itsmysteries are
exhibited by the
numerous im-
ages sculptured
on the walls of
the cave temples
atEllora. On this
Interior of a Cave Temple at Ellora.
subject is the
following conversation of Captain Sleeman, in the employment

of the East India Company, and some Thugs who had become
witnesses for the prosecution instituted against their confed-
erates.
Capt. S. You told Mr. Johnstone, the traveller, while he was

at Saugor, that the operations of your trade were to be seen in
the caves of Ellora.
Feringeea. All Every one of the operations is to be seen
!
there. In one place, you see men strangling in another, bury- ;
ing the bodies in another, carrying them off to the graves.

;
There is not an operation in Thuggee that is not exhibited in

the caves of Ellora.
Dorgha. In those caves are to be seen the operations of
every trade in the world.
Chotee. Whenever we passed near, we used to go and see
these caves. Every man will there find his trade described,
however secret he may think it ;
and they were all made in
one night.
Capt. S. Does any person besides yourselves consider that
any of these figures represent

Thugs?
Feringeea. Nobody else. But all Thugs know that they do.
We never told any body else what we thought about them.
Every body there can see the secret operations of his trade ;
but he does not tell others of them and no other person can ;
understand what they mean. They are the works of Goc. No

human hands were employed upon them that every body ;
admits.
HABITS AND SUPERSTITIONS
Capt. S. What particular operations are there represented

by the sculptures ?
-Sahib Khan. I have seen the sotha, (inveigler,) sitting upon
the same carpet with the traveller, and in close conversation
with him, just as we are when we are worming out their secrets.
In another place, the strangler has got his roomal over his neck,
and is strangling him while another, the chumochee, is hold-
;
ing him by the legs. These are the only two operations that 1
have seen represented.
Nasir. These I have also seen and there is no mistaking
;
them. The chumochee has close hold of the legs, and is pulling
at them, thus; while the bhurtote is tightening the roomal
round his neck, thus !
Capt. S. Have you seen no others ?
Feringeea. I have seen these two and also the lughas car-
;
rying away the bodies to the grave, in this manner, and the sex-
tons digging the grave with the sacred pickaxe. All is done
just as if .we had ourselves done it nothing could be more

:
exact.
Capt. S. And who do you think could have executed this

work?
Feringeea. It could not have been done by Thugs, because
they would never have exposed the secret of their trade and ;
no other human being could have done it. It must be the
work of the gods human hands could never have performed it.
;
Capt. S. And, supposing so, you go and worship it ?

Sahib Khan. No. We go to gratify curiosity, and not to
worship. We look upon it as a mausoleum, a collection of curi-
ous figures cut by some demons, who knew the secrets of all
mankind, and amused themselves here in describing them.
The high office of a strangle* is not -attained until after a
novitiate of considerable length. When the disciple has been
sufficiently prepared, or at least when he believes that the con-
quest of natural feeling is so far complete as to enable him to
perform, without shrinking, that which he has learned to con-

template without horror, he applies to one of the most experi-
enced and respected of the gang to become his gooroo. This
word appears to be derived from the goor, or coarse sugar,
which forms an important ingredient in the ceremonies of initia-
tion and the office of the person honored with this title is, to
;
introduce the aspirant to the actual exercise of his profession ;

to ii struct him in the science of hangmanship and to preside
;
OF THE. THUGS.
over tli3 rites by which the pupil is to be consecrated to his dia-

bolical work. Precautions are taken that the young beginner
may not be embarrassed by difficulties. A victim is selected,
whose strength is below the average
for his first essay in guilt, :
and the chosen period of operation is at the moment when the

senses of the traveller are bewildered by being suddenly roused
from sleep. While the latter is reposing himself, the prepara-
tion takes place. The gooroo takes the pupil into a field, ac-
companied by three or four of the older members of the gang,
and the ceremonies commence by the whole party facing in the
direction in which they intend to move. The gooroo then pro-
ceeds to take the auspices; and, having invoked a favorable sign
from the goddess, half an hour is allowed for the fulfilment of
heir wishes. If in the course of that time the required sign is
obtained, all is well, and the goddess is believed to regard the

attempt of the young Thug with benignity but if no sign is ob-
;
tained, or if it is of an unfavorable nature, the ambition of the

novice is time disappointed, and the destined victim
for that
must fallby hands already practised in the murderous work.
If the sanction of the goddess be indicated, the group retire,
in high spirits, to the place where the sleeping traveller awaits
his death. The gooroo then, turning to the west, takes a hand-
kerchief, and ties at one end a knot, in which he encloses a

rupee. This knot is of a peculiar description, and the privilege
of tying it confined to those who have been regularly intro-
duced to their occupation. The clumsy intruder, who has not
participated in the advantages derived from a regular appren-
ticeship to the art, leaves the end of the roomal exposed the :
more accomplished practitioner manifests his science and ele-

gance by concealing the end within the knot. This is the mark
of his regular induction, and the ribbon of the order to which he
has the honor to belong.
The knot being duly tied by the gooroo, the roomal is deliv-
ered to the incipient strangler, who receives it with all the rev-
erence due to so precious a gift, bestowed by such venerated
hands. The interest of the scene now increases. The execu-
tioner, attended by a ghumgeea, or holder of hands, stands
before his victim, whose tranquil state is but an emblem of th^t
deeper sleep which is about to seal his eyes forever. His last
earthly slumber is gradually interrupted the victim
;
is roused
for slaughter the fatal noose is cast over his neck by the hand
;
of the youthful assassin, and, with the aid of the attendant ruf-
188 HABITS AND SUPERi flTIONS
fian, the work issoon completed. One human being !ias pissed
into eternity ;
another has taken the last step in guilt and
infamy !
The horrible work is over and, so far from being actuated

;
by any sensations of pity or remorse, the wretch, who has at-

tested the strength of his nerves and the weakness of his moral
perceptions, knows no feeling but that of delight, flowing from

gratified ambition. To his instructor, guide, and priest, his grat-
itude is boundless he : bows before his gooroo, and touches his
feet with both hands, in token of the deepest and most affection-
ate respect. But his gratitude, if confined to the person of his
preceptor, would be felt to be inadequate and niggardly. The
relations and friends of the reverend man are entitled to share the
warm feelings of the now accomplished assassin and to them ;
he tenders the same homage which he has previously paid to his

father in crime.
A lucky omen is once more anxiously looked for ; and, as
soon as it afforded, the newly-admitted strangler opens the
is
knot tied in the handkerchief by the hands of his tutor, and takes
out the rupee which had been placed within it. This coin, with
all the other silver which he has, the pupil presents to the precep-
tor : the latter adds his own stock of money to the offering ; and,
after setting apart one rupee and a quarter to the purchase of
goor for the tapoonee, the remainder is expended in sweatmeats.

The tapoonee is a solemn sacrifice performed after every
murder. The
goor placed upon a blanket or sheet, spread
is
upon a clean spot. On the cloth, near the goor, is deposited the
consecrated pickaxe, and a piece of silver for an offering. The
Thug whose reputation for professional learning stands the high-
est, and who is supposed to enjoy the largest share of the favor
of the goddess, also takes his place on the cloth, with his face
to the west the most accomplished and scientific stranglers are
:
associated with him in this place of honor. The number of this

select body must be an even one but its extent is limited only
;
by the size of the cloth. Those of the higher grade who are
unable to find accommodation among their brethren, and the
vulgar herd who have no claim to distinction, arrange them-
selves around the cloth which bears the sacrifice and those who
preside over it. The leader then makes a hole in the ground,
and, having poured into it a little of the goor, clasps his hands
in the attitude of fervent devotion, and raising them, in harmony
with his upturned eyes, to heaven, gives utterance to the follow-
OF THE THUGS.
" Great
ing prayer :
goddess as you vouchsafed ?ne lac and
!
sixty thousand rupees to Joora Naig and Koduck Bimwanee, in

their need, so we pray thee fulfil our desires " The enumera- !
tion of the precise number of thousands bestowed by the god-

dess upon her favorites is not very poetical but the petition is
;
so entirely accordant with Thug feeling, that no douht can be

entertained as to the sincerity with which it is offered. All the
assembled followers repeat the prayer after the leader ; and the
sprinkling water on the pit and pickaxe, puts a little
latter, after
of the goor upon the head of each Thug who has been so fortu-
nate as to obtain a seat upon the carpet. The signal for stran-
gling is now
given, as if a murder were actually about to be com-
mitted and the Thugs, who have received the portions of goor,
;
?at them in solemn silence. The most perfect stillness prevails,

till these
privileged persons have swallowed the precious mor-
sels distributed to them, and diluted the repast by drinking
some water. The goor is now given to all whose rank entitles
them to partake of it the greatest care being taken that no part
;
shall fall to the ground. Should such an accident happen, the

fallen fragments are carefully collected, and deposited in the pit.
The thus alleviated, so far as human prudence can
misfortune is
avail, by preserving the hapless relics of the sugar, consecrated

to murder, from contamination by the foot of man.
The sacred goor is not imparted to all Thugs indiscriminate-
ly : two conditions are necessary, to qualify them for a share of

it. The participant must be in a state of freedom, servitude
barring his admission to the privilege the only remaining dis-
:
qualification is found in innocence of murder. None but the prac-

tical assassin can be allowed to partake of the sacred goor no ;
one, but he whose hands have performed the office of strangling,

is thought worthy of the food which derives its sanctity irom
the prayers of stranglers. For those who cannot boast the name
of freemen, or whom youth, fear, or ill-fortune has withheld from
performing on any of their fellow-men, the honorable act of
strangulation, some sugar is set apart, before it acquires its ho.y
charade.. This the excluded eat, at the time when their more
favored associates partake of that portion which has been sanc-
tified. The sweetmeats which have been provided are distrib-
uted among the gang generally.
The expedition being closed, and the members of the commu-
nity having retired to their quarters, the happy individual, who
has passed from a state of pupilage into the maturity of a prac-
tised assassin, entertains hisgooroo at a feast as magnificent a

his circumstances will afford. If he have the means of defray
ing the expense, not only the immediate members of the goo-
roo's family, but all his relatives, are invited, and the grateful
murderer equips his tutor, from head to foot, with a complete
array of new vestments. The same compliment is paid to the
gooroo's lady, and sometimes to all his relatives. Soon after
this feast, the gooroo invites his pupil to an entertainment. The
connection between them is henceforward indissoluble and the
;
most intimate and sacred relations of nature are considered as

nothing, in comparison with it. A Thug will rather betray his
father than the gooroo by whom he has been introduced to the
honors of his profession.
Jl Thug riding in a Palanquin to a Feast prepared by his Gooroo.
The dignity and sanctity with which murder is invested by

the creed of the Thugs afford lamentable proof of the inseparable
copnection subsisting between the corruption of religion and the
corruption of morals. To obliterate all religious feeling from
the heart of man is a difficult, if not an impossible task to sub- ;
is, unhappily, a
stitute superstitious belief for reasonable faith
very easy one and;

sound morals invariably disappear with
sound religion. Indeed, between false religion and false morals
there is a mutual action and reaction. The wayward desires
of man lead him to indulge in that which true religion forbids :
he therefore seeks shelter in a false one. Again superstition ;
sanctions, and even commands, practices against which pure

morality revolts hence the moral judgment is depraved, the
:
restraints of conscience abolished, and that feeling which should

conduct men to all that is good, and pure, and excellent, be-
comes the pilot to every vice, and the prompter of the most
horrible crimes.
OF THE THUGS. 191
The effect of the consecrated sugar, or goor, is believed to be

irresistible. Captain Sleeman, having reproached some of the
fraternity on account of a murder marked by many ferocious
and unmanly features, one of the party replied, " We all feel
pity sometimes but the goor of the taponee changes our na-
;
ture it would change the nature of a horse.

: Let any man
once taste of that goor, and be will be a Thug, though he know
all the trades, and have all the wealth, in the world. I never
wanted food. My mother's family was opulent her;

relations
high in office. I have been high in office myself, and became
so great a favorite, wherever I went, that I was sure of promo-

tion ; yet I was always miserable when absent from my gang,
and obliged to return to Thuggee. My father made me taste of
that fatal goor when I was yet a mere boy and if I were
;
to
live a thousand years, I should never be able to follow any other
trade."
A Mahometan at Prayer.
The superstitions of the Thugs are all of Hindoo origin yet ;
Mahometans adopt them with a belief equally implicit, and a

devotion equally ardent. They pay divine honors to Kalee, the
impersonation of destruction, which, in the eyes of all sound

Mahometans, must be idolatry a crime severely denounced in
the Koran, and held by all good Mussulmans in abhorrence.
Their mode of escaping the difficulties in which they are in-
volved, by the inconsistency of their creed with their practice, is
illustrated by a conversation held by Captain Sleeman with some
Mahometan Thugs.
Capt. S. Has Bhowanee been any where named in the Koran ?
Sahib. Nowhere.
" " a Mussulman
Here,"(says Captain Sleeman,) Thug
interposed, and said he thought Bhowanee, and Fatima, the
daughter of Mahomet, were one and the same person and ;
that was Fatima who invented the use of the roomal, to

it
strangle the great demon Rukut-beejdana. This led to a dis-

cussion between him and some of my Mussulman native officers,
who did not like to find the amiable Fatima made a goddess of
Thuggee."
Capt. S. Then has Bhowanee any thing to do with your
Paradise ?
Sahib. Nothing.
Capt. S. She has no influence upon your future state ?
Sahib. None.
Capt. S. Does Mahomet, your prophet, any where sanc-
tion crimes like yours ; the murder in cold blood of your fel-
low-creatures, for the sake of their money ?

Sahib. No.
Capt. S. Does he not say that such crimes will be punished
by God in the next world ?
Sahib. Yes.
Capt. S. Then do you never feel any dread of punishment
hereafter ?
Sahib. Never. We never murder unless the omens are

favorable ;
and we consider favorable omens as the mandates of
the deity.
Capt.S. What deity?

Sahib. Bhowanee.
Capt. S. But Bhowanee, you say, has no influence upon
the welfare, or otherwise, of your soul hereafter.
Sahib. None, we believe but she influences our fates in
;
this world ;
and what she orders, in this world, we believe that
God will not punish in the next.
The conjoint adoration of the deities of different and discord-
OF THE THUGS. 193
ant creeds is neither new nor uncommon in the East. In the Old
Testament many instances are recorded, in which nations, as
well as individuals, paid a divided homage to the true God and
to a multiplicity of idols and, in various parts of India, the Ma-
;
hometans, from having long been surrounded by a Hindoo popu-

lation, have been led to adopt many of their opinions and prac-
tices.
Indru, King of the minor Deities
In another interview, one of the Thug witnesses was asked

Capt. Sleeman. And do you never feel sympathy for the
persons murdered, never pity or compunction ?
Sahib. Never.
Capt. S. How can you murder old men and young children
without some emotions of pity, calmly and deliberately, as
they sit with you, and converse with you, and tell you of their
private affairs
?
Sahib. From the time that the omens have been favorable
13
we consider them thrown into our hands by he deity,

as victims
to be killed, and that we
mere instrument in her hands
are the
to destroy them that if we do not kill them, she will never be
;
again propitious to us, and we and our families will be involved

in misery and want.
Ca.pt. S. And you can sleep as soundly, by the bodies or

over the graves of those you have murdered, and eat your meals
with as much appetite, as ever ?
Sahib. Just the same. We sleep and eat just the same, unless
we are afraid of being discovered.
Capt. S. And when you see or hear a bad omen, you think
it the order of the deity not to kill the travellers
is you have
with you, or are in pursuit of?
Sahib. Yes : it is the order not to kill them, and we dare
not disobey.
Some Thugs let very poor travellers escape, in hope of find-
ing better game others regard forbearance, in such a case, as an

:
act of abominable impiety. A

further extract will show the
respective views of these conflicting sects, and the reasoning by

which they are supported.
Capt. S. When you have a poor traveller with you, or a
party of travellers who appear to have little property about them,
and you hear or see a very good omen, do you not let them
go, in the hope that the return of the omen will guide you to
better prey ?
Dorgha, (Mussulman. ) Let them go ? Never, never !
Nasir, (Mussulman of Telingana.) How could we let them

go ? Is not the good omen the order from Heaven to kill them ?
and would it not be disobedience to let them go ? If we did not
kill them, should we ever
get any more travellers ?
Feringeea, (Brahman.) I have known the experiment tried
with good eflect. I have known travellers, who promised little,
let go and the virtue of the omen brought better.
;
Inaent, (Mussulman.) Yes the virtue of the omen remains ;

;
and the traveller who has little should be let go for you are ;
sure to get a better.

Sahib Khan, (of Telingana.) Never, never! This is one
of your Hindoostanee heresies. You could never let him go,
without losing all the fruits of your expedition. You might get
property, but it would never do you any good. No success
could result from your disobedience.
Morlee. (Rajpoot.) Certainly not. The travellers who are in
OF THE THUGS. 195
our hands, when we have a good omen, must never be let go,
whether they promise little or much. The omen is unquestion-
ably the order, as Nasir says.
Nasir. The idea of securing the good-will of Davy by dis-
obeying her order is quite monstrous. Deccan Thugs do We
not understand how you got hold of it. Our ancestors never
were guilty of such folly.
Feringeea. You do not mean to say, that we of Murnae and
Sindouse were not as well instructed as you of Telingana?
Nasir and Sahib Khan. We only mean to say, that you
have clearly mistaken the nature of a good omen in this case.
It is the order of to take what she has put in our way
Davy j
at least, so we Deccan understand it.

in the
So long as the Thugs were faithful to their Kalee, so long
as they attended to all the rites, the ceremonies, and offerings, by
which they rendered to her worship and honor, so long as the
order remained pure, and was not contaminated by the low and
disreputable castes who never fail to infect those with whom
they are associated, so long they prospered in their profession,
and so long did they enjoy the favor and the protection of their
deity. But now, ia consequence of these corruptions, they have
fallen under her displeasure, and their system is likely to be
exploded.
In obedience to the supposed commands of Kalee, the traveller
was arrested on his journey ;
the ascetic was strangled on his
road to Juggernaut the young, sometimes, have had their brains
;
dashed out against a stone, and the old have had no mercy
shown to them on account of their infirmities ;
the beautiful
female has been treated with the same ferocious cruelty as the bold
and daring the wealthy merchant has lost his life, as well as his
;
gains and his riches; and the rajah, equipped for his journey,
attended by his friends, his servants, and his train of followers,
accompanied by his elephants, his horses, his camels, his oxen,
and all the paraphernalia of Eastern grandeur, has, with all his
attendants, been murdered in a moment. The kindness of
friendship, the claims of hospitality, the interchange of social
intercourse, the solemn promise, vows of protection to the
young, the infirm, and the lovely, were, by these cruel murder-
ers, entirely disregarded; and when a kind host has been enter-
taining them and reposing his confidence in their

at his table,
brotherly regard, many of his guests have been engaged, outside

the tent, in. preparing his tomb, and have given him and his
relatives a sepulchre, as a reward for his entertainment.
A Thug leader, most polished manners and

possessed of
great eloquence; being asked by a native whether he never
felt
compunction in murdering innocent people, answered, with a

" Does
smile, any man feel compunction in following his trade ?
" The
an ? are not all our trades assigned us by Providence ?
native gentleman said, " How many people have you, in the
course of your life, killed with your own hands, at a rough
guess?" "I have killed none!" "Have you not been just
describing to me a number of murders?" "Yes; but do you
suppose I could have committed them ? Is any man kilied from
man's killing ? Admeeke marne se koee murta. Is it not the
hand of God that kills him ? and are we not mere instruments
"
in the hand of God ?
Fatalism is a prominent dogma of the creed of the Thugs ;
and they consider themselves, in the exercise of their trade, tc

be entirely exempt from moral responsibility. Yet, *in the
attention to omens, or in the neglect of these instructions, they
strangely enough appear to regard themselves as free agents, whc

may expect reward for obedience and punishment for disobedi-
ence. In their view, to commit murder is inevitable, and a matter
of necessity to murder according to rule is an act of choice
:
;
and choose aright is meritorious.

to
How, it may well be asked, could such a fraternity grow up

in Hindoostan, and be permitted to carry on their depredations
for so many ages But the same religion that allowed the
?
mother to strangle her infant, that suffered the Brahmans to offer
up their human
sacrifices, that commanded the helpless female
to mount
the funeral pile, that encouraged the devotee to throw
himself under the wheels of Juggernaut, patronized the Thugs
in their assassinations, and gave them the license of plunder at
their will. What class in the community, then, could dispute
their right, or question their authority? Many of the native
rajahs had licensed the infamous system a certain tax was
;
levied upon every house which was known to be inhabited by a
Thug and, under the sanction of the law and the government,
;
the assassin was permitted to carry on his atrocious deeds

throughout the country. Nay, such was the encouragement
these murderers received, and so useful were they to the public
treasury, that, when the British government resolved to
put them
down, and applied to the independent princes to cooperate with
't in
accomplishing this object, the rajah of contended
Joudpoor
that he had a right to protect the Thugs, and refused to give up
OF THE THUGS. 197
ibcsc who had taken refuge in his territoryand had it not been
;
ior the firmness ofLord William Bentinck, who ordered an army

to assemble on the frontier of his dominions, and showed him that
it was
impossible the Joudpoor province should become the ren-
dezvous of a banditti who would commit their depredations
with impunity upon the other states of the empire, the system
would have flourished, under such protection, to this day.
..
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF
TWO OF THE PRINCIPAL HINDU FESTIVALS.
IN India, the division of time into weeks has all along been
observed. The remembrance, however, of the seventh as a
Sabbath, or sacred day of rest, has been completely i "St. In-
stead thereof, there have been substituted certain periodu.il or
anniversary days of high festival, in honor of the principal divin-

ities. These are so numerous, that it would be impossible
within our limits to describe them all, as the description would
be exceedingly voluminous. Every sect has its own favorite
tutelary deity, in honor of whom stated periodical festivals

are held.
There is scarcely a day in the twelvemonth on which the
anniversary of one or other of the gods is not celebrated by one
or other of the leading sects, or sub-sects. It is quite enough
for our purpose, to refer to one or two of those festivals which

from the superiority of the divinity adored, the prodigious
multitudes that engage in the religious rites, and the universal
suspension of business among all classes for several days may
strictly and truly be denominated national. In Bengal, in par-
ticular, the consort of Shiva, the destroying power, is the divin-
ity that engrosses the largest proportion of daily, monthly, and
annual devotion. Like the other principal deities, she has been
manifested under an immense variety of forms. Of these a
thousand are usually enumerated, under as many distinct appel-
lations. Of the thousand forms, there are two that have risen
to unrivalled preeminence above the rest. These are the forms
of Durga and Kali. To these, therefore, our attention may be
chiefly directed.*
This description of the Durga and Kali Festivals is

compiled from the
writings of Rev. Alexander Duff, D. D., of Calcutta. These festivals have
been witnessed by the writer and also by the compiler.

The Hindu. G oddest Durga.
Ill the form of Durga, the consort of Shiva has been said to
blend in herself the characters of the Olympian Juno and the

Pallas, or armed Minerva, of the Greeks. She is, however, a far
more tremendous personage than both of these combined. Hav-
ing been endowed by all the gods severally with their distinc-
tive attributes, she concentrates in herself their united power
and divinity. She has thus become at once their champion and
protectress. Hence her towering preeminence above them all
in popular estimation ; and hence, of all the annual festivals,
that of Durga is most extensively celebrated in Eastern India.
In this character, she is usually represented with ten arms, into
which the principal gods delivered their respective weapons of

warfare. From one she, received the trident from a second, a
;
quiver and arrows from a third, a battle-axe from a fourth,

; ;
an iron club from a fifth, spears and thunderbolts

;
and so, ;
from other gods, various other warlike instruments together ;
with the befitting ornaments of a golden crown, and robes mag-

nificently adorned with jewels, and a necklace of pearls, and a
wreathed circlet of snakes.
Thus martially accoutred, the belligerent goddess is ever
ready to encounter the mightiest giants, and most malignant
demons, that dare to invade the repose of the immortals. It was
in consequence of destroying a giant, of such terrible potency as

to have dispossessed the gods of their dominion, that she gained
the name of Durga. As the description of this celebrated con-
DURGA FESTIVAL. 203
est is a fair specimen of the manner in which the founders of

Hinduism conceived and depicted those numberless battles of
gods with which the sacred books abound, and as the reiter-
ated rehearsal of it enters largely into all the meditations and
prayers, the invocations and praise, the songs and the hymns, of
millions of adoring worshippers, on days of high festival, it may
be well to introduce the original account of it, though in a
somewhat abridged form, from the volumes of Ward.
In remote ages, a giant named Durga, having performed re-
ligious austerities of transcendent merit, in honor of Brahma,
obtained his blessing, and became a great oppressor. He con-
quered the three worlds dethroned all the gods, except the
;
sacred Triad banished them from their respective heavens to

;
live in forests and compelled them, at his nod, to come and

;
bow down and worship before him, and celebrate his praise
He abolished religious ceremonies.
all The Brahmans, through
fear of him, forsook the reading of the Vedas. The rivers
changed their courses. Fire lost its energy. The terrified
stars retired from his sight. He assumed the forms of the
clouds, and gave rain whenever he pleased the earth, through ;
fear, gave an abundant increase and the trees yielded flowers

;
and fruits out of season. The gods at length applied to Shiva.

One said, He me another, He has taken my king-
has dethroned ;
dom ;
and thus the gods related their misfortunes.
all Shiva,
pitying their case, desired his wife, Parvati, to go and destroy
the giant. She willingly accepted the commission. Durga
prepared to meet her with an army of thirty thousand giants,
who were such monsters in size, that they covered the surface
of the earth, ten millions of swift-footed horses, a hundred
millions of chariots, a hundred and twenty thousand millions
of elephants, and beyond the power of arithmetic to
soldiers
number. Parvati, having assumed a thousand arms, sat down
upon a mountain, coolly awaiting the approach of her formidable
foes. The troops of the giant poured their arrows at her, thick
as the drops of rain in a storm they even tore up the trees and
;
the mountains, and hurled them at the goddess she turned :
them away, and caused millions of strange beings to issue

all
from her body, which devoured all her enemies except their
great leader. He then hurled a flaming dart at the goddess ;
she easily turned it aside. He discharged another this she ;
resisted by a hundred arrows. He levelled at her a club and

pike ; these, too, she repelled. He broke off the peak of a moun-
204 DURGA FESTIVAL.
tain, and threw it at her ;

into seven pieces by hei
she cut it
spear. He now assumed the shape of an elephant as large as a

mountain, and approached the goddess ; but she tied his legs,
and with her nails, which were like cimeters, tore him to
pieces. He then arose in the form of a buffalo, and with his
horns cast stones and mountains at the goddess, tearing up
the trees by the breath of his nostrils she pierced him with a
;
trident, when he reeled to and fro. Renouncing the form of a

buffalo, he reassumed his original body as a giant, with a thou-
sand arms, and weapons in each she seized him by his thousand
;
arms and carried him into the air, from whence she threw him
down with a dreadful force. Perceiving, however, that this had
no effect, she pierced him in the breast with an arrow when ;
the blood issued in streams from his mouth, and he expired.

The gods, filled with joy, immediately reascended their thrones,
and were reinstated in their former splendor. The Brahmans
recommenced the study of the Vedas. Sacrifices were again
regularly performed. Every thing reassumed its pristine state.
The heavens rang with the praises of Parvati and the gods, ;
in return for so signal a deliverance, immortalized the victory by
transferring to the heroine the name of Durga.

Suppose, then, you were in Calcutta in the month of Sep-
tember, you might every where witness the most splendid and
extensive preparations for the annual festival of Durga. In
going along the streets of the native city, your eye might be
chiefly arrested by the profusion of images unceremoniously ex-
posed to sale like the commonest commodity. On inquiry, you
are told that wealthy natives have images of the goddess in their
houses, made of gold, silver, brass, copper, crystal, stone, or mixed

metal, which are daily worshipped. These are stable and per-
manent heir-looms in a family and are transmitted from sire to
;
son, like any other of the goods and chattels that become hered-
itary property. But, besides these, you are next informed that,
for the ceremonial purpose of a great festival, multitudes of
temporary images are prepared. The reason why we call these

temporary will appear by and by. These may be made of a
composition of hay, sticks, clay, wood, or other cheap and light
materials. They may be made of any size, from a few inches
to ten, twelve, or twenty feet in height. But the ordinary size
is that of the human stature. The only limitation is that of the
form. This is prescribed by divine authority and from it
;
there must be no departure. Hence all are framed or fashioned

DURGA FESTIVAL. 205
aftor thesame divine model. This, we may remark in passing,

isone of the principal reasons why, in India, the arts of painting
and statuary have for ages been stationary. These images may
be made by the worshipping parties themselves, and made so
>mall, and of substances so little expensive, that the poorest may
be provided with one as well as the richest. But if the parties
do not choose to make the images themselves, they can be at
no loss. There is an abundance of image-makers by profession.
And, alasin a city like Calcutta, the craft of image-making is
!
by the
far most lucrative and unfluctuating of all crafts. If
there be thousands and tens of thousands of families that are to
engage in the celebration of the festival, there must be thousands

and tens of thousands of images prepared for it.
This explains to you the origin of the spectacle presented to
your eyes in passing along the streets of Calcutta. Before,
behind, on the right and on the left, here, and there, and
every where, you seem encompassed with a forest of images of
and piles of limbs, and bodies, and fragments of
different sizes,
images, of divers materials, finished and unfinished, in all tha

intermediate stages of progressive fabrication. But not only is
the sense of vision affected the ears, too, are assailed by the
;
noise of implements busily wielded by the workmen. You

step aside, and, standing at the door of an image-maker's work-
shop, you gaze with wonder at the novel process.
After the abatement of the surprise, you are impelled to
first
" What " "
address the men. !
you exclaim, do you really be-
lieve that, with your own hands, you can, out of wood, and straw,
and clay, fabricate a god before which you may fall down and
" " " we believe no
worship ? No," will be the prompt reply ;
lt " " We
such thing." What, then, do you believe ? believe,"
" that we mould and fashion the
respond they, only representative
"
image, or graven likeness, of the deity." How, then, come
" " " till the first
you to worship it ? Wait," may be the reply,
great day of the feast, and you will then see how it is rendered
worthy of homage and adoration."
As the great day approaches, symptoms of increasing prepara-
tion thicken and multiply all around. People are seen in every
direction peaceably -conveying the images to their houses. The
materials for wonder-stirring exhibitions and ceremonial obser-
vances are every where accumulating. Thousands of residents
from ,1 distance are seen returning to their homes in the interior,
laden with the earnings and the profits of months to lavish on
206 DURGA FESTIVAL.
the great occasion. At length the government offices are by

proclamation shut for a whole week ! Secular business of every
description, public or private, is suspended by land and by
water, in town and in country. All things seem to announce
the approach of a grand holiday a season of universal joy and
festivity.
extends altogether over a period of fifteen days.
It The
of that time is occupied with the performance of
greater part
preliminary ceremonies, previous to the three great days of
worship. Early on the morning of the first of the three great
days commences the grand rite of consecrating the images.
Hitherto these have been regarded merely as combinations of
lifeless, senseless matter. Now, however, by the power of the
Brahmans, those vicegerents of deity on earth,
they are to
be endowed with life and intelligence. A wealthy family can
always secure the services of one or more Brahmans; and of
the very poor, a few may always unite, and secure the good
offices of one of the sacred fraternity. At length the solemn
hour arrives. The officiating Brahman, provided with the
leaves of a sacred tree, and other holy accoutrements, approaches
the image. With the two forefingers of his right hand he
touches the breast, the two cheeks, the eyes, and the forehead
of the image, at each successive touch giving audible utterance
to the prayer, "Let the spirit of Durga descend, and take
"
possession of this image And thus, by the performance of
!
various ceremonies, and the enunciation of various mystical

verses or incantations, called mwitras, the ghostly officiator if
devoutly believed to possess the divine power of bringing down
the goddess to take bodily possession of the image. The image
is henceforward regarded as the peculiar local habitation of the
divinity, and is believed to be really and truly animated by her.

In this way, the relation of the visible image to the invisible
deity is held to be precisely the same as the relation of the
human body to the soul, or subtile spirit, that actuates it. The
constant and universal beliefis, that when the Brahman repeats
the muntras, the deities must come, obedient to his call, agree-
ably to the favorite Sanskrit sloka, or verse "The universe

is under the power of the deities the deities are under the
;
power of the muntras the muntras are under the power of

;
the Brahmans consequently, the Brahmans are gods."

;
This
is the creed of the more enlightened but a vast proportion of
;
the more ignorant and unreflecting believe something far more

DURGA FESTIVAL. 207
gross. It is their firm persuasion that, by means of the cere-

monies and incantations, the mass of rude matter has been ac-
tually changed or transformed, or, if you will, transubstantiated,
into the very substance of deity itself. According to either
view of the subject, whether more or less rational, the image
is believed to be
truly animated by divinity, to be a real,
proper, and legitimate object of worship. Having eyes, it can

now behold the various acts of homage rendered by adoring
votaries having ears, it can be charmed by the symphonies of
;
music and of song having nostrils, it can be regaled with the

;
sweet-smelling savor of incense and perfume having a mouth, ;
it can be luxuriated with the grateful delicacies cf the rich ban-
quet that is spread out before it.
Immediately after the consecration of the images, the worship

commences, and is continued with numberless rites nearly the
whole day. But what description can convey an idea of the
multifarious complexity of Indian worship ? worship, too,
simultaneously conducted in thousands of separate houses ;
for on such occasions every house is converted into a temple.

To bring the subject within some reasonable compass, you must
suppose yourself in the house of a wealthy native. Let it be
one which is constructed, as usual, of a quadrangular form,
with a vacant area in the centre, open or roofless towards the
canopy of heaven. On one side is a spacious hall, opening
along the ground floor, by many folding doors, to piazzas or
verandas on either side. These are crowded by the more
common sort of visitors. Round the greater part of the interior
isa range of galleries, with retiring chambers. Part of these is
devoted to the reception of visitors of the higher ranks, whether
European or native, and part is closed for the accommodation
of the females of the family, who, without being seen them-
selves, may, through the Venetians, view both visitors and wor-
shippers, as well as the varied festivities. The walls, the
columns, and fronts of the verandas and galleries, are all fan-
tastically decorated with a profusion of tinsel ornaments of

colored silk and paper, and glittering shapes and forms of gold
and silver tissue. To crown all, there is, in the genuine Orien-
tal style,an extravagant display of lustres, suspended from
the ceiling, and projecting from the walls, which, when kin-
dled at night, radiate a flood of light enough to dazzle and con-
found ordinary vision.
At the upper extremity of the hall is the ten-armed image of
208 DUROA FESTIVAL.
the goddess, raised several feet on an ornamented pedestal. On

either side of her are usually placed images of her two sons ;
Ganesha, the god of wisdom, with his elephant head ; and Kar-
tikeya, the god of war, riding on a peacock. These are wor-
shipped on this occasion, together with a multitude of demi-god-
desses, the companions of Durga in her wars.
In the evening, about eight o'clock, the principal pujah, 01
worship,is renewed with augmented zeal. But what consti-
tutes pujah, or worship, in that land ? Watch the devotee, and
you will soon discover. He enters the hall he approaches the ;
image, and prostrates himself before it. After the usual.ablu-

tions,and other preparatory rites, he next twists himself into a
variety of grotesque postures ; sometimes sitting on the floor,
sometimes standing sometimes looking in one direction, and
;
sometimes in another. Then follows the ordinary routine of

observances, [by the officiating Brahman;] sprinklings of the
idol with holy water rinsings of its mouth washings of its
; ;
feet wi pings of it with a dry cloth thro wings of flowers and

; ;
green leaves over it adornings of it with gaudy ornaments

j ;
exhalirigs of perfume alternate tinklings and plasterings of the

;
sacred bell with the ashes of sandal wood mutterings of invo- ;
cation for temporal blessings and a winding up of the whole

;
with the lowliest act of prostration, in which the worshipper

stretches himself at full length, disposing his body in such a
manner as at once to touch the ground with the eight principal
parts of his body, viz., the feet, the thighs, the hands, the breast,
the mouth, the nose, the eyes, and the forehead !
Then succeeds a round of carousals and festivity. The spec-
tators are entertained and sweetmeats. Guests *of
with fruits
distinction have atar, or the essence of roses, and rich conserves,
abundantly administered. Musicians, with various hand and

wind instruments, are introduced into the hall. Numbers of
abandoned females, gayly attired, and glittering with jewels, are
hired for the occasion to exhibit their wanton dances, and re-
hearse their indecent songs in praise of the idol, amid the plau-
dits of surrounding worshippers.
Another essential part of the worship consists in the presenta-
tion of different kinds of offerings to the idol. These offerings,
after being presented with due form and ceremony, are eventu-
ally distributed among the attendant priests. No share of them
is expected to be returned to the 'worshipper ; so that, on his
part, it is a real sacrifice. Whatever articles are once offered,

A Hindu Family carrying Offerings to an Idol.
14
DURGA FESTIVAL. 211
become consecrated, and are supposed to have some new and

valuable qualities thereby imparted to them. Hence the more
ignorant natives often come craving for a small portion of the
sacred food, to be carried home, ;o cure diseases.
But it is to the almost incredible profusion of the offerings
presented at such festivals that we would desire to call your
special attention. In general it may be said that the bulk of
the people, rich and poor, expend by far the larger moiety of
their earnings or income on offerings to idols, and the countless
ritesand exhibitions connected with idol worship. At the cel-
ebration of one festival, a wealthy native has been known to
offer after this manner eighty thousand pounds' weight of
sweetmeats eighty thousand pounds' weight of sugar; a thou-
;
sand suits of cloth garments a thousand suits of silk a thou-

; ;
sand offerings of rice, plantains, and other fruits. On another

occasion, a wealthy native has been known to have expended
upwards of thirty thousand pounds sterling on the offerings,
the observances, and the exhibition, of a single festival and ;
upwards of ten thousand pounds annually, ever afterwards to

the termination of his life. Indeed, such is the blindfold zeal
of these benighted people, that instances are not unfrequent of
natives of rank and wealth reducing themselves and families to
poverty by their lavish expenditure in the service of the gods,

and in upholding the pomp and dignity of their worship. In
the city of Calcutta alone, at the lowest and most moderate
estimate, it has been calculated that half a million, at least, is
annually expended on the celebration of the Durga Pujah
festival. How vast, how inconceivably vast, then, must be
the aggregate expended by rich and poor on all the daily,
weekly, monthly, and annual rites, ceremonies, and festivals,
held in honor of a countless pantheon of divinities !
Ah ! it is when gazing
heaps of offering, so lavishly
at these
poured into the treasury of the false gods of heathenism, that

one is constrained to reflect, in bitterness of spirit, on the mis-
erable contrast presented by the scanty, stinted, and shrivelled
offerings of the professed worshippers of the true God in a Chris-

tian land Would that, in this respect, the disciples of Christ
!
could be induced to learn a lesson from the blinded votaries of

Hinduism ! Take the case of a renowned city, the third, in
point of wealth and commercial importance, in the British em-

pire a city on whose escutcheon and banner is inscribed the
;
noble motto, that it is to "flourish by the righteousness of the

212 DURGA FESTIVAL.
Word.'' What has been, on the part of its citizens, the mani-
festation of a liberality that must needs astound all Christen-
dom, and, if it were possible, cause the very universe to

resound with the never-dying echoes of its fame? Why,
this great city, whose merchants are princes and the honorable
of the earth, this mighty city, that sits as a queen among
the principalities of the nations, this celebrated city did, on
a late occasion, in very truth, contribute the sum of twenty
thousand pounds tc promote, within itself, the cause of that
Redeemer to whose vicarious sacrifice and mediatorial govern-
ment it owes existence, and riches, and salvation, all the
possessions and comforts of time, all the prospects and crowns

of immortality Well, be it so
! ! We at once cheerfully con-
cede that, compared with the doings of others in this professedly
Christian land, this is one of the best and noblest specimens of
modern benevolence. But turn now to benighted Hindustan.
Look to one of chief commercial emporia.
its There, on a
single festival, in honor of a monstrous image of wood or clay,
you find upwards of Jive hundred thousand pounds expended

not once, but annually ! After this, talk, if ye will, of your
liberalities. Boast of them. Eulogize them to the skies.
Parade them, as munificent, in public journals. Extol them
beyond measure at your great anniversaries. Would that, when
next disposed to trumpet forth the praise of your own doings,
ye would go and proclaim your magnificent contributions to the
cause of your God and Savior in the presence of the deluded
heathen, who replenish with free-will offerings the halls of
their idol Durga. Ah methinks that, instead of deigning to
!
reply, they might point, in scornful silence, to the multiplied

tokens and pledges of their own prodigal bounty, and leave
you to draw an inference which might well cover you with
confusion and dismay For what could the inference be, were
!
the silence and symbolic movement rightly interpreted and

imbodied in words ? Whatit be but this ?
could "If the
amount of free-will offeringsbe a measure of sincerity in our
religious profession, surely our sincerity must be a hundred fold
deeper than yours. If extent of sacrifice of worldly substance,
to which we all so naturally cling, be a measure of our love to
the object of worship, surely our love to our god, which you
reckon a poor dumb idol, must be a hundred fold more intense
than yours towards Him whom you profess to regard as the
only true God and Savior. If visible fruits be the test of reality
DURGA FESTIVAL. 213
of faith, surely our faith in the truth of our religion must be a

hundred fold stronger than your faith in the truth of yours.
Indeed, you seem to have scarcely any faith at all. And the
littleyou do has the appearance of being designed to save you
from the charge of open infidelity, rather than to indicate a
heartfelt interest in promoting the cause and honor of your
God." If a rebuke so cutting, from a quarter so unexpected,
do not lead to amendment and increase in your Christian lib-
eralities, rest assured that these poor blinded idolaters, whom

you affect to view with pity and compassion, will one day rise
up in judgment and condemn you.

The
subject of offerings is not yet exhausted. At the annual
festival of
Durga, there are also bloody sacrifices presented. The
number of these, though in general little thought of or little
known, very remarkable. When infidel scoffers have read in
is
the Bible of the multitude of sacrifices constantly offered,

more especially when they read of King Solomon, on one mem-
orable occasion, sacrificing twenty-two thousand oxen and a
hundred and twenty thousand sheep, they have not scrupled
to denounce the narrative as wholly beyond the pale of historic
credibility as partaking so much of the fabulous and the

marvellous as seriously to damage the authenticity of the entire
record that contains it. Ignorant men ignorant of the manners
!
and customs of Oriental nations, and, ever true to the char-

acter of your race, presumptuous in proportion to your igno-
rance !Were ye transported to the shores of Hindustan now,
ye would find, up to this day, multitudes of sacrifices constantly
offered at temples and in private houses in single cases almost
;
rivalling, and, collectively and nationally, vastly out-rivalling in

number the thousands and tens of thousands once offered by
the Hebrew monarch, at a time when the sovereign reckoned
itno impiety to allocate the resources of a state to the rearing
of altars and temples to Jehovah, Lord of hosts nor, as the
;
most exalted member of the visible church, felt it any dishonor

for a season to drop the functions of royalty, and, assuming part
of the office of high priest, solemnly engage in conducting the
devotional exercises of a national worship. And if the over-
whelming evidence addressed to your understandings had failed
to convince you of the veracity of the inspired penmen, must
not the testimony of sense, as to the vast numbers of Hindu
sacrifices, extort from you a confession in favor of the antece-
14 DURGA FESTIVAL.
dent credibility of the Jewish record in the narration of numbers

not more than parallel in magnitude ?
At a single temple in the neighborhood of Calcutta, the ordi-
nary number of daily sacrifices averages between fifty and a
hundred he-goats and rams, besides a proportion of buffaloes.
On Saturdays and Mondays, which happen to be days particu-
larly sacred to the divinity worshipped there, the number of
sacrifices is doubled or trebled; while, on great festival occa-
sions, the number is increased from hundreds to thousands. At

the annual festival of Durga, there are hundreds of families, in
the Calcutta district alone, that sacrifice severally scores of
animals; many present their hecatombs; and some occasionally
their thousands. within the present half century that the
It is
rajah of Nudiya, in the north of Bengal, offered a large number

of sheep, and goats, and buffaloes, on the first day of the feast,
and vowed double the offering on each succeeding day, so
to
that the numbersacrificed in all amounted, in the aggregate, to
upwards of sixty-jive thousand! Mr. Ward states, that the

" loaded boats with the
rajah bodies, and sent them to the
neighboring Brahmans, but they could not devour or dispose of
them fast enough, and great numbers were thrown away."
Returning to the scene in the house of a wealthy native on
the first great day of the festival: After the worship, and the
offerings, and the dancings in honor of the goddess, have been

concluded, the votaries proceed, after midnight, to the presenta-
tion of animals in sacrifice. It is in the central roofless court or
area of the house that the process of slaughter is usually carried

on. There a strong upright post is fastened in the ground,
excavated at the top somewhat like a double-pronged fork. In
this excavation the neck of the victim is inserted, and made fast
by a transverse pin above. Close at hand stands the hired exe-
cutioner, usually a blacksmith, with his broad, heavy axe. And
woe be to him if he fail in severing the head at one stroke !
Such failure would betide ruin and disgrace to himself, and

entail the most frightful disaster on his employer and family !
Each animal is duly consecrated by the officiating Brahman,

who marks its horns and forehead with red lead, sprinkles it,
for the sake of purifying, with Ganges water, adorns its neck
with a necklace of leaves, and its brow with a garland of flowers,
and reads various incantations in its ears, adding, " O Durga,
I sacrifice this animal to thee, that I may dwell in thy heaven
_^ .
animals at a
Returning from
a sacrifice of
DURGA FESTIVAL. 21?
for so many years." With similar ceremonies, each sacrificial

victim, whether goat, sheep, or buffalo, is dedicated and slain,
amid the din and hubbub of human voices. The heads and
part of the blood are then carried in succession to the hall with-
in, and ranged before the image, each head being there sur-
mounted with a lighted lamp. Over them the officiating
Brahman repeats certain prayers, utters appropriate incanta-
tions, and formally presents them as an acceptable feast to
the goddess. Other meat-offerings and drink-offerings are also
presented, with a repetition of the proper formulas. And, last of
all, on a small, square altar, made of clean, dry sand, burnt-offer-
ings of flowers, or grass, or leaves, or rice, or clarified butter, are
deposited with prayers, that all remaining sins may be de-
stroyed by the sacrificial fire. This naturally leads us to
answer a question that is often asked, namely, What becomes
of the flesh meat of so many animals ? Part of it is offered on
the altar as a burnt-sacrifice. But the larger part of it always,
and not unfrequently the whole, is devoured as food. The
Brahmans of course have their choice and the remainder is
;
distributed in large quantities among the inferior castes. As it
has been consecrated by being offered to the goddess, it is law-

ful for all who choose to partake of it.
It is impossible to note all the variations in the different
modes in which the Durga Pujah is celebrated by the different

castes and sects. Some individuals expend the largest propor-
tion in peace-offerings, and meat and drink-offerings others in
;
bloody sacrifices and burnt-offerings some

: in the dances, and
the tinsel garnishings, and fire-work exhibitions and others in
;
entertaining and giving presents to Brahmans. The disciples

of the numerous sect of Vishnu, though they celebrate the fes-
tival with great pomp, present no bloody offerings to Durga ;
instead of slaughtering animals, pumpkins, or some other

substitute; are split in two and presented to the goddess.
The multitudinous rites and ceremonies of the first day and
night of the festival being now nearly concluded, numbers of
old and young, rich and poor, male and female, rrsh into the
open area that is streaming with the blood of animals slain in
sacrifice. They seize a portion of the gory dust and mud, and
with the sacred compost literally bedaub their bodies, dan-
cing and prancing all the while with almost savage ferocity.
With their bodies thus bespattered, and their minds excited into
frenzy, multitudes now pour into the streets some with
218 DURGA FESTIVAL.
blazing torches, others with musical instruments; and ah

twisting their frames into the most wanton attitudes, and vocif-
erating the most indecent songs, rush to and fro, reeling, shout-
ing, and raving,
more wildly than the troops of "iron-speared"
"
and " ivy-leaved Amazons, that were wont, in times of old, to
cause the woods and the mountains of Greece to resound with
the frantic orgies of Bacchus.
For two days and two nights more, there is a renewal of the
same round of worship, and rites, and ceremonies, and dances,
and sacrifices, and Bacchanalian fury.
As the morning of the first day was devoted to the consecra-
tion of the images, so the morning of the fourth is occupied with
the grand ceremony of unconsecrating them. He, who had the
divine power of bringing down the goddess to inhabit each tab-
ernacle of wood or clay, has also the power of dispossessing it
of hei animating presence. Accordingly, the officiating Brah-
man, su 'rounded by the members of the family, engages, amid
various and sprinklings, and incantations, to send the divin-
rites,
ity back to her native heaven ; concluding with a farewell

address, in which he tells the goddess that he expects her to
accept or all his services, and to return again to renew her
favors oh the following year. All now unite in muttering a
sorrowful adieu to the divinity, and many seem affected even to
the shedding of tears.
Soon afterwards a crowd assembles, exhibiting habiliments
bespotted with divers hues and colors. The image is carried
forth to the street. It is planted on a portable stage, or platform,
and then raised on men's shoulders. As the temporary local
abode of the departed goddess, it is still treated with profound
honor and respect. As the procession advances along the street,
accompanied with music and songs, amid clouds of heated dust,
you see human beings yes, full-grown beings, wearing all
the outward prerogatives of the human form marching on
either side, and waving their chouries, or long, hairy brushes, to
wipe away the dust, and ward off the mosquitoes or flies, that
might otherwise desecrate or annoy the senseless image. But
whither does the procession tend? To the banks of the
Ganges most sacred of streams. For what purpose? Fol-
low it, and you will see. As you approach the river, you every
where behold numbers of similar processions, from town and
country, before and behind, on the right and on the left. You
cast your eyes along the banks. As far as vision can reach,
dancing about the streets in :elebratun of tht
A Palankeen Dearer of the Rouxmey caste
Festival. See page 217.

Durga
DURGA FESTIVAL. 221
they seem literally covered. It is one living, moving mass

dense, vast, interminable. The immediate margin being too
confined for the contact of such a teeming throng, hundreds and
thousands of boats, of every size and every form, are put in requi-
sition. A
processional party steps on board, and each vessel is
speedily launched on the broad expanse of the waters. Tho
bosom of the stream seems, for miles, to be converted into the
crowd, and the movement, and the harlequin exhibitions, of an
immense floating fair. When the last rites and ceremonies are
terminated, all the companies of image-carriers suddenly fall
upon their images. They break them to pieces, and violently
dash the shivered fragments into the depths of the passing
stream. But who can depict the wondrous spectacle? the
numbers without number the fantastic equipages of every rank
;
and grade the variegated costumes of every caste and sect

; ;
the strangely indecorous bodily gestures of deluded worship-
pers the wild and frenzied mental excitement of myriads

;
of spectators intoxicated with the scene the breaking, crash- ;
ing, and sinking, of hundreds of dispossessed images, along

the margin and over the surface of the mighty stream, amid
the loud, shrill dissonance of a thousand untuneful instruments,
commingled with the still more stunning
peals of ten thousand
thousand human voices !
Here, language entirely fails. Imagi-
nation itself must sink down with wings
collapsed, utterly
baffled in the effort to conceive the individualities and the group-
ings of an assemblage composed of such varied magnitudes.

Towards evening the multitudes return to their homes.
Return, you will ask, for the purpose of refreshment and
repose ? No but to engage in fresh scenes of boisterous mirth
;
and sensual revelry. But when these are at length brought to

a close, is there not a season of respite ? No all hearts, all :
thoughts, are instantaneously turned towards the next incoming

festival, in honor of some other divinity ; and the necessary
preparations are at once set on foot to provide for its due cele-
bration. And thus it has been for ages past ;

and thus it may
be for ages to come unless the Christian people of these
;
lands awake from the sleep of an ungodly, carnal security ;

arise from the deep slumber of sottish, selfish, luxurious enjoy-
ment and come forward, far beyond the standard of any
;
present example, to advance the Redeemer's cause. O ye who

do well to dwell at ease in your ceiled houses, when every
where the temole of the L)rd lies waste ye who do well to !
222 DURGA FESTIVAL.
eat,and drink, and be mirry, when the multitudes of the nations

are up in arms against your Sovereign Lord and Redeemer,
up in arms against the true peace and everlasting happiness of
theirown souls, those precious souls that will never die !
ye may wholly resist every appeal thus addressed to you

that is
at a distance, in words ; but, frozen-hearted as many of you
are, could ye, we would ask, wholly resist the thrilling appeal
which the direct exhibition of the terrible reality would ad-
dress to you ?
When we have stood on the banks of the Ganges, sur-
rounded by deluded multitudes engaged in ablutions, in order
to cancel the guilt and wipe away the stains of transgressions ;
here assailed by the groans of the sick and the dying, stretched
on the wet banks beneath "a hot and copper sky," and there
stunned by loud vociferations, in the name of worship, addressed
to innumerable gods on the one hand, the flames of many a
;
funeral pile blazing in view, and, on the other, the loathsome
spectacle of human carcasses floating, unheeded and unknown

amid the dash of the oar and the merry songs of the boat-
men; and when we felt our own solitude in the midst of
the teeming throng, a cold sensation of horror has crept

through the soul, and the heart has well nigh sunk and failed,
through the overbearing impressions of sense, and the despond-

" Gracious
ing weakness of faith. God," have we exclaimed,
" how marvellous is the extent of
thy long-suffering and for-
bearance ! What earthly monarch could, for a single hour,
endure the thousand thousandth part of the indignities that are
here daily offered to thy throne and majesty, O thou King of
kings ! And yet, thus it has been for ages Lord, how long
!
will it continue to be ? Forever ? No ;

no " When we look at
!
the apparently unchanged past, and survey the apparently un-

changeable present, the review and contemplation seem to sound
the death-knell of hope, that would cradle us in black despair.
But when we glance at the future, as portrayed in the " sure
word of prophecy," we there learn to realize the mystery of
"hoping against hope." From these polluted waters of a turbid
earthly stream, we turn the eye of faith to the waters of gospel
grace, which are seen, in the prophetic vision, to issue from under
the threshold of the temple of Zion eastward. They swell and
deepen into a river. It is the river of life. Wherever it rolls,
disease, barrenness, and death disappear.

Consigning an Image of Kali to the Ganges.
NEXT to the annual festival of Durga, one of the most pop

ular in Eas ern India is that of the Charak Pujah.
Strictly and properly, this festival is held in honor of Shiva,
in his character of Maha Kola ; or Time, the great destroyer
of all things. In this character, his personified energy, or
consort, Parvati, under the distinction and appropriate form of
is
Maha Kali. In the annual festival held in honor of the former,

the worship of the latter appears at all times to have been blended ;
and, in the lapse of ages, the female form of Kali has become
a far more important and formidable personage, in the eyes of
ihe multitude, than the male form of Maha Kala, and often en-
grosses more than a proportionate share of the homage and
adoration of deluded worshippers. To save, therefore, the tedi-
ousness of circumlocution, and the intricacy of a perpetual
double reference, we must confine ourselves to a brief notice of
the goddess Kali, as connected with the celebration of the
Charak Pujah.
It is proper, however, to state, that Brahmans, Kshattryas, and
the Vaishyas, take no active part in the actual celebration of the

rites peculiar to this festival. Most of them, however, contrib-
ate largely towards the expense of it, and countenance the
224 *ALI FESTIVAL.
whole of the proceedings as applauding spectators though somo ;
them, in words, profess to disapprove of many of the prac-

i>f
tices.
Of all the Hindu divinities, this goddess is the most cruel and
revengeful. Such, according to some of the sacred legends,
is
her thirst for blood, that, being unable, in one of her forms,
on a particular occasion, to procure any of the g'ants for her
prey, in order to quench her savage appetite, she " actully cut
her own throat, that the blood issuing thence might spout into
her mouth." Of the goddess, represented in the monstrous
attitude of supporting her own half-severed head in the left
hand, with streams of blood gushing from the throat into the
mouth, images may this day be seen in some districts of
Bengal. The supreme delight of this divinity, therefore, con-
sists in cruelty and torture her ambrosia is the flesh of living
;
votaries and sacrificed victims; and her sweetest nectar, the
copious effusion of their blood.

The Kalika Purana, one of the divine writings, is chiefly
devoted to a recital of the different modes of worshipping and
appeasing this ferocious divinity. If, for example, a devotee
should scorch some member of his body by the application of
a burning lamp, the act would prove most acceptable to the god-
dess. If he should draw some blood from himself, and present
it, the libation would be still more delectable. If he should cut
off a portion of his own flesh, and present it as a burnt sacri-
fice, the offering would be most grateful of all. If the devotee

should present whole burnt-offerings upon the altar, saying,
" O horrid-toothed goddess, eat,
Hrang, hring, Kali, Kali ! !
eat destroy
;
all the malignant cut with this axe bind, bind
; ; ;
seize, seize ;
drink this blood secure, secure
; spheng, spheng ;
!
Salutation to Kali!" these will prove acceptable in pro-
portion to the supposed importance of the animated beings sac-

rificed. By the blood drawn from fishes and tortoises the
goddess is pleased one month a crocodile's blood will please
;
her three that of certain wild animals, nine

;
that of a bull or ;
a guana, a year an antelope's or wild boar's, twelve years

; ,
a buffalo's, rhinoceros's, or tiger's, a hundred a lion's, a rein- ;
deer's, or a man's, (mark the combination,) a thousand but ;
by the blood of three men slain in sacrifice, she is pleased a

hundred thousand years ! Amid all the voluminous codes of
Hinduism, there is not a section more loathsomely minute,
more hideously revolting, than the sanguinary chapter devoted
KALI FESTIVAL. 225
.o the description of the rites and formularies to be observed at
the sacrifice of human victims.

Under the native dynasties, it cannot be doubted that human
were very largely offered. And, even now, when this
sacrifices
species of sacrifice has been condemned, and declared to be pun-

ishable as murder, by the British government, clearly authentica-
ted cases do still occasionally occur. During our own brief sojourn
in Calcatta, a human victim was sacrificed at a temple of Kali
in its immediate neighborhood. The sacrificer was seized by
the officers of justice, and capitally punished. About the same
time, the governor-general felt himself called upon to strip a
rajah, in the east of Bengal, of his independent rights, because,

in direct violation of existing treaties, he had carried off three
British subjects to be offered in sacrifice to Kali !
Indeed, this divinity is the avowed patroness of almost

all
the most atrocious outrages against the peace of society. Is

there in India, as in other lands, a set of lawless men who,
despising the fruits of honest industry, earn their livelihood

by the plunder of their neighbors' property ? At the hour of
midnight, the gang of desperadoes will resort to some spot
where reared an image of Kali.
is There they engage in reli-
gious ceremonies, and there they offer bloody sacrifices to pro-
pitiate the favor and secure the protection of the goddess.
Worshipping the instrument that is to cut through the wall of
the house intended to be attacked, they address it in a prescribed
" O
form of words, saying, instrument, formed by the god-
dess ! Kali commands thee to cut a passage into the house to ;
cut through stones, bones, bricks, wood, the earth, and moun-
tains and cause the dust thereof to be carried awa f by the
;
wind " In full assurance of the divine blessing, and with un-
!
wavering faith in the divine protection, they hasten to the

execution of their nefarious designs. How must the very
foundations of even ordinary moral duties be swept a,vay in a
land where theft and plunder can be systematically carried on
under the special patronage of the gods !
Again, is there in India, as there is not, we believe, in any

other land on the surface of the globe, a still more lawless
race of men, a close, compact, confederate fraternity, whose
irresistible fate and hereditary profession it is to subsist by
murder ? These, too, well known under the name of Thugs,
find a ready and potent protectress in Kali. To the divinely-
revealed will and command of this goddess, they universally
15
226 KALI FESTIVAL.
ascribe their origin, their institutions, their social laws, and their
ritual observances. Intense devotion to Kali is the mysterious
link that unitesthem in a bond of brotherhood that is indisso-
luble and with a secrecy which, for generations, has eluded
;
the efforts of successive governments to detect them. It is
under her special auspices that all their sanguinary depredations

have been planned, prosecuted, and carried into execution. It
isthe thorough incorporation of a feeling of assurance in her aid,
with the entire framework of their mental and moral being,
that has imparted to their union all its strength and all its terror.
In their sense of the term, they are of all men the most
super-
stitiously exact, the most devoutly religious, in the performance
of divine worship. In honor of their guardian deity, there is a
temple dedicated at Bindachul, near Mirzapur, to the north of
Bengal. There, religious ceremonies are constantly performed,
and thousands of animals offered in sacrifice. When a band of
these leagued murderers, whose individuality and union have
for ages been preserved in integrity, resolve to issue forth on
their worse than marauding expedition, deliberately intent on
imbruing their hands in the blood of their fellows, they first
betake themselves to the temple of the goddess ; present their

prayers, and supplications, and offerings there ;
and vow, in the
event of success, to consecrate to her service a large proportion
of the booty. Should they not succeed, should they even be
seized, convicted, and condemned to die, their confidence in
Kali does not waver their faith does not stagger.
; They ex-
onerate the goddess from all blame. They ascribe the cause of
failure wholly to themselves. They assume all the guilt of
having neglected some of the divinely prescribed forms. And
they laugh to scorn the idea that any evil could possibly have
befallen them, had they been faithful in the observance of all
the divinely-appointed rules of their sanguinary craft. How
must the chief corner-stone of ordinary morality be shaken, in
a land where religion is so versatile as to throw the ample
shield of divine encouragement and reward over the most mur-
derous banditti that ever appeared in human form !
If such be the general character of this goddess, what are
you to expect of a festival held in honor of her lord, in his

character as the great destroyer, a festival in which she, too,
is adored, as his destructive energy!
Most of the sectaries that embrace the form of Maha Kala

as their guardian deity belonging chiefly to the class of Shu-
KALI FESTIVAL. 227
dras are busied for several days before the festival with various
initiatory ceremonies of purification, abstinence, and exercises

of devotion and those who wish to earn great merit on the
;
occasion are engaged in preparatory operations for a whole

month.
The festival itself derives its name of Charak Pujah from
chakra, a discus or wheel, in allusion to the circle performed
in the rite of swinging, which constitutes so very prominent a
part of the anniversary observances. An upright pole, twenty

or thirty feet in height, is planted in the ground. Across the
top of it, moving freely on a pin or pivot, is placed horizontally
an 'ther long pole. From one end of this transverse beam is a
rope suspended, with two hooks affixed to it. To the other ex-
tremity is fastened another rope, which hangs loosely towards
the ground. The
devotee comes forward, and prostrates him-
self in the dust. The hooks
are then run through the fleshy
parts of his back, near the shoulders. A party, holding the

rope at the other side, immediately begin to run round with
considerable velocity. By this means the wretched dupe of
superstition is hoisted aloft into the air, and violently whirled
round and round. The torture he may continue to endure for a
longer or shorter period, according to his own free-will only, ;
this being reckoned one of the holiest of acts, the longer he

can endure the torture the greater the pleasure conveyed to the
deity whom he serves the greater the portion of merit accru-
;
ing to himself; and, consequently, the brighter the prospect of

future reward. The time usually occupied averages from ten
minutes to half an hour and as soon as one has ended,
;
another candidate is ready, aspiring to earn the like merit and

distinction. And thus, on one tree, from five to ten or fifteen
may be in the course of a day.

swung Of these swinging-posts
there are hundreds and thousands simultaneously in operation in
the province of Bengal. They are always erected in the most
conspicuous parts of the towns and villages, and are surrounded
by vast crowds of noisy spectators. On the very streets of the
native city of Calcutta, many of these horrid swings are annu-
ally to be seen, and scores around the suburbs. It not unfre-
quently happens that, from the extreme rapidity of the motion,
the ligaments of the back give way, in which case the poor devo-
tee tossed to a distance, and dashed to pieces.
is loud wail of A
commiseration, you now suppose, will be raised in behalf of the
unhappy man who has thus fallen a martyr to his religious

228 KALI FESTIVAL.
enthusiasm. No such thing ! Idolatry is cruel as the grave

Instead of sympathy or compassion, a feeling of detestation and
abhorrence is excited towards him. By the principles of their
faith, he adjudged to have been a desperate criminal in a for-
is
mer state of being ; and he has now met with this violent
death, in the present birth, as a righteous retribution, on account
of egregious sins committed in a former !
The evening of the same day is devoted to another practice

almost equally cruel. It consists in the devotees' throwing them-
selves down, from a high wall, the second story of a house, or a
temporary scaffolding often twenty or thirty feet in height,

upon iron spikes or knives that are thickly stuck in a large bag
or mattress of straw. But these sharp instruments being fixed
rather loosely, and in a position sloping forward, the greater
part of the thousands that fall upon them dexterously contrive

to escape without serious damage. Many, however, are often
cruelly mangled and lacerated ; and, in the case of some, the
issue proves speedily fatal.
At night, numbers of the devotees sit down in the open air,
and pierce the skin of their foreheads and in it, as a socket,
;
place a small rod of iron, to which is suspended a lamp that is

kept burning till the dawn of day, while the lamp-bearers
rehearse the praises of their favorite deity.
Again, before the temple, bundles of thorns and other fire-
wood are accumulated, among which the devotees roll them-
selves uncovered. The materials are next raised into a pile,
and set on fire. Then the devotees briskly dance over the
blazing embers, and fling them into the air with their naked
hands, or toss them at one another.
Some have their breasts, arms, and other parts, stuck entirely
full of pins, about the " thickness of small nails, or packing-
needles." Others betake themselves to a vertical wheel, twenty
or thirty feet in diameter, and raised considerably above the
ground. They bind themselves to the outer rim, in a sitting
posture, so that, when the wheel rolls round, their heads point
alternately to the zenith and the nadir.
But it were endless to pursue the diversity of these self-
inflicted cruelties into all their details. There is ^ne, however,
of so very singular a character, that it must not be left un-
noticed. If the problem were proposed to any member of our
own community to contrive some other distinct species of tor-
*ure, amid the boundless variety which the most fertile ima-
KALI FESTIVAL. 229
gination might, figure to itself, probably the one now to be de-

scribed would not be found. Some of these deluded votaries en-
ter into a vow. With one hand they rover their under-lips with
a layer of wet earth or mud on this, with the other hand, they
;
deposit some small grains, usually of mustard-seed. They then

stretch themselves flat on their backs, exposed to the drip-
ping dews of night and the blazing sun by day. And their
vow is, that from that fixed position they will not stir, will
neither move, nor turn, nor oat, nor drink, till the seeds
planted
on the lips begin to sprout or germinate. This vegetable pro-
cess usually takes place on the third or fourth day after which,
;
being released from the vow, they arise, as they dotingly im-
agine and believe, laden with a vast accession of holiness and
supererogatory merit.
To the south of Calcutta is a spacious, level plain, between
two and three miles in length, and a mile, or a mile and a half,
in breadth. On the west it is washed by the sacred Ganges,
on whose margin, about the middle of the plain, Fort William
rears its ramparts and battlements. Along the north is a mag-
nificent range of buildings, the Supreme Court, the Town
Hall, with other public edifices, and, in the centre, most con-
spicuous of all, the arcades, and columns, and lofty dome of
Government House. Along the whole of the eastern side, at
short intervals, is a succession of palace-like mansions, occu-
pied as the abodes of the more opulent of the European residents.

In front of this range, facing the west, and between it, there-
fore, and the plain, is the broadest and most airy street in Cal-
cutta, well known under the name

of Chowringhee. Chiefly to
the-north of the plain, and partly to the east, beyond the ranges
of European offices and residences, lies the native city, stretch-
ing its intricate mass of narrow lanes, and red brick houses, and
" hive-like " bamboo
huts, over an extent of many miles, and
teeming with half a million of human beings !At a short dis-
tance from the south-east corner of the plain, across a narrow
belt of low suburban cottages, lies the celebrated temple of Kali-
Ghat. The grand direct thoroughfare towards it, from the native
city, isalong the Chowringhee road.
Thither, early, before sunrise, on the morning of the great day
of the Charak festival, we once hastened to witness the extraor-
dinary spectacle.
From all the lanes and alleys leading from the native city,
multitudes were pouring into the Chowringhee road, which
230 KALI FESTIVAL.
seemsd atevery point to symbolize the meeting of the waters,

realizing,through its entire length, the image of a mighty con-
fluence of innumerable living streams. The mere spectators
could easily be distinguished from the special devotees. The
former were seen standing, or walking along with eager gaze ;
arrayed in their gayest holiday dress, exhibiting every combi-
nation and variety of the snow-white garb and tinsel glitter of
Oriental costume. The latter came marching forward in small
isolated groups, each group averaging, in number, from half-
a-dozen to twelve or fifteen, and constituted somewhat after
this manner : Most of the party have their loose robes and
foreheads plentifully besprinkled with vermilion or rose-pink.
Two or three of them are decked in speckled or party-colored
garments, uttering ludicrous, unmeaning sounds, and playing
off all sorts of antic gestures, not unlike the merry-andrews
on the stage of a country fair. Two or three, with garlands of
flowers hanging about their neck, or tied round the head, have
their sides transpierced with iron rods, which project in front,
and meet at an angular point, to which is affixed a small vessel in
the form of a shovel. Two
or three, covered with ashes, carry
in their hands iron spits or rods of different lengths, small bam-
boo canes or hookah tubes, hard-twisted cords, or living snakes
whose fangs had been extracted, bending their limbs into un-
sightly attitudes, and chanting legendary songs. Two or three
more are the bearers of musical instruments horned trumpets,
gongs, tinkling cymbals, and large, hoarse drums surmounted
with towering bunches of black and white ostrich feamers,
which keep waving and nodding not unlike the 'heaving, sombre
plumes of a hearse and all of them belabored as furiously as
;
if the impression were, that the louder the noise, and the more
discordant the notes, the better and more charming the music.
Thus variously constituted, the groups of devotees were pro-
ceeding along. On looking behind, one group was seen follow-
ing after another as far as the eye could reach; on looking
before, one group was seen preceding another, as far as the eye
could reach ;
like wave
wave, in interminable succession.
after
Besides these groups of worshippers, who are reckoned pre-
eminent in holiness und merit, there are others that advance in
processions, bearing various pageants, flags, banners, models
of temples, images of gods, and other mythological figures, with
portable stages on which men and women are engaged in ridic-
ulous and often worse than ridiculous pantomimic performances
KALI FESTIVAL. 231
Hundreds of these processions spread over the southern side of

the plain, presenting a spectacle so vast and varied so singular
and picturesque that the pencil of the most skilful artist
would not be dishonored if it failed in adequately represent-
it.
ing
At the extremity of Chowringhee, the road towards the temple
narrows considerably. The throng is now so dense that one is
literally carried along. On approaching the precincts of the
sacred shrine, it is found surrounded by a court and high wall.
After entering the principal gate, which is on the western side,
the temple itself starts up full in view. To the south of it is a
spacious open hall or portico, elevated several feet above the

ground, and surrounded by a flight of steps, above which rise
a range of pillars that support the roof. Between the portico
and the temple is a narrow pathway, along which the stream
of spectators was flowing ;
while the groups of the devotees
marched round the side farthest from the temple. Being of the
number of the spectators, we mingled with the teeming throng
that pressed on, with maddening frenzy, to obtain a glimpse of
the idol. Here one and another would start aside, and knock
their heads against the temple wall or brick pavement, mutter-
ing incantations to command the attention and attract the favor

of the goddess. It may here be noticed, in passing, that a tem-
ple in India is not, like a Christian church, a place for the disci-
ples to assemble in and engage in reasonable worship ;
but it
isordinarily designed as merely a receptacle for the senseless

block of the idol, and a company of Brahmans, as its guardian
attendants. Hence, as there is not much occasion for light,
there are few or no windows. The light of day is usually ad-
mitted only by the front door, when thrown wide open. Dark-
ness is thus commingled with light in the idol cell, and tends
to add to the mysteriousness of the scene. The multitudes all
no "
congregate without but
;
there is preaching in their halls
of convocation " no devotional exercises to raise the soul on
;
the wings of heavenly contemplation no instructions in the

;
knowledge of the true God or the plan of a complete salvation ;
no inculcation of motives to lead to the forsaking of sin no ;
animated exhortations to the cultivation of virtue and piety:

all, all, is one unchanging round of sacrifice and ceremony
of
cmelty, and sport, and lifeless form.

Standing immediately opposite the temple gate, we saw on
either side stationed, as usual, a party of Brahmans, to receive
232 KALI FESTIVAL.
the proffered gifts. On one side lay a heap of flowers, that had
been consecrated by being carried within and presented to the
goddess on the other side, a large heap of money,
; copper, and
silver, and gold, that had been contributed as free-will offerings.
To the spectators, as they passed along, the Brahraans were
presenting consecrated flowers, which were eagerly carried off
as precious relics and, in exchange for them, the joyous vo-
;
taries threw down what money they possessed. And this they
did as profusely as it was assuredly done cheerfully and with-
out a grudge. Ah, here again were we painfully reminded of
the state of things, as regards liberality on principle, in Christian
lands. What a contrast to our meagre and half-extorted contri-
butions, in the cause of Christian benevolence, was presented by
the spectacle at the temple of Kali-Ghat " What " was one ! !
" what
led to exclaim, ! is really so, that error is fraught
it
with a mightier charm than truth? that a foul and sanguinary
superstition can operate on the soul more effectually than the

benign religion of heaven ? that ignorance is more powerful
than divine knowledge ? that heathenish custom is superior
in efficacy to enlightened principle ? and that the fear of a
dumb can exert a more potent influence than the love of a
idol
bleeding, dying Savior ? Ah, if this be so, what can our in-
ference be, except that, amongst us, almost every one ought to
bear about him a frontlet between his eyes, inscribed with the
'
motto, Profession, not principle !
'
and that almost all, hav-
ing a name to live, are nevertheless dead in spiritual lethargy
and slumber, and deaf to the most sacred claims of duty towards
God and man " !
And one's wonder could not be diminished, when he looked

within the temple, and, in the midst of the " darkness visible,"
beheld the horrid block of the idol that had succeeded in con-
quering men's selfishness, and in turning the stagnant pool of
grasping covetousness into a running stream of lavish liberality.
The figure within this temple is, in several of its parts, for what
reason we know not, somewhat incomplete ;
but it is still suf-
ficiently frightful and hideous.

In the sacred legends the god-
dess is Constantly described, and, in the thousands of images
that are annually made of her, she is almost uniformly delin-
eated, as a female of black or dark-blue complexion, dancing

savagely on the body of her own
husband. She is represented
with four arms, having in one an exterminating sword, and
in another a human head held fast by the hair a third points ;
KALI FESTIVAL. 233
"
downwards, indicating the destruction that surrounds her,"
and the fourth is raised upwards, " in allusion to the future re-
generation of nature by a new creation." She is represented
with wild, dishevelled hair, reaching to her feet. Her counte-
nance is most ferocious. Her tongue protrudes from a distorted
mouth, and hangs over the chin. She has three eyes, red and
fiery, one of which glares in her forehead. Her lips and eye-
brows are streaked with blood, and a crimson torrent is stream-
ing down her breast. She has ear-rings in her ears but what ;
are they? they are the carcasses of some hapless victims of

her fury. She has a girdle round the waist but what is it ?
;
it is a girdle of bloody hands, said to have been cut off the
wounded bodies of her prostrate foes. She has a necklace

round the neck but what is it ?
;
it is a necklace of
ghastly
skulls, said to have been cut off the thousands of giants and
others slain in her battles. And such is the monster-divinity,
who, on that day, calls forth the shouts, and acclamations, and
free-will offerings, of myriads of adoring worshippers !
Passing now to the eastern side of the court, we soon saw

what the groups of devotees were to be engaged in. Towards
the wall there were stationed several blacksmiths, with sharp
instruments in their hands. Those of a particular group, that
carried the rods, canes, and other implements, now came for-
ward. One would stretch out his side, and, getting it instantly
pierced through, in would pass one of his rods or canes. An-
other would hold out his arm, and, getting it perforated, in
would pass one of his iron spits or tubes. A
third would pro-
trude his tongue, and getting it, too, bored through, in would
pass one of his cords or serpents. And thus, all of a group that
desired it had themselves variously transpierced or perforated.
When these had finished, another group was waiting in read-
iness to undergo the cruel operation j and so another and
another, apparently without end.
Several groups, then returning, mounted the steps of the por
tico in front of the temple, to prepare for their most solemn act
of worship. But O, how impotent must human language ever
be in the attempt to convey an adequate impression of the scene
that followed !
Those of the different groups, that carried in front the vessels
already referred to, now ranged themselves all around the inte-
rior of the colonnade. All the rest assembled themselves within
this living circle. On a sudden, at a signal given, commenced
234 KALI FESTIVAL.
the bleating, and the lowing, and the struggling, of animals
slaughtered in sacrifice at the farthest end of the portico and ;
speedily was the ground made to swim with sacrificial blood.

At the same moment of time, the vessel-carriers threw upon the
burning coals in their vessels handfuls of Indian pitch, composed
of various combustible substances. Instantly ascended . the
smoke, and the flame, and the sulphureous smell. Those who
had the musical instruments sent forth their loud, and jarring,
and discordant sounds. And those who were transpierced be-
gan dancing in the most frantic manner, pulling backwards
and forwards, through their wounded members, the rods and the
canes, the spits and the tubes, the cords and the writhing ser-
pents, till their bodies seemed streaming with their own blood !
All this was carried on simultaneously ; and that, too, within

a briefer period of time than has now been occupied in the
feeble and inadequate attempt to describe it Again and again!
would the loud shouts ascend from the thousands of applauding

spectators shouts of "Victory to Kali! Victory to the great
Kali!"
O, as we gazed at the harrowing spectacle, how was the soul,
by the resistless force of contrast, hurried away to more highly-

favored climes Yes;
!
standing though we were at the dis-
tance of fifteen thousand miles from our native land, how did the
soul, with lightning speed, flee across intervening oceans and con-
tinents, and, in the chambers of imagery, revive and realize
the visions of other days When we thought of the land of
!
our fathers, when we contrasted the pure, peaceful, soul-ele-

vating exercises of its Sabbaths, with the scene of infernal rev-
elriesthen before our view, how could we help exclaiming,
"Surely, if the former be a fit emblem and harbinger of that
eternal Sabbath which rolls over heaven's bright inhabitants,
this other scene must be an emblem and harbinger of the rest-
less tossings of the "
And O, is it possible that, if
burning lake !
Christians were transported hither to gaze, but for a single mo-

ment, on such a master-triumph of Satanic delusion, is it con-
ceivable that they could give sleep to their eyes, or slumber to

their eyelids, till they entered a vow in heaven to do all that in
them lay to demolish such a hideous fabric of idolatry and su
perstition, and rear the beauteous temple of Christianity upoii
the ruins !
In conclusion, therefore, we would, with our whole heart, and

strength, and soul, call upon all, who profess to be disciples of
the Lord Jesus, to come forward now " to the help of the Lord
KALI FESTIVAL. 235
to the help of the Lord against the mighty." call upon We

you by that wondrous scheme, for the redemption of a ruined
world, which from eternity engaged the counsels of the God-
all
head, to compassionate the poor, dying, perishing heathen ;
not to allow the prince of darkness any longer to trample on his

miserable victims without control, or drag them as unresisting
captives along the broad road that leadeth to perdition. "We
call upon you by the miseries of earth, the torments of hell, the
joys of heaven, by all that the Savior has done and suffered in
his vicarious obedience, and agony, and bloody sweat, to
come forth now and be instrumental in erecting the standard
of the cross on the downfall of the crescent and the ruins of
paganism and thus to snatch from the regions of woe the
;
souls of many who may be fitted to sing the praises of Jehovah

and the Lamb ! We call
upon you, by your own eternal des-
tiny, not to allow thefountain of divine benevolence, once
opened on the hill of Calvary, to remain there from age to age

shut up and sealed a mere spectacle of solitary, and useless,
and barren grandeur. But come now, and draw therefrom in
copious streams replenish your reservoirs fertilize the soil
; ; ;
and thus produce a rich harvest of fruit, which, when the

earth and all the works therein are burnt up, and the visible
heavens are no more, will increase in beauty, and flourish foi-
ever on the shores of a blissful immortality !

DESCRIPTION OF THE SHASTERS.
BY J. J. WEITBRECHT,
FOR MANY YEARS A RESIDENT IN INDIA.
A LEARNED Brahmin, on being asked how many volumes theti

" Who
Shasters contained, replied, is able to calculate that ? No
man can number them ;
the palace of the Rajah of Burdwan
would not contain them ; they are like the ocean, unfathomable,
without measure, and without end."
That celebrated searcher into Hindu mythology, Sir William
Jones, appeared to coincide in the same view, when, in astonish-
ment and surprise, he exclaimed, " To whatever part of this
literature we may direct our attention, we are every where struck
with the thought of infinity." The Iliad of Homer numbers
twenty-four thousand verses, but the Mahabharat of the Hindus
four hundred thousand and the Purannas, comprehending only
;
a small portion of their religious books, extend to two millions of

verses.
The Hindus divide the voluminous masses of their Shasters
into eighteen parts, asserting that they contain eighteen distinct
kinds of knowledge. To the first class belong the FOUR VEDAS,
The Brahmins believe these to be as old as eternity. They also
that they were communicated to mankind, not through the
assert
medium of a mortal, but by the mouth of Brahma himself.
The Vedasconsist of a compilation of prayers, called Mun-
Iras and, at a later period, a collection of doctrines and precepts,
;
which are called Bfahmanas, was added. They detail an endless

number of ceremonies which are to be performed by the priest,
the ascetic, and the hermit, at their religious services.
One of the oldest sages of Hindu antiquity collected the
Brahmanas, or religious statutes from the Vedas, into special
tracts, with the title of Upanishads. This compilation is a kind
of compendium of Hindu theology, generally known under the
appellation of Vedanta.
238 DESCRIPTION OF THE SHASTERS.
There have been men, professed Christians, who have spoken

with enthusiastic admiration of the Hindu
writings. Their primi-
tive religion, it has been said, contained the most sublime doc
trines, and inculcated the most pure morality. But this is an

Q "
egr gious delusion. Many an object appears beautiful when
seen at a distance, and through a mist but, when you approach
;
it nearer,
you will smile at the deception. As you become more
intimately acquainted with the Shasters, you must feel struck
with the absurd character of their doctrines, and the laxity of
their morals."
The second class of sacred books treat on the art of healing,
music, war, architecture, and sixty-four various mechanical arts.

Hence you perceive the Shasters of the Hindus teach not merely
religion, but every kind of science and knowledge. By far the
most numerous class of Shasters is comprehended in the poetical
works of the Purannas, treating on the creation of the world,
the power and attributes of the gods, the incarnations of
Vishnu,
&c. Among the most interesting of these may be numbered the
Mahabharat and Bhagavat Gita. The latter contains a description
of Krishna's life. The Ramayun, an epic poem, gives a history
of Ram, an incarnation of Vishnu. The historical details afford
remarkable specimens of the ancient history of Hindustan. In
" He who
the preface of the Ramayun it is stated, constantly
hears and sings this poem will obtain the highest bliss, and will
become like the gods."
Besides these, there is an endless mass of writings, counted
sacred, namely, the Nyay Shasters, the Smritis, the Mimangsa,
of philosophical, juristical, and metaphysical tendency.
The age of the Vedas has never been ascertained with any
degree of certainty. Some enthusiastic admirers of them put
them far before the time of the deluge. A learned professor in
America actually requested Sir W. Jones to search among the
Hindus for the Adamic books. The amazing credulity of skeptics
and unbelievers, every thing except the records of the Sacred
in
Sciiptures, is The latter gentleman, who is regarded

notorious.
as one of the most profound scholars in Hindu antiquity, con-
cluded, from internal and external evidence, the age of the Vedas
to be about three thousand years accordingly, they stand in
;
antiquity nearest to the books ol Moses. All the other Sanscrit

writings are of more recent date.
After this cursory glance into the impenetrable chaos of Hinuu
Shasters, we proceed a step farther. The question we have now
DESCRIPTION OF THE SHASTERS.
to consider is this : What view has the Brahmin of a Divine

Being 1 and we shall be sadly mistaken if we
expect to find in
the Hindu Shasters a confession of faith laid down wh'ch the
learned unifoimly acknowledge as the groundwork of their
belief.
As a north-wester hurricane in Bengal, after a glowing,

fiery,
hot day, mingles clouds with dust, leaves, wood, and
earth, in
its destructive course, so we find in the wild confusion of the
Shasters all the nobler divine thoughts, and purer ideas of the
majesty of God, interwoven and mixed up with the most puerile
nonsense. You cannot lay your hand on one point of doctrine,
which is not in conflict with another, or denied by some rival
system.
The Hindu, however, acknowledges one Supreme Being as
" Ek
the ground and foundation of his religion. Brumho, dit-
tyo nashti," One God, and beside him no other, this sentence
is become a proverb, and is in the mouth of
every Brahmin.
His writings dignify this supreme and eternal Being with the
"
title Brahm," which is to be carefully distinguished from
Brahma, an emanation of the former, and the first person in the
Hindu trinity. The Shasters describe Brahm as a being without
beginning and without end, almighty, omniscient, unchangeable ;
in short, as being possessed of all the divine attributes, as the

sublimest conceptions of the Holy Scriptures describe Jehovah.
This being, however, all spirit and without form, is devoid of
qualities. The Shasters declare that the very idea of allowing
attributes in Brahm renders a multiplication of him a necessary
consequence. For this very reason, the Brahmin will not allow
the God of the Bible, because to him it
appears impossible and
irrational to believe that spirit can act and create without being
united with matter.
Brahm is therefore represented without mind, without will,
without consciousness of his existence. No wonder that many
Hindus, in going one step farther, declare the Supreme is noth-
ing for
;
a spirit without power and energy is like a thing of
nought. Nevertheless, it is asserted, on the other hand, that ne
the it is the bliss of a deep, uninter-
enjoys highest beatitude,
rupted sleep.
Brahm, however, must one day have awaked from his long
or, in other words, the negative character of his

existence
sleep ;
must have changed into the positive. This was necessary for
sailing the world into existence. On this important point, the
different philosophical systems,headed by their respective lead

ers, have carried on a never-ceasing warfare.
Brahm awoke, say the Vedas, and, feeling desire arising, said,
" Let me be
many." Forthwith he took upon himself a material
form and henceforth he is like a spider, sitting in the centre,
;
spinning out his interminable threads, and fastening what he pro-

duces from himself to the right and, left, towards all quarters of
the infinite vacuum.
Here, then, the shell of Hinduism begins to open the creation ;
of the world, according to its teaching, is nothing more or less

than a manifestation of Brahm in visible material forms. It is the
most perfect system of pantheism. The cosmogony of the
Shasters runs thus All the germs or seed corns of the world
:
that was to come into existence were condensed in the shape of

an egg, and the supreme took possession of it in the form of
Brahma. One year of the creation, or one thousand jugs, which,
according to our reckoning, makes three hundred millions of
common years, elapsed before the egg was hatched. During that
long period, it was swimming like a bubble upon the mighty
deep or chaos its brightness resembled that of a thousand suns.
;
At last it broke, and Brahma sprang forth. His appearance was

terrific ;
he had a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a
thousand arms a suitable complement to undertake the work of
creation. Another monstrous being escaped from the egg with
him, evidently signifying the crude materials from which the
great mundane machine was to be prepared. The hairs of this
monster were the trees and plants of the forests, his head the
clouds, his beard the lightning, his breath the atmosphere, his
voice the thunder, his eyes the sun and moon, his nails the
rocks, his bones the mountains of the earth. When the egg was,
fabricated, Brahm, as creator, retired from the scene ; and hence-
forth he troubled himself no longer with the concerns of the
world. He relapsed into his former sleep, and nothing will dis-
turb him in his dreams until the time when the dissolution of the
present universe is to awaken him to renewed activity.

No temple in India is consecrated to this " unknown God."
The reason of this is obvious the Hindu expects nothing, fears
:
nothing, hopes nothing from a god who is asleep, wrapped up in

sweet dreams, and who has communicated his power to those
who are now managing the government of the world as his dele-
gates.
When the great egg opened, it
brought forth, likewise, the three
DESCRIPTION OF THE SHASTERS. 241
worlds, viz., the uppermost, which is inhabited by the gods, the

middle, intended for the dwelling-place of rnan, and the infernal
world, destined to be the habitation of demons and all sorts of
fearful beings.
The earth, according to the description of the Shasters, is a flat
plain of circular form, resembling the water-lily, measuring four
hundred millions of miles in circumference. The inhabitable
part ofit consists of seven islands of similar
shape, each of which
issurrounded by an ocean. The innermost island, bounded by
the ocean of salt water, is called Jampadwip ; the second island is
surrounded by a sea consisting of the juice of the sugar-cane ;
the sea surrounding the third contains spirituous liquors the ;
fourth, clarified butter the fifth, sour milk

;
the sixth, sweet ;
milk ; and the seventh contains sweet water. Beyond the latter
there is a land of pure gold, but inaccessible to man and far ;
beyond it extends the land of darkness and the hell. The earth
is resting upon an enormous snake with a hundred heads, and
the snake upon a tortoise. Whenever the former shakes one of
his heads, an earthquake is The bigoted
caused thereby.
Brahmin firmly persuaded of the indubitable fact, that no cir-
is
cumnavigator of the globe has ever succeeded in passing beyond

the salt-water ocean ;
and let the English become ever so skilful
in the art of navigation, they will always be obliged to sail with-

in its confines.
In the centre of the vast plain of the earth, which is two

hundred and fifty thousand miles in diameter, the loftiest of all
mountains, Sumem, rises to the enormous height of more than two
hundred thousand miles. It is crowned with three golden sum-
mits, which are the favorite residences of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shi-
va. The highest clouds reach to about a third part of the height of
the mountain. At the mountain there are three small-
foot of this
er hills, placed like sentinels,on the top of each of which grows-
the mangoe-tree, above two thousand miles in height. These
trees bear a fruit, as delicious as nectar, which measures several
hundred feet in diameter. When it falls to the ground, juice ex-
udes from it, whose spicy fragrance perfumes the air and those ;
who eat thereof diffuse a most agreeable smell for many miles
around them. The rose-apple-tree is likewise growing on those
hills, the fruit of which is as large as an elephant, and so full of
juice that at the season of maturity it flows along in a stream,

and whatever it touches in its course is
changed into the purest
16
gold. Here
a specimen of geography, which surpasses all our
is
preconceived and short-sighted notions of the globe we inhabit !
I mentioned above that the cosmogonies in the mythology of

the Hindus are many. One of the most popular among them
deserves to be noticed. The god Vishnu slept in the depth of
the ocean. From him grew a water-lily, which swam on the
surface of the water, and out of which proceeded Brahma, to
whom the gods delivered the work of the creation of the uni-
verse. In order to accomplish his purpose, he led for a long time
the life But he was unsuccessful. The disappoint-
of an ascetic.
ment drove him into a rage, and the tears gushed from his eyes.
Out of these briny drops arose gigantic beings of terrific shape.
One of his deepest sighs over this sad catastrophe produced the
god Rodru, that is, light and warmth, who, upon Brahma's
request, undertook the continuation of the arduous task. But it
did not proceed in his hands. Brahma was therefore obliged
to resume it again ; and, after much anxiety, various beings issued
from his fingers, ears, and other members. The work then ad-
vanced with more success and fire, earth, and wind, followed
;
each other in quick succession.

Upon this, Brahma divided himself into human forms, and
created men then he assumed the shape of a bullock, and after-
;
wards that of a horse, and thus produced the various kinds of

four-footed animals, birds, &c. In this way the uncounted mul-
titudes of animated beings, which now people the earth and other
worlds, rose gradually into existence.

Thus you see how the idea of pantheism pervades the base
fiction of this very absurd and immoral history of the creation.
To createin fact, nothing but a manifestation of Brahma in
is,
new he becomes an elephant, a mountain, a river and

forms ; ;
thus he produces and propagates the different species of living

beings. The whole universe is a portion of himself. In this
view he is represented in the Vedas " Brahma is not
separated :
from the creation he is the light of the sun, of the moon, and
:
of the fire the Vedas are the breath of his nostrils the primi-
; ;
tive elements are his eyes ;

the shaking movements of events are
his laugh ;
his sleep is the destruction of the world. In various
forms he enlivens the creature in the form of fire, he digests
:
their nourishment in the form of air, he preserves their life

;
as ;
water, he quenches their thirst as the sun, he ripens the fruits as

; ;
the moon, he gives them refreshing sleep. The progress of time

is the
step of his foot. Brahma hears and sees every thing. He
DESCRIPTION OF THE SHASTERS. 243
cultivates thi field he is turned into a cloud to give it moisture

; ;
he becomes corn and satisfies mankind. While he dwells in the

body, he sustains its vital warmth if he withdraw, it will get
;
cold and die. He destroys sin in the devout, as the cotton

thread is singed in the fire. He is the source of all truth
and of all lies. He who takes his refuge to him will become
holy he who turns his face from him will become a blasphemer."
;
Such is one of the most sublime songs which the priests sing in
honor of their Creator.
The distinction of caste is traced in origin to the creation of
its
man. By successive emanations from himself, Brahma called

various classes of mankind into existence. First the Brahmin
escaped from his mouth, as the representative of God in human

form. The nature of his birth signified him to be, not only the
highest and most exalted of all human beings, but likewise the
.ntended teacher, and the mediator between the gods and man-
kind. From the arm of Brahma, the defence of the body, sprung
the Kshutryu, or the caste of warriors the object of whose crea-
;
tion was evident, from the nature of his birth he was to protect :
the people by his powerful arm, and to shield and defend his
brethren against the aggression and oppression of the wicked.
From Brahma's breast issued the Voishnu, or caste of merchants
and tradesmen, to provide for the necessities of mankind and ;
from the humblest member, his foot, came the despised Sudra, or
the servile caste. Their allotted task was to perform every kind
of menial labor for their nobler-born brethren, both at home and in
the field.
TheSudras constitute by far the greatest number of the in-

habitants of Bengal and probably it is the same in other parts of
;
India. For past have those unhappy beings

thirty centuries
groaned uuder the curse of the haughty Brahmin, and patiently
borne the intolerable burden. " What God has
appointed," say
" we cannot alter." So holy and unchangeable is this insti-
they,
tution of castes, in the eyes of the people, and so firm is the belief
of the Hindu as to the appointment being of divine authorty,
that a transition from one caste to the other is absolutely impos-
sible. A
prince cannot purchase the Brahminical thread, which
is the badge of their dignity, for millions. As a mouse can never
be changed into an elephant, or the thorn-bush into an orange-tree,
so neither can a Sudra be turned into a Brahmin. The Brahmin
may sink : if he offend against his caste, his holiness will withdraw
itse.f ;
ho forfeits his nobility and is degraded. If he marry the
daughter of a Sudra, his progeny will be a sort of illegitimate

caste. Accordingly, at the present day, Brahmins of the first,
second, and third class, are met with in India. The purest and
most honored are, of course, those who, both on the paternal and
maternal side, have derived their descent from ancestors of pure
blood.
In modern times, however, the castes have been considerably
intermixed with each other. The Kshutryus were nearly extir-
pated, even before the country was conquered by the Mohamme-
dans, because they resisted thedominion of the Brahmins. The
Voishnus, or merchants' caste, is no longer found in Bengal, and
it is believed that they have been amalgamated with, and lost
among, the Sudras while these latter have, especially in Southern

;
India, sunk down almost to a level with the brute creation.

The laws of the Hindus are peculiarly calculated for the
preservation of the power and authority of the priests. In the
time when Hinduism was in its flower, the Brahmin could in no
wise be touched. The prince dared not execute him, though he
might have committed every possible crime. As flesh and blood
are pervaded in him by divine holiness, his moral character must
be judged by quite a different standard to that of the Sudra. A
good action possesses with him a much higher value and the ;
most hideous crime loses in his case a great deal of its heinous
nature. When a Brahmin robbed his Sudra brother, he had to
pay a fine in money but, when the latter was the offender, he
;
had to be burned at the stake he took a Brahmin by his

; and, if
beard, the law commanded his hands to be cut off. Yea, the
revenge of this hateful priest pursued the poor wretch into the
other world for, if a Sudra should meet him in an irreverential
;
manner, he will after death become a tree and, should he venture ;
to cast an angry glance at him, Yama, the god of the lower regions,
will tear out his eyes or, if he beat the Brahmin but with a straw,
;
he will in twenty transmigrations be born of impure beasts.

India is, like Italy, a paradise for priests. All the offerings
which the Hindu presents to his gods fall, as a matter of course,
to the Brahmin. He that feeds a number of them has the
promise of all the blessedness of heaven. The dying Hindu,
who leaves him in his will some of his goods and cattle, will,
freed from sin, enter forthwith into Shiva's heaven. He who
sells his cow will go to hell ; but, if he make it over to a Brah-
min, he will go to heaven. He who presents him an umbrella
'<rill be
protected against the injurious influence of the sun ; if
SPECIMENS OF THE SHASTERS. 245
any one will give him a pair of shops, his feet will not be
blistered on a journey and if a person honor him with gifts of
;
aromatic spicks, he will be preserved from offensive smells and

exhalations aL his days.
The husbandman may not cultivate his field, he may not put
the sickle into the ripe corn, without first giving the Brahmin his
due. He is the first at court, and in attendance on the Rajah.
In the most fertile parts of the country, in towns and villages,
where the inhabitants are in comfortable circumstances, Brahmins
are found in the greatest numbers. In the western parts of
Bengal, where forests abound, and where the ground is less pro-
ductive, they av, but rarely seen they "love
;
to eat the fat, and
drink the sweet," and have taken good care to obtain both for
their portion.

From the Shiva Puran, Part II.
SUTA'S NARRATIVE.
" O Rishi *
a most excellent and sin-destroying nar-
Hear, !
rative, which I will as I heard it with other Rishis from

relate
Vyasa. Formerly there was a famous Rishi, named Gautama,

and his virtuous wife was named Ahalya ; with her he performed,
during a thousand years, a rigorous tapas t in the southern coun-
try, near the mountain Brahmadri. At this time a drought had
desolated the country, and neither moisture nor rain had the
earth experienced for a hundred years ; water there was not and ;
ascetics, men, birds, and beasts, died every where. On beholding

this lamentable state, Gautama, having reflected, performed for
six months the severest mortifications in honor of Varuna; at
the termination of which the god appeared to him and thus
I am propitiated by thee, O holy devotee Demand
'
said : !
whatever boon thou wishest, and I will grant it.' Gautama then
requested rain but Varuna replied,
;
How can I transgress
'
the divine command ? Ask some other boon, which it may be

* Saint.
f A
tapas is a course of severe penance, either to propitiate a divinity or fof
other purposes, and the advantage derived from it is always superhuman.
246 SPECIMENS OF THE SHASTERS.
in my po\ver to bestow upon thee.' On hearing this, Gautama

said,
'
god O !
pleased with me, and willing to
if thou art
grant me a favor, I will request that which thou canst easily

perform 2ause, then, to appear a hermitage which shall surpass
:
all others in beauty, and shaded from the sun by fragrant and
fruit-bearing trees, where men and women by holy meditation

shall be liberated from pain, sorrow, and anxiety and also, as ;
thou art the lord of water, let it enjoy a perennial fountain.'

Varuna replied, 'So be it and then, causing a pit to be filled
;
'
with water, he thus said This water shall remain unex-

:
'
hausted, and thy name shall become celebrated by this reservoir
becoming a place of pilgrimage.' Having thus spoken, Varuna

disappeared. In this manner did Gautama obtain water, with
which he performed due manner the daily ceremonies. He
in
sowed, also, rice for holy offerings, and watered it from this inex-
haustible fountain ;
and grain of various kinds, trees, flowers,
and fruits adorned his hermitage. Thus the grove of Gautama
became the loveliest on the terrestrial orb and there resorted ;
ascetics, birds, and beasts, to live in happiness and there, ;
likewise, holy men fixed their abode with their sons and disci-
ples. In this grove none knew sorrow, and gladness alone pre-
vailed. But listen to what afterwards happened.
" On one
day Gautama had sent his disciples to bring water ;
but, when they approached the fountain, some Brahmin women

who were there prevented them, and scoffingly called out,
(
We
are the wives of holy anchorets after we have filled our
;
pitchers, you may then draw water.' The disciples returned,

and mentioned this circumstance to the wife of Gautama ;
and Ahalya, having consoled them, proceeded herself to the

fountain, and, having drawn water, brought it to her husband.
Thus she did daily and the other Brahmin women not only
;
scoffed her, but at length went, and thus each falsely addressed her
husband: 'My lord! Ahalya daily taunts me and the other
Brahmin women, and I have no other resource than thee. Vio-
lence, falsehood, deceit, foolishness, covetousness, and inconsid-
erateness, are the innate vices of women and, alas of what ;
!
avail will holy meditation be to every day the me if I suffer
reproaches of Ahalya ? Each husband, having heard these

'
words, revolved them in his mind, and thought that they could
not be true, and that they would be guilty of ingratitude if they
noticed them. But their wicked wives every day reproached
'hem for not affording them redress and at length, one day, as
;
they were passing through the grove, they overheard their wives
making the same complaints to Gautama, and therefore believed
that what they had said was true. The devotees, having then
assembled together, began to consult respecting the manner in
which they might resent this injury, so that their revenge might
not appear to proceed from them and, after deliberation, deter-
;
mined on invoking the assistance of Ganesha. They then pro-

pitiated him with offerings of durwa, lotoses, and rice of ;
vermilion, sandal-wood, and incense of rice-milk, cakes, and

;
sweetmeats and with prostrations, prayers, and burnt-offerings.

;
Well pleased, the god appeared and thus spoke I am propi-

'
:
tiated say,
: what boon do you desire ?
They
'
replied, If thou
'
art willing to grant us a favor, contrive to remove Gautama from
his hermitage ; for, if we adopt any means for that purpose, we

shallexpose ourselves to censure.' Ganesha answered, ' To injure
or destroy a man who is free from blame is not just ; and to return
evil for good will be productive of sorrow, and not of benefit.
Whoever performs holy meditation will obtain the happiest result ;
but the injuring of another will destroy the advantages which

would be derived from it. Gautama has given you gold, and you,
wish to return glassbut that which is right ought to be per-
;
formed.' Having heard these words, the devotees, from mental

delusion, thus replied: 'Olord! we entreat thee to do what we
have requested, as we desire no other favor.' Ganesha then
said,
'
Good cannot produce evil, nor evil g^od from its very
:
essence, evil must produce misery, and good happiness. Gautama

will enjoy happiness from his holy meditation but sorrow alone ;
can result from your present wish. But you are deluded by
female fascination, and you cannot, therefore, discriminate
between good and evil. I will, however, comply with your
request ; though you will undoubtedly hereafter regret having
made it.'
Having thus spoken, Ganesha disappeared.
"
Gautama, unacquainted with the evil intentions of the devo-
tees, joyfully performed each day the sacred ceremonies; but one
day, being in a field of rice and barley, Ganapati, having assumed

the form of an extremely debilitated cow, appeared there trem-
bling, and scarcely able to move, and began to eat the rice and
barley. Observing this, the compassionate Gautama lifted a
stalk of grass and struck the cow with it, in order to drive her
away but scarcely was she touched with the stalk when she
;
dropped on the ground, and immediately died, while all the

devotees beheld what passed with looks of distress. The
holy men and wives then exclaimed, O Gautama

their lovely '
!
what hast thou done '

Gautama, also, in amazement, thus
?
addressed Ahalya What an accident How can I have incurred

:
'
!
the anger of the gods ? what shall I do ? where shall I go ? thus

involved in the guilt of the murder of a cow The devotees at !
'
the same time thus reproached him Alas O holy Rishi of :

'
! !
what avail has been thy knowledge ? Alas of what avail thy !
burnt-offering and thy strict performance of every ceremony ?

'
In the same manner, their wives thus reproached the wife of

Gautama Alas Ahalya, of what avail have been thy wisdom,
:
'
!
and the universal respect shown to thee ? Alas of what avail !
thy virtue and piety ?

'
Thus they reviled Gautama and his
arife, and then exclaimed to each other, '
Let us not look on the
-ace of this slayer of a cow : whoever looks on his countenance
will become equally guilty ;
and whoever approaches his hermit-
age, that man's offerings neither will fire nor the manes receive.'
Thus reviling Gautama, they all threw stones at him. Gautama
then exclaimed, '
Alas ! alas ! what shall I do ? I swear, O holy
men that I will depart from this place.'
!
Having thus spoken,
he removed to a distant spot, and there erected a hermitage ; but
as long as this sin, falsely imputed to him, remained unexpiated,
he could perform no holy ceremony, and his wife continued ex-
posed to the insults of the other Brahmin women and thus ;
Gautama suffered the greatest misery. At length, after a short

time, Gautama assembled the holy men, and thus addressed
them Have compassion on me, and acquaint me with the cere-
:
'
monies by which my sin may be expiated for without instruc- ;
tion no good act can be effected.' The Brahmins then consulted

together respecting the penance which ought to be prescribed,
while Gautama stood at a distance in an humble posture ; and,
'
after deliberation, they thus said : Sin can never be expiated
except by suitable purification for this purpose, therefore, do :
thou circumambulate the whole earth, and, on returning here,

circumambulate a hundred times the mountain of Brahma, and
thus thou wilt be purified or make ablutions in the Ganges, and ;
on its banks, having made ten millions of earthen lingams,

worship the god whose symbol is the lingam, and then perambu
late the sacred mountain and bathe in the hundred holy
pools.
By means thy sin will be expiated.' Having heard
these these
words, Gautama first circumambulated the holy mountain
;
and
afterwards, as directed, formed the earthen lingams, in order that
he might be restored to his pristine purity. He then, with
Ahalya, and his disciples, worshipped Shiva with the holiest

rites and most intense devotion. At length the lord of the
mountain-born goddess descended from the summit of Kailasa
and thus addressed him Say, what boon dost thou desire ?
:
* '
On beholding that form divine, a sight of which is so difficult to

be obtained, Gautama was filled with delight, and, having
reverenced the mighty god with laudatory strains, requested that
he would liberate him from the guilt that he had incurred. Shiva
Gautama, or Budh.
replied,
'
Happy art thou, O mighty Rishi ! and the fruit of all
thy pious acts hast thou obtained, for from sin.

thou art free
Thou hast been deceived by these wicked men, for even the
three worlds become purified by thy presence. How, then, canst
thou be polluted by an act committed by these evil-minded men,
and who will suffer for it Shaukara * then explained

hereafter ?
'
to him all their wickedness and ingratitude, and Gautama

listened with astonishment and after Shankara had ceased
;
speaking, he thus said These: Brahmins have done me the

'
greatest favor, for. if it had not been for their act, I should not
have enjoyed the felicity of beholding thee, O lord Pleased !
'
with these words, Shiva again expressed his satisfaction with the
piety and devotion of Gautama, and desired him to ask a boon.
Gautama replied that all he entreated was, that the Ganga [the
River Ganges] might there appear, in order that he might purify
himself in it. With this request Shiva complied and the conse- ;
quence was the establishment of the sacred place of pilgrimage at

Trimbucka, on the Godavery."
Gautama is the principal divinity of the Burmese. According
to tradition, he was so offended with the Brahmins that he de-
termined to separate himself from them and establish a new
religion.
From the Matsya Puran.
A DELUGE.
"
Suta, addressing the Sages Formerly, there was a king
:
named Manu, distinguished by every virtue who, having re- ;
signed his kingdom to his son, withdrew to a certain spot, and

there, indifferent to pain and pleasure, performed the severest
devotional penance for a hundred thousand years. At length
Brahma appeared to him and said, Choose whatever boon thy '
mind desires.' The king, bowing to Brahma, thus replied:

'
From thee one most excellent boon I crave and wish ;
ihat
when the pralaya takes place, I may be preserved from that
which all things movable and immovable shall be
destruction in
involved.' 'So be it,' Brahma replied, and then disappeared;
and the angels rained on the king from heaven a shower of
flowers.
" Some time after, as near his hermitage he was offering water
to the manes, a small fish came into his hands along with the
water ;
and the compassionate king, in order to preserve it,
placed it in a small vessel. But in one night it increased sixteen
inches in size, and exclaimed, ' Save me save me The king
! i
'
* Shankara is another name for Shiva. Some of the Hindu divinities have
many names, and they are used interchangeably, to prevent repetition.
SPECIMENS OF THE SHASTERb. 253
then successively threw itand a river

in a jar, a well, a lake, ;
but, in each night, the and entreated a more

fish grew larger,
roomy place of abode. At length the king threw it into the sea,
when it immediately occupied with its bulk the whole ocean.
Manu, then alarmed, 'exclaimed, 'What god art thou? or canst
thou be any other than Vasudeva, whose form has thus expanded
to such immensity? I know thee now but why hast thou thus ;
pained me, by assuming the form of a fish, O Keshava Praise !
be to thee, O Vishnu, lord of the universe The lord replied, !

'
'
Excellent ! excellent ! Thou hast discovered the truth, O
sinless one ! Know that in a short time this earth shall be sub-
merged in water, and that this ship has been prepared by all the
gods thy preservation. When, therefore, the deluge takes
for
place, enter this ship, and take with thee all kinds of seeds, and
of animals that are produced from heat, from eggs, or from the
womb ;
and fasten it to this horn of mine. Thus shalt thou be
preserved, and after the deluge has ceased, shalt thou become,
on the renovation of the world, the progenitor of all beings ; and
thus shall a holy devotee, steadfast in ascetic practices, and com-
pletely conversant in divine knowledge, become, at the beginning
of the Krita Yug, the lord of a manwantara.' Having thus
spoken, the lord disappeared, and Manu continued his devotions
to Vasudeva until the deluge took place, as foretold by Vishnu ;
and then Janardana appeared in the form of a horned fish ; and,

while the ship into which Manu had entered was attached to its
horn, Vishnu, under the form of this fish, in answer to the ques-
tions of Manu, revealed unto him the Matsya Puran."
From the Bhagawat, Book III. Chap. 13.
THE EARTH RAISED FROM THE WATERS OF A DELUGE.

"
Parameshti, then, beholding the earth sunk amidst the
waters, long meditated on the means by which it might be re-
placed in its former situation. Whose divine aid,' he thought,
'
'
from the deep abyss that earth which
shall I implore to upraise
I formerly created ? That lord from whose heart I sprang can
alone effect this mighty work.' As Brahma thus resolved,
suddenly from his nostrils sprang a young boar, no larger than
the thumb ; but, as he viewed it, in an instant it wonderfully in-
creased to the size of a mighty elephant. The Rishis Prajapatis,
Rumaras, and Manu, beholding the boar-like form in astonish-
ment, thus in their minds conjectured :
'
What can be this delu-
254: SPECIMENS OE THE SHASTERS.
sive form of a boar, since, in reality, it must be of a divine

nature ? How
wonderful that it should spring from Brahma's
nostrils no larger than the top of the thumb, and, in an instant,
become equal to a mighty mountain Can it be that mighty !
lord, on whom we meditate with minds devout ? While thus '
they thought, that lord, who was the primeval victim, emitted a
sound loud as thunder, and, as the eight regions reechoed the
sound, Brahma and his sons were delighted for they hence ;
knew the lord, and, their anxiety being dissipated, the pure in-
habitants of Janalok, Tapalok, and Satyalok, united in addressing
to him their holy praise. Pleased with these praises, the won-
drous boar displayed himself like a vast mountain, with tail
erect, mane waving,

his bristles sharp as lances, and hoofs strik-
ing the sky, and snuffing, in imitation of a boar, to discover the

earth. Then he of the terrible tusk, with terror-divested eyes
regarding those who were adoring him, like a sportive elephant
dived into the abyss of waters and the waters being divided, as
;
if a thunderbolt vast as a mountain had fallen precipitately into
them, resounded like the thunder ;

its wide
and, raising in pain
billows, the abyss profound exclaimed, Save me, O lord of sac- '
'
rifice !
Thus, subduing the waters with his sharp hoofs, he
reached their utmost extremity, and saw lying there the earth,
which he had originally intended for the abode of souls. Having
then slain the demon Hiranyaksha, he uplifted it on his tusks
from the dark abyss, and Brahma and his sons extolled his
wondrous power."
From the Padma Puran, Chap. 5.
DAKSHA's SACRIFICE;
"
Pulastya, addressing Bhishma : Formerly, O Bhishma !
Ddksha prepared a sacrifice at Gungadwara, to which came all the

immortals and divine sages. At this festival celestial viands
abounded. The consecrated place of sacrifice extended for several
yojanas. Numerous altars were erected. The sacred rites and
ceremonies were duly performed by Vasishta, Angiras, Vrihaspati,
and Narada and Vishnu protected the sacrifice. But Sati thus
;
addressed her father :

'
My lord ! all the immortals, the divine
sages, and my with their husbands, adorned in the costli-
sisters
est manner, have honored this festival with their presence and 1 ;
observe that not a single one has been uninvited except my hus-
band. But, unless he attend, empty will be all these rites, and
SPECIMENS OF THE SHATTERS. 257
productive of no advantage. Say, then, has it been through

Ibrgetfulness that thou didst not invite my lord ? On hearing '
these words, Daksha, with parental affection, placed his youthful
daughter, who showed such fondness for her husband, in his lap,
rind thus replied: 'Listen, my darling! while I explain the
reason why thy husband has not been invited. It is because that
he is the bearer of a human skull, a delighter in cemeteries, ac-
companied by ghosts and goblins, naked or merely clothed with

a tiger's or elephant's skin, covered with ashes, wearing a neck-
lace of human skulls, ornamented with serpents, always wander-
ing about as a mendicant, sometimes dancing and sometimes

singing, and neglecting all divine ordinances. Such evil prac-
tices, my darling render thy!husband the shame of the three
worlds, and unworthy to be admitted at a sacrifice where
Brahma, Vishnu, and all the immortals and divine sages, are
present.' He ceased, and Sati, incensed by his words, with
anger-inflamed eyes thus spoke That god is the lord of the
:
'
universe, from whom allthings and beings have received their

rank and station, and whose supreme excellence no tongue is
able to declare and, though delighting in cemeteries, covered
;
with ashes, and adorned with human bones and serpents, he is

the creator, the provider, and the preserver. It was alone through
the favor of Rudra [Shiva] that Indra obtained heaven through ;
the will, also, of Rudra, Brahma creates ; and, were it not for
Rudra, how could Vishnu have the power to preserve ? If,
therefore, I have derived might from my devotion, and if I be

beloved by Rudra, since thou hast despised him, this sacrifice
shall be undoubtedly destroyed.' Having thus spoken, Sati fixed
hermind in profound abstraction, and by her own splendor con-
sumed her body, while all the immortals exclaimed in astonish-
ment,
'
How wonderful On being informed of this event,
!
'
Shiva, much afflicted, collected myriads of ghosts, goblins, and

demons, and hastened to Daksha's place of sacrifice which he ;
completely destroyed, after having vanquished all the immortals

that opposed him."
From the Skanda Puran, the Chapter entitled "Kapardi

Mahatmyam."
GANESA CREATED.
Shiva, addressing Parvati: "Formerly, during the twilight
(hat intervened between the Dwapara and Kali Yugs, women,
17
barbarians, Sudras, and other workers of sin, obtained en-

trance into heaven by visiting the celebrated temple of Somesh-
wara. Sacrifices, ascetic practices, charitable gifts, and all the
other prescribed ordinances ceased, and men thronged only to
the temple of Shiva. Hence old and young, the skilled in the
Vedas and those ignorant of them, and even women and Sudras,
ascended to heaven, until at length it became crowded to excess.
Then Indra and the gods, afflicted at being thus overcome by
men, sought the protection of Shiva, and thus with reverence
addressed him O Shankara by thy favor heaven is pervaded
:
'
!
by men, and we are nearly expelled from it. These mortals

wander wherever they please, exclaiming, " I am the greatest !
I am the greatest " and Dharma Rajah, beholding the register of

!
their good and evil deeds, remains silent, lost in astonishment.

For the seven hells were most assuredly intended for their recep-
tion ;but, having visited thy shrine, their sins have been re-
mitted, and they have obtained a most excellent futurity.' Shiva
replied, Such was my promise to Soma, nor can it be infringed
'
;
and all men, therefore, who visit the temple of Someshwara must
ascend to heaven. But supplicate Parvati, and she will contrive
some means for extricating you from this distress.' The gods
then kneeling before Parvati, with folded hands
and bended heads, thus invoked her assistance with
laudatory strains Praise be to thee, O supreme
:
'
of goddesses, supporter of the universe Praise !
be to thee, O lotos-eyed, resplendent as gold !
Praise be to thee, O beloved of Shiva, who

Greatest and destroyest ! Praise be to thee, O
mountain-born ! Praise be to thee, O Kalarattri,
O Durga, who pervadest the universe, and art
the sole substance from which all female forms,
whethei mortal or immortal, originate Grant us !
thy aid, and save us from this fearful distress !

'
Having heard the supplication of Indra and the

gods, thou, O goddess! wert moved with com-
passion, and, gently rubbing thy body, there was
thence produced a wondrous being with four
arms and the head of an elephant when thou ;
Ganesa.
'
thus addressedst the gods Desirous of your advantage have I
:
created this being, who will occasion obstacles to men, and,

deluding them, will deprive them of the wish to visit Somana-
tha ind thus shall they fall into hell.' This heard, the gods
I
were delighted, and returned to their own abodes, relieved from

allfear of mankind,"
From the Lainga Puran, Part II. , Chap. 100.

KALI CREATED.
"
Suta thus spoke : Formerly a female Asura,* named
Daruka, had through devotion obtained such power, that she con-
sumed like fire the gods and Brahmins. But, as she was at-
tended by a numerous host of female Asuras, Vishnu, and all the
gods, were afraid to engage in battle with her, lest they should
incur the sin of feminicide. They in consequence proceeded to
Shiva, and with laudatory strains and

entreated his assistance ;
he then, regarding Devi, thus addressed her Let me request, O :

c
lovely one that thou wouldst now, for the benefit of the uni-
!
verse, effect the destruction of this Daruka.' Having heard these

words, Parvati created from her own substance a maiden of black
color, with matted locks, with an eye in her forehead, bearing in
ner hands a trident and a skull, of aspect terrible to behold, and
arrayed in celestial garments and adorned with all kinds of orna-
ments. On beholding this terrific form of darkness, the gods
retreated in alarm. Parvati then created innumerable ghosts,
goblins, and demons and, attended by these, Kali in obedience
;
to her order, attacked and destroyed Daruka, and removed the

distress of the world."
This legend concludes in the following singular manner :
" Shiva also

appeared as an infant in a cemetery surrounded by
ghosts, and on beholding him Kali took him up, and, caressing
him, gave him her breast. He sucked the nectareous fluid but ;
becoming angry, in order to divert and pacify him, Kali, clasping

him to her bosom, danced with her attendant goblins and demons
amongst the dead until he was pleased and delighted while ;
Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, and all the gods, bowing themselves,

praised with laudatory strains the god of gods, Parvati and Kali."
From the Garura Puran.

INVOCATION TO DURGA, OR KALI.^
"
On the ninth of each half month invoke Durga with these
words Hrim, protect me, O Durga ! O chief of the divine
'
:
mothers! giver of blessings ! accept these various offerings offlesh

and my prayer sS On the third, also, of Margashirsha commence
*
Demon.
the worship of Durga before her image having eighteen hands,

and holding m them a mace, a bell, a looking-glass, an iron rod,
a bow, a banner, a small drum, a battle-axe, a noose, a lance, a
club, a trident, a disk, a shield, an ankush, a dart, a thunderbolt,
and a skull ; and address to her the following hymn ' Om, praise :
be to thee, O Bhagawati, Chamunda dweller in cemeteries, !
bearer of a skull, borne on a car drawn by ghosts, Kalarattrij

large-mouthed, many-armed, sounding thy bell and drum, laugh-
ing terribly, gnashing thy horrid teeth loudly, clothed in an ele-
phant's skin, with a body full of flesh and blood, and a tremen-
dous tongue Praise be to thee, O Kali
! with terrific tusks and !
fear-inspiring eyes with a countenance

flashing like lightning,
dark with frowns, bearing the moon on thy matted locks, and on
thy neck a string of skulls Hram, Hram, O destroyer of diffi-
!
culties quickly accomplish this business

! O delighter in flesh !
and blood be propitious, be propitious, and enter this place

! !
Enter, enter tread, tread dance, dance

!
delayest thou to
! !
Why
enter ? O wearer of human heads and skulls seize, seize ! !
tear, tear !
consume, consume !
slay, slay !
Hrum, Hrum, de-
stroy, destroy ! with thy trident kill, kill with
pierce, pierce !
thy thunderbolt smite, smite with

!
thy rod cut off, cut off with !
thy disk !
fell, fell with thy mace strike, strike with thy axe ! !
Come, come, O Maheshwari come, O Kamarini come, O

! !
Varahi come, O Aindri come, O Chamunda

!
come, O Kapa-
! !
lini come, O Mahakali come, O frequenter of Kailasa enter,

! ! !
enter this place, O thou who executest the wrath of Rudra, and
'
causest the destruction of the Asuras !
The Introduction or Dedication of the Mahabarat.
A HYMN OF PRAISE TO DURGA.
Hail, greatest of goddesses, victory unto thee,

Victory unto thee, Hurree Chandee !
In thy forehead thy red mark appeared so glowing,

O Dabee we tremble to see thee.
!
At thy ears hang the gold rings so large and so brilliant ;
At thy nose is the rich gapamatee *

;
T% hands hold the cleaver, and trident, and blood-dish

So dreadful appears Bhagabattee !
Sixty-four times ten millions of witches and spectres,

Thee their patroness and mistress attending.
Thou art Loksmee, the primeval mother of all things,
In creation we see thee extending.
* Jewel.
In each house dost thou enter, on holiness thinking ;

There to dwell with the pure thou art wont
Fifteen million times than a warrior stronger,
Thine arm Moyassoor did slay ;
Thy sword Roktabija, the dread demon, laid low,
And the fear of the gods did allay.
The wife of Eswara, a strange, fearful demon,
A ghost and the mother of all.
Nineteen millions of devils, all females and fearful,
From thy body came forth at thy call.
With round eyes and flat forehead thou starest portentious,
And utterest thy dread voice in thunder.
With thy cleaver and blood-dish and bloody tongue quivering,
Thou enterest graveyards, devouring choice corpses,
Still with battle-field slaughter unfilled.
How sweet is the blood of the good man unto thee !
gore from thy mouth is distilled.

Still his
Thou rejoicest to hear the dread battle's loud slaughter,.

The sound of the Ra! Ra! so dire.
The chief of the holy, thy names, lady, are many,
At the cry of Ra Ra swiftly flying.
! !
Nine hundred times counted, one thousand of witches,

Of ghosts and of devils obey thee.
In the silence of midnight, when dark, are thy witches
A corpse for a vehicle using,
When the fresh dead are lying, thou a feast gladly nmkest,
With the green skulls thy fancy amusing.
When the flames of the funeral gleam through the night's darknest
When the dead they are wont to consume,.
How swiftly thou runnest to snuffthe rich odors !
To thee they are richest perfume.

To thy timbrel's jingle, in the air ever sounding,
Ghosts and devils innumerable dance ;
They share in thy honors and share in thy worship,

As thy name and thy praise they advance.
Thou art greater than Brahma, or Vishnu, or Shiva
Thou art called the great Bhagabattee.
Translated by Rev. Charles Lacey,for Caleb Wright.
From the Matsya Puran, Chap. 3, 4.
BRAHMA'S INCEST.
v<
Brahma next formed from his own immaculate substance a
female, who is names of Shatarupa,
celebrated under the
Savitri, Sarasvati, Gayatri, and Brahmani. Then, beholding
his daughter, born from his own body, Brahma became wounded
with the arrows of love, and exclaimed, How surpassing lovely '
she is ! But Shatarupa turned to the right side from his gaze,
'
and, as Brahmi wished to look after her, a second head appeared

SPECIMKNS OF THE SHASTERS.
'
264
and thus, as she passed, in order to avoid his amorous glances, to

his left and his rear, two other heads successively manifested
themselves. At length she sprang into the sky, and, as Brahma
was anxious to gaze after her, a fifth head was immediately
formed. Then Brahma thus called to his daughter Let us :
'
generate all kinds of animated beings, men, Suras, and Asuras.' *

On hearing these words she descended ; and, Brahma having
espoused her, they withdrew into a secluded spot, and there
indulged in the delights of love for one hundred divine years."
From the Vamana Puran, Chap. 6.
" Then Kara, wounded by the arrows of Kama, [the god of

love,] wandered into a deep forest, named Daruvanam, where
holy sages and their wives resided. The sages, on beholding
Shiva, saluted him with bended heads, and he, wearied, said to
them, Give me alms.' Thus he went begging round the differ-
'
ent hermitages and, wherever he came, the minds of the sages'

;
wives, on seeing him, became disturbed and agitated with the

pain of love, and all commenced to follow him. But, when the
sages saw their holy dwellings thus deserted, they exclaimed,
'May the lingam of this man f fall to the ground ! That '
instant the lingam of Shiva fell to the ground and the god ;
immediately disappeared. The lingam, then, as it fell, penetrated

through the lower worlds, and increased in height until its top
towered above the heavens. The earth quaked, and all things
movable and immovable were agitated on perceiving which, ;
Brahma hastened to the Sea of Milk, and said to Vishnu, Say, '
why does the universe thus tremble ? Hari replied, On ac-

' '
count of the falling of Shiva's lingam, in consequence of the

curse of the holy and divine sages.' On hearing of this most
wonderful event, Brahma said, l Let us go and behold this
lingam.' The two gods then repaired to Daruvanam and, on ;
beholding it without beginning or end, Vishnu mounted the

king of birds and descended into the lower regions in order to
ascertain its base and, for the purpose of discovering its top,
;
Brahma ascended the heavens.

in a lotos ear But they returned
from their search wearied and disappointed, and together ap-
proaching the lingam, with due reverence and praises, entreated
* Suras are
gods, and Asuras are demons.
+ Shiva was disguised, and the sages, therefore, did not know him.
Shiva resume his lingam. Thus propitiated, that god appeared

to
own *
form, and said, If gods and men will worship
'
in his
my
lingam, I will resume it; but not otherwise.' To this proposal
Vishnu, Brahma, and the gods, assented." f
From the Bhagavat Geeta, p. 90.

PART OF ARJOON'S DESCRIPTION OF KRISHNA, WHOM HE SAW
IN A VISION.
"
The winds, alike with me, are terrified to behoJd thy
wondrous form gigantic; with many mouths and eyes; with
many arms, and legs, and breasts with many bellies, and with ;
rows of dreadful teeth Thus, as I see thee, touching the

!
heavens, and shining with such glory, of such various hues,

with widely-opened mouths, and bright, expanded eyes, I
am disturbed within me faileth me, O Vish-
; my resolution
nu ! and I find no
Having beholden
rest !
thy dreadful teeth,
and gazed on thy countenance, emblem of time's last fire,
I know not which way to turn I find no peace Have ! !
mercy, then, O god of gods thou mansion of the universe

! !
The sons of Dhreetarashtra now, with all those rulers of the

land, Bheeshma, Drona, the son of Soot, and even the fronts of
our army, seem to be precipitating themselves hastily into thy
mouth, discovering such frightful rows of teeth whilst some !
appear to stick between thy teeth withbodies sorely their
mangled. the As
rapid streams of full-flowing rivers roll on to
meet the ocean's bed, even so these heroes of the human race
rush on towards thy flaming mouths. As troops of insects, with
* It is now the principal object of worship in more than half of the temples of
India.
f "The lingam is formed of stone, and consists of a base three or four feet high,
the top of which is surrounded by a raised rim ; and in the middle is slightly
excavated, and raised on a level with the rim, the figure of a yoni, (pudendum mu-
liebre,) from the centre of which rises a smooth, round stone, slightly conical
towards the top, of a foot and a half in height and about three inches diameter at
the base. Major Moor has, therefore, very justly observed, It is some com-
parative and negative praise to the Hindus, that the emblems under which they
exhibit the elements and operations of nature are not externally indecorous.
Unlike the abominable realities of Egypt and Greece, we see the phallic emblem
in the Hindu Pantheon without offence and know not, until the information be
;
extorted, that we are contemplating a symbol whose prototype is indelicate. The

plates of my book may be turned and examined, over and over, and the uninformed
observer will not be aware that in several of them he has view ed the typical rep-
"
resentation of the generative organs or powers of humanity.' Ancient and Hindu
Mythology, by Col. Kennedy, pp. 103, 104.
Increasing speed, seek their own destruction in the flaming fire,

even so these people, with swelling fury, seek their own destruc-
tion. Thou involves! and swallowest them altogether, even unto
the last, with thy flaming mouths, whilst the whole is filled with
thy glory, as thy awful beams, O Vishnu, shine forth on all
sides !
"
THE MOON PLANT SACRIFICE.

The moon-plant must be collected in a moonlight night, from
the table-land on the top of a mountain, and carted to the place
of sacrifice by two rams or he-goats. The juice of the plant,
mixed with barley and other ingredients, becomes, by fermenta-
tion,a very intoxicating liquor. The officiating Brahmins are to
drink this liquor as a part of the performance. The sacrifici
continues several weeks, and is accompanied by numerous aus
terities which endanger the lives of the worshippers.
Tuka Rama, a sage who flourished about three hundred years
ago, speaks of muzzling the animals used in carting the moon-
plant, and of beating them to death by the fists of the Brahmins.
His verses are to the following effect :
" Beat to death the ram

you've muzzled,
And offer the Soma with sacred song :
So they say ; but yet I'm puzzled,
And half suspect such worship wrong ;
For rites like these are at best but scurvy,

That turn religion topsy-turvy."
In the Sama Veda, there is a series of about a thousand verses,

designed to be chanted or sung at the moon-plant sacrifice. The
following extracts will serve as specimens. Each paragraph, the
ast one excepted, contains an entire verse.
" O whether now

Agni ! I speak with true intonations or with
false, I mean to
praise thee. Come hither, therefore, and grow
great by drinking this moon-plant juice."
" O Indra ! drinker of the moon-plant juice, these thy friends
[the attendant priests] look on thee, with the affection that the
cattle-feeder looks on his cattle."
" We on
call thee, the performer of meritorious acts, day by
day, as men call on the cow to the milking."
"Let these moon-plants fill thee with
delight, O holder of the
thunderbolt ! Do
thou procure for us wealth, and, at the same
time, kill outright all who hate the Brahmins."
" O Indra ! wherever whether in some strong chest or in some
hill or well treasure worthy of regard is laid up, thence do thou
bring it to us."
" O Indra ! this morning accept our sacrifice, accompanied
with curds, sweet cakes, and praises."
rice,
11
Come into our presence to partake of the moon-plant juice
and other viands. Do not get angry with us, [but bear with us]
as an elderly man does with a young wife."
"
We, who are eager for the possession of riches, take hold of
thy right hand, O Indra, lord of wealth ! know thee, We O
mighty god to be lord
! of cattle give us then that wealth which
;
consists in cows
that yield large supplies of milk."
" O of all praise let our eucharistic songs fix thee, a;
worthy !
firmly as the charioteer is fixed in his seat, and let their sym-
phony sound before thee like the lowing of newly-calved cows

for their calves."
"
When, O Indra ! those who come
worship invoke thee, to
and delight thee with sacrificial viands, and ceremonies used for
the obtaining victory over our enemies, then do thou yoke thy
banquet-going horses, and having slain some one, and seized his
wealth, bestow it on us."
" Bestow on us a
good and auspicious intellect, along with
wisdom and food, that we may secure thy friendship and do ;
thou delight in our spirituous liquors as cows do in rich

pasturage."
" He who causes the well-filled
golden-colored horses' grain-
dish to glisten, is the man who will stand in the first place before
thy rain-causing, cow-conferring chariot. O Indra ! now yoke
thy horses."
"
Come, O Indra ! with all thy bands, like the herd of cows
collected in the cow-house."
" The mountain-produced, pressed moon-plant is distilling its
juice in the holy place. Thou, O Soma! art the embroiler of all
things in thy drunken frolics."

" The Brahmins, void of malice, sing praises before the beloved,
much-desired presence of Indra, with the affection cow-mothera
lick their calves in theday they are produced."
" we
[O priests,] the day long that renowned, foe-
praise all
destroying Indra of yours, who gets muzzy on the sacrificial bever-
age placed in the sacred vessels, with voices raised as loud as those
of milch-cows lowing for their calves. [Indra,] we desire of thee
quickly to give us food of heavenly origin, worthy of being
268 SPECIMENS OF THE SHATTERS.
oestowed, encircled with majesty as a mountain with clouds,

capable of feeding multitudes, worthy of being extolled, in hun-
dreds and thousands of different kinds of measure, and, united
with it, abundance of cows."
" The sweet
moon-plants, when pressed, flow in a stream, and
with a loud voice, for the production of inebriation. The juices
flow down during the time of bruising with a noise for the
glorious toper Indra, who gives its splendor to the morning."
From the Padma Puran, Chap. IX.

OCCURRENCES IN THE HEAVEN KAILASA.
Narada said : " At this time I went and informed Jalandhara
that Shambhu * had promised to effect his destruction. Jaland-

hara then said to me, O holy sage what precious things are
'
!
contained in the abode of the bearer * of the trident ? Acquaint

me with the whole, as war should not be unless there be booty.'
I replied, Shambhu is old, covered with ashes, his neck marked
'
with the poison of serpents, mounted on a bull, bearing a beggar's

dish in his hand, and with an elephant-headed and a six-headed
son,f and he has nothing valuable belonging to him except the
lovely and full-bosomed daughter of the mountain. Inflamed
with love and captivated by her beauty, Mahesha* passes his
days in sport and dalliance, or sings and dances to amuse her.
She is named Parvati, and far excels in loveliness either Vrinda
or the nymphs of heaven.' Having thus spoken, and excited
the desire of Jalandhara, I disappeared.
" After this the son of the sea Rahu on an embassy
despatched
to Kailasa, who arrived there in a moment and, on beholding
;
the resplendent abode of Shambhu, he exclaimed to himself,

*
How wonderful is this place He then wished to enter, but
!
'
was prevented by the warders, who demanded his business.

Rahu replied,
'
I am the ambassador of Jalandhara ;
but the mes-
sage of a mighty king is not addressed unto a doorkeeper.'
Nandi, hearing these words, hastened and informed Shiva and, ;
having received his commands, introduced Rahu. Having en-

tered,he beheld Shambhu, five-faced and ten-armed, his sacri
cord formed of a snake, and his matted locks adorned with
ficial
the moon, waited upon by vile and ugly servants, but attended
* Shiva.
* Ganesa and Kartika. See the engraving of Ganesa on page 21.
TEMPLE OF NANDI AT TANJORE
is the Bull on which Shiva is said to perform his journies. It appears from
tfatuK
an extract from the Shasters commencing on the opposite page that Nandi
it a quadruped of no ordinary attainments. His image in thit
temple is rudely carved from
a large block of block granite.
by all the immortals, who, looking to the ambassador, desired

him to speak. Rahu then began :
'
O
I am sent to thee
lord !
by Jalandhara : hear his auspicious words from my mouth and ;
do thou, who art addicted to devotion, devoid of affection, an

abandoner of works, who hast neither father nor mother, nor
observest the duties of the householder, obey his commands.
The mighty Jalandhara enjoys the dominion of the three worlds ;
do thou become subject to him.
also Why shouldst thou, old,
libidinous, and the rider of a bull, refuse to obey him? While '
Rahu thus spoke, the sons of Shiva, Ganesa and Skanda,* were
rubbing his body and, disturbed by their hands, Vasuki fell to
;
the ground, and immediately began to swallow the rat, Ganesa's

vehicle, beginning with the tail. Ganauayaka,t on observing
the snake about to swallow his Loose '
courser, called out, !
Skanda, or Kartika,
loose At this time Skanda's peacock began to scream in the

!
'
manner and the serpent, frightened, disgorged the rat,

shrillest ;
and hastened to replace himself on the neck of Shiva, where,

violently respiring, he dimmed the brightness of the moon with
his poisonous breath. Then came the beloved of Vishnu, drip-
ping from her couch in the Milky Sea, and bearing a vase full
with the beverage of immortality, with which she reanimated
the head of Brahma that Shiva's hand eternally displays. The
head, falling and rolling on the ground, exclaimed in boasting
accents, while the spectators expressed to each other their aston-
ishment, 1 am the first I am the most ancient of beings
1
I
am the creator I am the lord of all things.' At this moment,
from the matted locks of Shiva sprang myriads of beings, three-
* Kartika Ganesa.
f
faced, three-footed, seven-armed, and with yellow hair hanging in

long and matted locks, on seeing whom the head became mute as
the dead. Having beheld these wonders, Rahu, in fear and aston-
ishment, thus again addressed Mahesha: O lord! through th
'
strength of thy devotion and abstraction, affections touch not

thee why then dost thou sacrifice to feelings and passions ?
;
Thou receivest adoration from Brahma and all other deities but ;
who is the god whom thou adorest ? Thou art the supreme god ;
why, therefore, dost thou collect the scraps of the beggar ? But
O chief of devotees since thou preferrest a state of pious mortifi-
!
cation, yield up Gauri and thy two sons, Ganesa and Skanda ;
and do thou, with a beggar's dish, wander from door to door. 1
Thus Rahu urged his request in many words but Maheshwara

j
returned no answer. Then Rahu, as Isha would not break

silence, thus addressed Nandi : Thou art a minister and a
'
general, and canst therefore inform me what means this departure

from all received usages as it is not becoming that a prince, to
;
whom an ambassador is sent, should preserve silence.' But

Nandi replied not, and immediately, on a sign from Shiva,
reconducted and dismissed Rahu, who hastened to Jalandhara
and related to him all that had passed."
" The
mighty Jalandhara, having heard the relation of his am-
bassador, immediately arrayed his army and marched forward.
Then the tumult of his approaching forces resounded through
the inmost recesses of Mandara and wide was it spread by the
;
echoes of Mem, while lions started from their dens warlike

;
instruments with their clangor, dear to the warrior, deafened the

three worlds and, as trod the mighty Danavas, the lofty moun-
;
tains trembled, and the seas were agitated. The armor ot

warriors clashed as on they marched, borne on various vehicles ;
and the wheels of the war-chariots harsh grated along the

ground. White umbrellas shaded the mighty host from the sun,
and fans formed of peacocks' feathers prevented heat. From the
innumerable elephants, cars, horse, and foot, arose clouds of dust,
which spread over the sky like the blue lotos, or the dark billows
of the heaving ocean. * * * Then Nandi and Shumbha
showered arrows on each other thick as the leaves are strown on
Mandara when storms agitate its trees. At length Shumbha,
throwing away his bow, rushed to the chariot of Nandi, and,
wounding him on the breast, he fell senseless like a mountain
struck by a thunderbolt."
EAST INDIAN CHARACTER AND CUSTOMS.
ILLUSTRATED BY ANECDOTES, ETC.
COMMl'MCATED BY J STATHAM, A. M., OF IIOWRAII, NEAR CALCUTTA
THE descendants of the Mohammedans who conquered India

tnd established the Mogul Empire have become very numerous,
and are scattered among the Hindu population throughout the
entire peninsula. In their general appearance they resemble their
pagan neighbors, and are not their superiors either in intelligence
or in morality. I once met two rich Mohammedan merchants at
the house of a ship-builder they came in just after dinner, and

:
readily took seats at the table. The gentleman of the house

" I it is of no use to offer a of wine."
said, suppose you glass
" " " the followers of the
O, no, no, no they both replied
!
; Proph-
et must drink no wine." Soon after this, one of them went out
of the room, when the ship-builder, who seemed perfectly ac-
" You had better
quainted with the manoeuvre, said to the other,
taste the wine come, help yourself." To my great surprise, the
:
merchant took a tumbler, instead of a wine-glass, and, filling it

to the brim, drank it off; the other soon returned, when his friend
went out, and exactly the same occurred again : thus they could
not accuse each other.
The principal festival of the Mohammedan population of India
is the Mohurrum. It is much pomp and dis-
celebrated with as
play as their circumstances will allow and during the ten days
;
which it continues, all the followers of the Prophet, of every rank

and degree, are totally absorbed in its ceremonies. Different
scenes are represented each day by means of effigies, gilded
thrones, chariots, and various paraphernalia of royal and warlike
pageants, attended by hosts of living actors, who manifest, at
some periods of the festival, the most frantic grief, beating their
breasts with great violence, and exclaiming, in rapid accents, " Oh
Hussein Heif az Hussein." On the first day, their zeal an'l
18
274 THE MOUUKKUM FESTIVAL.
enthusiasm are excited by the addresses of the Moulahs, who

harangue them on the incidents pertaining to the tragic history
of Hussein, his brother Hassan, and their father Ali, of which the
following is a brief sketch. Ali, the caliph, was beloved by his
subjects, but fell by the hand of an assassin, and the regal powe;
was usurped by his bitterest enemy, who failed in his design of
murdering the young princes, Hussein and Hassan. When the
usurper died, he was succeeded by his son Yezzed, during whose
reign a plot was formed to restore the house of Ali to the throne,
and trusty messengers were despatched to Medina to invite Hus-
sein to invade the kingdom, and to assure him that the faithful
were anxious to throw off the yoke of their tyrant, and acknowl-
edge him as their rightful sovereign. The prince did not hesitate
to comply with the invitation, and collecting a small army, headed
them in person, taking his family with him. Yezzed, being in
formed of his movements, sent a large army to meet him, which,
having taken a position between Hussein and the River Eu-
phrates, entirely cut off his supply of water. The consequence
was, that, without coming to action, most of his followers forsook
him, and fled; so that, in a short time, he numbered only seventy-

two persons in his train, most of these being relatives. Still, with
Hussein performed the most extraordinary feats
this little band,
of valor but on the tenth day of Mohurrum, they were entirely
;
surrounded by ten thousand of Yezzed's troops, and every one

cut in pieces, Asher, the infant son of Hussein, being butchered
in his father's arms. The head of Hussein was carried to Da-
mascus, and laid at the feet of Yezzed.
the harangues of the
By
priests and the scenic representations, such as the horses of Hus-
sein and his brother covered with gashes and stuck full of arrows,
cimeters and turbans stained with blood, and pigeons (which car-
ried the sad news to Medina) with their beaks clotted with gore,
the minds of the spectators are often excited to a state of frenzy
bordering on madness, when they sometimes inflict wounds upon

themselves and others, and in some instances many have been
slain. Those who are strict in the observance of this festival
endure great privations by an almost total abstinence from water
during the ten days which the Mohurrum continues. Vast sums
are lavished upon the scenic representations, and the public mind
is greatly demoralized by the revengeful and bloodthirsty feeling
which are engendered.
Trn Mohammedans have no system of caste ; yet their inter
SERVANTS -PETTY THEFTS. 275
course widi Hindus has led them to imagine that they have, and
this often productive of much inconvenience in families where
is
they are employed as servants. In India, servants are a heavy

burden upon the mind, and a great tax upon the purse. Civil
and military officers are obliged to support a number of attend-
ants, who merely add to their splendor when in public, without
being of the least use in the family, such as chobdars, sotaburdars,
and hurkarus. These men carry silver wands before the palan-
keen of their master, and bear letters or messages from on
person to another. All persons who make any pretensions t(
gentility employ a khansammah or house steward, a. dhurwhan or
doorkeeper, an abdar or water cooler, a sherabdar or wine man-

ager, six or eight khitmutgars or waiters at table, a sirdar-bearer
and eight others to carry the palankeen, two or three bobajees or
cooks, bheesties or water carriers, mhaters or sweepers, out-of-

door servants, grooms, etc., etc., to a great number. Families in
the middle rank of life are also obliged to keep a large number of
servants. Even missionaries, who endeavor to do -vith as few as
possible, are under the necessity of employing a 6obajee, bearer,

khitmutgar, mhater, dhurwhan, syce, grasscut, and dhobee or
washerman. The salary of these averages about two dollars per
month. Many families in the higher ranks of society have as many
as a hundred or a hundred and twenty servants employed in
their houses and gardens, none of whom are deemed superfluous.
Such a train of servants is a continual source of vexation.
Those who have the management of the table will commit such
petty thefts as to elude observation, but which, constantly re-
peated, amount to a heavy tax in the course of a year for in- :
stance, I had a box of tea opened, from which I took four pounds,
and sent it to a friend in about two months, I wanted some for
;
use, and then found pounds, only two re-

that, instead of eight
mained. Now, had not been
this theft committed at one time,
nor at twenty times, but daily a small pinch had been taken
;
every time the khitmutgar had access to the godown, so that its
decrease had be^n, as it were, imperceptible. Being suspicioui
that, petty thefts were constantly carried on, I one night
s :.ch
stoppe^
t the Mohammedan servants at the gate, as they were
going home, and ordered them to pull off their cummerbunds,
(girdles,) when my suspicions were fully rea'ized small quan- :
tities of salt, sugar, tea, spice, quills, and a desert knife, were
carefully concealed ii; their folds. It would have been vain to
276 THIEVES DETECTED.
have discharged them, as new servants would not only be A

trouble until they became acquainted with the manners and cus-
toms of the family, but would most certainly follow the same
plan. I therefore endeavored to make them ashamed, and threat
ened to stop the value of all the articles missed out of their joint
wages, at the same time ordering the dhurwhan to search them
whenever they left the premises.
Although they profess not to drink spirituous liquors, yet I found
I could never leave any spirits in their way without the quantity
being considerably lessened. A gentleman called in one day who

wished for some brandy and water I sent the servant to the
;
cellaret to get the brandy, and when done with, to take it back:
just after he had given me the keys and left the room, I heard a
smash in the hall, and going to inquire the cause, the same ser-
vant said he was carrying a glass of water for one of the young
gentlemen, but another, running against him, had knocked it out
of his hand. I was turning on my heel to come away when a
strong spirituous perfume caused me suspect that the liquor

to
spilled was brandy. One of the young gentlemen at the same

moment putting his finger to it and tasting it, exclaimed, " It is
brandy, sir, and not water." The man most positively asserted
that it was nothing but water. " For which of the
young gen-
" " O
tlemen were you bringing it ? said I. he had quite for-
!
gotten !" 'I then tasted it myself; and being thus convinced
that was brandy, I called for a candle, and lighting a piece of
it
threw it down, when the blue flame

paper, spread itself over the
whole surface of the liquid upon seeing which he, with the
;
and apparent astonishment, lifting up his hands,

greatest effrontery
exclaimed, "You sahibs can do wonderful things even make
water burn " The fact was, he had filled a large tumbler with
!
brandy, and availing himself of the long flowing sleeve which

covered his hand, he had brought it
through the room when he
gave me the keys.
For a long time, the silver spoons used
o disappear very fast,
although* I took every precaution to insure their safety. The

Khansammah used to count them every night, ana. lock them in
a drawer, then give me the key, and come for it in the morning
to take them out. One night, I had the curiosity, after he had
left, to open the drawer and count them myself, when I found
that a tea and a desert spoon were deficient, although he had

made them to appear correct. I immediately sent a htrkarrah to
DECE1TFULX ESS -CONSCIENTIOUS SCRUPLES. 277
overtake him, and tell him I had something to say to him before
he went to the txizaar in the morning, and that he had better
come now, as I might not see him on the morrow. Accordingly,
in a few minutes he came, when, although his cummerbund was
taken off, the spoons were not found but an old bearer, a Hindu ;
who bore no good will to the khansammah,

whispering, said
" Examine his sahib which
turban, ;" I did, and there the spoons
w*re found.
Th n . bearer I have just mentioned was the best servant I ever
had yet he was not to be implicitly confided in
: articles of :
clothing were constantly lost, and he knew nothing about them.

One month, no less than six shirts, with several white jackets,
had disappeared but although he brought me clean clothes, and
;
took charge of those which were put off, he could never account
for the manner in which they were lost. At length, I made a
list of all my wearing apparel, and counting them before him,
gave him the keys of the wardrobe and the entire charge of them,
stipulating that he should make good all deficiencies, at the same

time giving him half a rupee per month xdditional to his wages,
to enable him to meet any casualties that might happen and the ;
result was, that from that time I never lost any clothes.
The fawning, deceitful manners of the servants are calculated
to lead Europeans to place the greatest confidence in them, until
experience convinces them that not one word they say can be
believed, or any reliance placed on a single promise they make.
Lying is not considered a vice with them but, on the contrary,
;
the man who can dissimulate the most successfully is the most
applauded, and the greatest lies, so far from being considered as
worthy of censure, are extolled as a means of attaining the object
sought. Hence I have known natives practise a well-organized
system of deception for weeks in order to attain a comparatively
trivial object.
On one occasion, I rode to the Botanical Gardens on horseback,

and as the tide would serve to return, I preferred going back in a
boat to riding my horse. I told the syce, therefore, to ride him
home. This he positively refused to do, saying he could never
think of presuming to sit on the horse which carried the sahib
whose salt he ate it was an honor he could not think of taking;

;
no, he wo jld lead the horse. As I did not wish to press the honor
upon him, I told him to take his time and lead the horse gently
home. I soon left the gardens in a bauleah belonging to a
278 CASTE AND SWIPE'S FLES1L
gentleman at Howrah, and landing at a gliaut a short distanot

from home, was walking thither, when who should come gallop-
ing along the road but my syce, evidently under the influence of
liquor !He passed without recognizing me, as it was just dusk.
I took no notice of the circumstance that night but when I told ;
him of it next day, he stoutly denied the fact, and it cost me a

great deal of trouble to convince him that he had enjoyed *.he
high honor of riding on the sahib's horse.

None of my servants would bring to table any kind of swine's
flesh, saying that none but a mesaljie could handle the dishes in
which it was placed. I humored them in this particular, and
whenever bacon, ham, or a fat pig was brought to table, the
mesaljie alone handed the dishes and even the bearers went so
;
far as tosay that they could not pull the punkah (a large fan)
whilst swine's flesh was upon the table. A captain of one of the
Honorable Company's chartered vessels, dining with me one day,
observed this, and told me that his servants had acted upon the
same " But the case
principles. is quite different now," said he,
" for last week ham was obliged to
I had a boiled, and as usual, I
hire a man of low caste to wait at table. Having occasion to
next morning than I generally do, I could not find

rise earlier the
a single servant but hearing a hum of voices in the pantry, I

;
looked in, and found all these servants, who had refused to bring
the ham to the table, eating slices of itwith pieces of bread and
butter. Never did I witness greater consternation in any coun-
tenances than in theirs when they beheld me.
O, ho gentle-
'
!
cannot bring ham upon

'
men,' said I, you any longer refuse to
the table, I should think can you ? I see how the land lies, and
;
1 shall ask a moonshee (Persian teacher) about it this morning.'

O, sahib,' said they all, 'don't say a word about it, and we will
'
do any thing you wish.' 'Very well,' said I, 'let me have no

more bother about caste, and I will say nothing but the first ;
time that any demur ismade, I will expose you all.' From that
" have never heard a word about
time," said he, I caste, and I
dress swine's flesh almost every day."
Upon hearing this, it occurred to me that several of my hams

I ad, after being dressed, disappeared very quickly : I therefore
determined to take particular notice of the next, and in order to
be certain whether the servants did partake of it or not, before it
leftthe table I measured the joint unperceived by them, and when

the ham made its appearance on the breakfast table the next
A THIEF PUNISHED- A SACKED IREE. 279
morning, I.
applied the measure, and found a decrease of about
three inches in the prime part. My suspicions being thus con-
irmed, I charged them with it ;
but they were all indignant at
,.ie idea. However, findingwas confidently assured of the
that I
truth of the charge, rather than that I should dismiss them from
my service, which I threatened to do if they made any demur

about bringing swine's flesh to the table, they agieed to do it,
provided all were obliged to share the disgrace. The same day,
a friend sent me a very fine pig it was dressed, and the whole
:
host of servants, putting their hands to the dish, brought it in.

From that time, my troubles on the score of caste ceased, but not
so on the score of thefts. Three silver spoons being missed, sus-
picion fell on a Mohammedan lad and the
theft being proved
;
against him, I sent him to the Thanna, thinking it no longer

proper to pass these things over, as my forbearance only served to
increase the evil. After he had been confined about a month, as
I was going out one morning, his father and mother clamorously
assailed me with demands for money, saying I had sent their boy
to jail, from whose wages they had received one rupee eight annas
per month therefore, as an act of justice, I ought to allow them

;
that sum for the time he had already been incarcerated, and in the
same ratio for the time he might yet remain in prison. It was in
vain that I spoke to them of the moral turpitude of their son's
conduct the only crime of which they considered him guilty
;
was failing to escape detection. They waited constantly at the

gates of my compound, and assailed me in the same manner
whenever I went out. At length, finding that I would not com-
ply with their demands, the old man offered to supply his son's
place until his return from prison, and seemed greatly astonished
when I told him that I could not think of receiving the boy into
my service again.The old lady then became very abusive and
insulting in her language, and I could hear her vociferations fci
P :ng time, as they passed up the village homeward.
A very large peepul tree, esteemed sacred by both Mohamme-
dan and Hindu, spread its huge branches over a
part of my com-
pound, and so near the ground as to be very annoying to persons
passing either on horseback or in a chaise. This tree was be-
lieved to be the residence of many spirits or peers, and was at-
tended by an old fakeer of most wretched appearance and licen-
tioas manners, who received a large revenue from the celebrity
of the tree and the consequent number of its worshippers. It
280 A SACRED TREE AND ITS WORSHIPPED.
was near the water side, being only separated from the Leach by
the public road, and a ghaut in front gave ready access to the wor
shippers, of whom boat loads would arrive at all hours of the day
and night from Calcutta to perform their devotions before it an<? ;
I never saw a native of any caste pass without salaaming to th
tree. My upper windows completely overlooked the small 1m

in which the fakeer lived, and the space beneath the peepul, s<
that I had an opportunity of witnessing the gross deception
practised by the fakeer towards the credulous worshippers. They

generally brought clarified butter, sweetmeats, rice, and othei
viands, which were spread in form before the tree and when this ;
was done, and the prescribed prostrations made, they were re-
quired to go to the river and perform their ablutions ; during
which time some, and in most cases all, of the presents brought
were conveyed into the fakeer's hut, who announced to the wor-
shippers, on their return to the tree, that the peer had conde
scended to partake of the feast, and was well pleased with then
offerings. I often remonstrated with him on the wickedness of
his conduct, when he would, with the greatest effrontery, declare
that the particular peer worshipped actually did eat the viands
and that every night he held converse with several, whose spirits
dwelt in the tree. This man was reported to be in league with
a band of Dacoits who infested the river, and I have every reasor.
to believe that he was the contriver and director of all theii
schemes. As I found the boughs of the tree increasingly trouble
some, I told him that they must be trimmed at which he flew;
into the most violent rage, and declared that, should I break only
a twig off the sacred tree, my own blood would inevitably flow
as the peer whose spirit dwelt in the particular branch woul
execute the direst revenge upon me. He then told me some mos
horrible tales of several Europeans who had cut or broken por
tions of the tree, and who had suffered the most dreadful agonies
in consequence thereof before their deaths, which had alway
occurred within a month of the time the transgression had beer
committed. I told him it was in vain that he attempted to im
pose his idle tales upon me I knew who had power to create
;
and power to destroy, and was assured that the God I worshipped
was the only living and true God and to convince him that I
;
did not fear his threats, I plucked a small branch of the tree be-
neath whose shade we were standing, at which he uttered a
piercing scream, and retreated many paces from me, declaring
CONTKSfTION WITH A FAKER 281
that thevengeance of the peers would soon overtake me and was

beginning a most vociferous tirade of abuse, when I stopped him
short threatening, if he thus continued, to immediately lop off
by
every branch that overhung my
premises, and called out for a
hatchet. It was wonderful to behold the change this apparent
determination effected from the infuriate reviler he became the

:
most abject suppliant falling at my feet, and intermingling his

;
petitions with the most fulsome praises, he besought me to have

mercy upon him, for, should the tree be mangled in the least, the
number of worshippers would diminish. I told him that I should
be heartily glad of that, as he subsisted by fraud and deceit, and
was the means of riveting the cruel fetters which bound the poor
infatuated beings around him. At this juncture, a European
who had long been a resident in India, passed, and hearing
friend,
the pleadings of the fakeer, to my great surprise most heartily
seconded them, declaring his belief that it was dangerous to cut
down the peepul tree, as he had heard of instances where those
who had done so had died shortly afterwards. Some other rea-
sons which he urged I thought more conclusive; but before 1
retired, I broke off another twig, to show him, as well as the
fakeer, that I had no superstitious reverence for the tree, and told
the latter that, unless the branches were so secured as not to in-
terfere with those who passed beneath them, I should still carry
my threat into effect. The next morning, I was waited upon by
one of the richest Baboos in Calcutta, who most respectfully en-
treated me not to cut a single branch of the sacred peepul, prom-
ising that forthwith the boughs should be raised high enough to

admit a free passage under them. This was accordingly done by
ropes drawing them upwards, and stout posts supporting them
from below. The reasons of my friend, which had weight with
me, were these : The Honorable Company were averse to any
acts of violence being used to the destruction of idolatrous usages,
and probably, should I persevere, such an excitement would be
produced by the influential natives as to call for the notice of
government, and perhaps I should be sent from India on account
of my rashness, (as it would no doubt be termed ;) and even
should this not be the case, such prejudices would be formed in
the minds of the natives against me personally as to preclude all
hopes of my usefulness in future. So the tree escaped. But

from that time, I was much less annoyed by the nocturna. revels
2S2 ANECDOTE OF A SYCE.
of worshippers, as I made this a stipulation, that no bawling o

its
beating of tomtoms should take place after bed time, and that my
servants should not be reproached, as they had been, because they
served one who did not reverence the tree.
was not long after this that the fakeer was much mortified
It
by trick played on him by a young gentleman to whom he had

a
been expatiating on the sanctity of the tree and the peers who
dwelt in it, other stories, he told him that, on a certain
Amongst
day of the year, a peer was visibly seated on its topmost branch.
It happened that, in a few days, a large monkey ascended the
tree in quest of its berries, when

young gentleman ran to the
this
fakeer, who was at

distance,some
and told him that he was very
sorry that he had before doubted his word, for that he was now
convinced of the truth of what he had told him, as he had just
seen the peer in the top of the tree, and he came he might see
if
him too. The old man came in haste, wondering what he could
mean, and earnestly gazing up into the tree, spied the monkey on
its summit. This so completely chagrined him that he retired
into his hut, and was not visible for many hours afterwards.
Around this tree were hung many little earthen vessels contain-
'ng water from the sacred Ganges for the peers to drink, and
offerings of garlands or bouquets of flowers were daily suspended
from its branches.
Manyattempts were made by the fakeer and his associates to

dislodge me from the house by stratagems and schemes which
had taken effect with former residents but they found I was ;
proof against the fear of ghosts, though my servants were not.

About forty young gentlemen were then residing with me ;
con-
sequently the part of ghosts could not be acted, as formerly, with-
out detection. One man, who was discovered in the act of imi-
tating these nocturnal visitors, received a severe beating from one
of my ushers, which probably had a great effect in preventing
their tricks.
Abcut three days before the commencement of the swinging
festival, my syce came and solicited a fortnight's holiday. In
answer to some inquiries which I made, he said that when his
child was very ill, some months since, he had made a vow before
the Brahmins that if the boy lived he would swing at the festival,
and it was for the purpose of fulfilling his vow (the child having re-
covered] that he wished for the holidays. I told him that I could
u -U.OYS OR NATIVE SOLDIERS. 283
not for his own

sake grant his request, and that, should he ,hoose
to be so foolish as to swing, it would cost him the loss of his
place, as I never could tolerate such wanton cruelty. I then

reasoned with him on the awful consequences of such super-
stitious practices, and directed his attention to the only means of
obtaining the favor of God, or of making a propitiation for sin.

The poor fellow left me much dejected, and went to inform the
Brahmins of my refusal. They told him that, under the circum-
which he was placed, the god would accept an offering
stances in
instead of the performance of his vow this was rated at five
:
lupees, exactly the amount of one month's wages. He had just

before received his pay, and disposed of it so he came to me ;
again, and besought me to give him five rupees in advance, that

he might carry them to the Brahmins, who were waiting at the
gate, having no doubt that I would cheerfully comply with
wishes. His disappointment was apparently very great when
told him that I certainly would not advance the money for any
such purpose. After a long parley, finding that I was inexorable,
he went to the Brahmins, and by my advice told them that he
could not get the money then, neither should he ever be able to
spare it for such use. Their anathemas were many and loud.
Amongst other curses, they declared that the child should die in
a week, and the syce as well as myself in a few days afterwards.
The poor fellow appeared very much alarmed during the whole
of the next week, fearing the Brahminical curse would be verified.
He was silent, dejected, and hardly able to perform his duties.
As the week passed away without any symptoms of illness on the
part of his child or himself, his vivacity returned and about three ;
weeks afterwards, when the servants received their wages, he said

to " I am much delighted that you prevented me from
me, Sahib,
swinging ;
for now my back is not sore, my child is living and
well, and what best, (at the same time chinking the money just
is
received,) the Brahmins have not eaten my rupees. Many

saiaanis to you, Sahib and for the future I shall never wish 10
;
swing." A long conversation ensued, which I hope was attended

with good effect.
Sepoys, or native soldiers, when disciplined and commanded by
European officers, are very courageous, attentive to the orders
given, and strict in obeying them to the very letter. An officer
of high rank, living in an elegant house in the midst of large
284 VISIT A TEMPLE DEDICATED TO MOXKEi'S.
leasure grounds, had a guard stationed on the premises, and i

ntinel posted before the house. An order was given at tiie
uard loom, by the officer, thatthe sepoys on duty should permit
10 person, except his lady and children, to walk across the lawn
Dut of the regular path. It was not long after this order was
ssued tefore a sentinel observed the officer himself walking across

he grass plat in front of the house, when he marched up to him,
and declared that he must not walk there, as his orders were tc
jet no person, except the lady and the children, pass that way.
It was in vain that the officer told him that he was the command-
rof the station, and that the order was issued by himself. The
sepoy still persisted in declaring that his hookham was. that no
oerson whatever, except the lady and children, was to promenade
there and the officer, smiling at the literal interpretation given
;
by the sentinel, went to the guard room, and ordered that he him-
elf might also have permission to cross the lawn. Another in-
stance occurred at the hospital at Dinapore. At a time when
great mortality prevailed, a sentinel was posted at the entrance
of the dead room, where the bodies are placed as soon as life is
extinct, and amongst other orders, he was directed not to let the
bodies be taken away during the night. so happened that a
It
young man had which had been mis-

fallen into a sort of trance,
taken for death, and had, during the evening, been removed to
the dead house. In the course of the night, he recovered so far
as to know the situation in which he was placed, and summoning
all his strength, he came to the door, with an intention of cross-
ing the court to the hospital but not without being perceived
;
Dy the sentinel, who, although he was evidently much alarmed,

yet declared that his hookham was, that no dead man should
50 from the place that night, therefore he must go back and on ;
he young man's attempting to pass by him, he very deliberately

carried him back, and When the relief guard
fastened the door.
came, he reported that a dead man wished to come out, but that
he detained him, according to his orders. The corporal imme-
diately opened the door, and taking him up in his arms, carried
nim to a bed in the hospital, and then summoned the steward to
nis aid, when, by proper treatment, the youth recovered, and was
in a short time able to perform his duties as before, after having
neen literally numbered with the dead.
In visiting some cf the Hindu temples, I have been disgusted
RAMAUNA FESTIVAL MONKEYS 286
with the worship paid to monkeys. I was about to enter the

court of a large temple at Nuddea, when the officiating Brahmin
" No
said, person may visit the court of Huneman with his shoes
on." I reasoned with him through a friend, who understood nis
language better than myself, and he became very abusive but at :
length, after bearing his attack with calmness and composure, we

were permitted to enter. He requested us to make an offering to
the monkeys, either of fruit or sweetmeats, plenty of which were
for sa_e at the gates of the enclosure ;
but this we declined.
The Ramauna annually celebrated with great pomp,
festival is
when Huneman, the monkey son of the god Pavana, who pre-
sides over the winds, is personified by some stout fellow, equipped
with a mask and tail like a monkey, who, attended by an aimy
of similar masks and attacks the castle of the giant Ravana,
tails,
to deliver Seeta, a princess who has been stolen away by the giant
and his evil spirits from her husband, Rama Chandra a fruitless ;
attempt having before been made by her husband and his brother,
Luchmunu, to effect her rescue. Formerly the youths who per-
sonified Rama Chandra, Luchmunu, and Seeta were afterwards
sacrificed to the parties they had represented but this part of the
;
performance has long since been discontinued.

During the fruit seasons, I was much annoyed by monkeys a :
whole tribe of the large species, called ring-tailed, came in from

the jungles, and devoured all the fruit they could seize. When
erect, they were as high as a common-sized man and the agility ;
which they displayed was truly astonishing. Behind my prem-

ises there was a long building formerly used as a rope walk, the
flat which was their favorite place of resort to gambol and
roof of
chatter. When a European approached the spot, they would in-
stantly ascend to the top of some almond trees in their vicinity ;
but if a native came quite near to them, they took no more notice
of him than if he had been one of their own species.
One 'of these monkeys became quite familiar with the shop-
keepers in the bazaar, and would help himself plentifully to rice,
fruits, &c. I was much amused, one day, to hear a sweetmeat
merchant thus expostulate with him 'My brother, you know I

f
:
am a poor man do not take my sweetmeat balls take them from

; ;
other shops : there is a rich man over the way ;

he has plenty of
rupees ; go to him. Nay, nay, brother, that is too bad," (the
monkey having just crammed a great ball of sweetmeat into his

286 ANECDOTE? OF MONKEYS.
jaws "I cannot afford so much indeed,

;)
:
my
brother, I cannot.'
And the poor shopkeeper, apparently very much against his incli-
nation, used a bamboo to guard his property. .The same animal

played me a trick soon after, that might have proved of serious
consequence. I was riding through the bazaar on horseback,
when he caught hold of my horse's tail, and began to pull first to
one side and then to the other. I had no whip, and he was a
long-armed, powerful creature the horse struck at him, but he
:
maintained his hold without being kicked ; and in this manner

we proceeded a considerable distance, the horse becoming more
violent in his kicking and rearing, and the monkey more active
in his pulling, until my syce, having procured a bamboo, assailed
the enemy in the rear, when he took refuge on the roof of a ban-
yan's shop. I have seen these monkeys seize the sacred ox by
the tail, and give it a sudden and powerful twist, when he would
run off at a full gallop, roaring with pain and fright.
A friend, whose premises adjoined mine, had a litter of pigs in
a sty raised upon posts, to secure it from the attacks of jackals
and foxes, but it was not out of the reach of monkeys. Hearing
an unusually loud and uproarious commotion in this elevated
habitation of little grunters, we hastened to ascertain the cause,
and found that a monkey had seated himself astride the mother,
and with one of her ears firmly grasped in each hand, was riding
in fine style around the sty. The servants shouted, and he made
his retreat, but not without taking with him one of the offspring
of his nag. Holding it by the hind legs, he mounted to the top
of a tall cocoa-nut tree, and then very deliberately placed his
prisoner under his arm, and began to turn its tail round and round,
as music-grinders turn the handle of the hand organ and at every ;
turn this living instrument of music sent forth loud and piercing
notes, which were responded to in various tones from the sty.
The servants began to pelt him with stones, which caused him
to leap from but .finding himself embarrassed by the
tree to tree ;
weight he carried, he threw the pig into the air, and as it fell fifty
or sixty feet,it was instantly killed.
These monkeys became so audacious that it was unsafe to leave
any thing portable about the premises. A very large

dog, belong-
ing to a gentleman in the neighborhood, used occasionally to give
chase to any of them that he found alone at a distance from the
trees ;
but one day, as he was running after a small one that came
ATTACKED BY MOXKEiS- 287
own to the river side, three large ones left the trees to attack
nm. First one and then another would lay hold of his tail,
and swing him around, then, grasping his neck, bite his ears ;
and in consequence of the great length of their arms, it was in

vain that he attempted to retaliate. One of them at length
grasped his throat so tightly that, in a short time, he would have
been killed, had I not gone to his
Taking a gun in my
rescue.
hand, I and in a moment the

went towards the scene of action,
monkoys were far enough away; but the poor dog was so" terribly
litten, that for many days it appeared improbable that he would
recover ;
and when able to run about again, we never could in-
duce him to chase a monkey.
Ono morning, a boy, about eight years of age, was going
little
to school with a bunch of plantains in his hand, to be eaten at

tiffin : these did not escape the watchful eye of a large monkey
perched upon an almond tree near the road. Making a rapid

though circuitous movement Jackoo soon came
to gain the rear,
up with the object of his pursuit, and jumping between the

bearer and the boy, he put his long arms around the child's neck,
and seized the plantains. The bearer screamed, and fled to a
distance but the child, though terribly alarmed, maintained his
;
'ights manfully for a considerable time, clinging to his plantains

'vith all his might but Jackoo was not to be disappointed giv-
:
;
ng the boy a blow on the head, he knocked him down, and bore
iff the plantains in triumph.
The
propensity of the monkey to retain whatever he giasps it>
>ften taken advantage of to capture him. large bunches Two
plantains are put into two narrow-necked jars, and placed
f
vhere they will attract his attention. He eagerly seizes the

ilantains, but soon finds that he cannot extricate his hand, yet
,vill notgo his hold, and will endeavor to make his escape
let
with the jars and their contents, but at a very slow pace, as, both
lis hands being thus secured, he
is obliged to shuffle along in an
er.ectposture. pursued, When

he will still maintain his hold,
screaming, grinning, and chattering until he is secured by throw

ing a noose over his head.
In the course of a journey on the Ganges, my boat stopped foi
the night in the vicinity of Nuddea, and I happened to stroll into
a bamboo tope, or jungle. I had not proceeded far before I heard
u great up oar around me ;
and as I looked up, I saw a great mul-
288 JACKALS, THEIR HABITS, ETC.
titude of large monkeys advancing toward me from every direc-

tion. Someleaped upon the ground before me, others swung by
the bamboos over my head, and many closed up the path in the
rear. Several of the females had their young clinging to them ;
but this did not seem to render them less agile than the others.
A few of thelargest, and apparently the oldest, chattered to-
gether a moment, and then the whole tribe responded, and

advanced towards me. What to do I knew not however, I :
hallooed as loud as I could, to make my people hear, and the
monkeys retreated a few paces. This encouraged me to per-

severe ;
but I perceived that, when I began to retreat, they closed
upon me again, without being at all affected by my noise. Once

more I stood still, and gave a tremendous shout, when back they
went again. I gained at least twenty yards, at that time, before
they returned and just as I was about to commence another
;
shout, I saw a decrepit old woman hobbling through the midst of

them. They appeared to be very familiar with her, and she
shook several by the paw as she passed them. As soon as she
had approached near enough to me to be heard, she poured out a
torrent of abuse against me for disturbing the sacred animals in
their retirement, and motioned me, with almost frantic gestures,
to depart quickly, her I was quite out
tongue never ceasing till
of hearing. was not long in complying, as the monkeys seemed

I
implicitly to obey her, and cleared the path by which I could

retreat. In returning to the boat, I met my servant, who said
that he was coming to tell me not to disturb the monkeys in the
bamboo grove, for it belonged to Huneman. The people through-
out the country worshipped them, and brought them offerings of
rice and sweetmeats, and the old woman was employed to feed
them.
The jackals of India, which are exceedingly numerous, are
very useful in devouring offal, the carcasses of dead animals, and
the corpses floated ashore upon the banks of rivers yet their ;
depredations, and their dismal bowlings at night, are more than

equivalent to their usefulness as scavengers. Soon as the busy
hum of the bazaars and streets is ended, and all nature seems
about to repose, their barking or howling commences.
take
Whilst sitting in the verandah to enjoy the evening breeze, you
hear the well-known cry, perhaps a solitary howl from a jackal
at a great distance, and you are glad that it is no nearer but ;
SAGACITY AND DOCILITY OF ELEPHANTS. 289
before your self-gratulations are completed, probably five or six,

or even ten, of these clarion-tongued mourners open their cry
simultaneously, close by the spot where you are sitting, and the
sound thrills through every nerve. Then silence succeeds for a
few minutes, when their cries again break forth in another quar-
ter, and it seems as if an army of them was spread over all the
country, as in every direction the same cries are heard and woe ;
be to any domestic fowl, kid, lamb, or rabbit that is not well

secured by high walls and safely-fastened doors. A few years
since, one of the up-country rajahs paid a visit to the governor-
general and as he came by the great Benares road, he left all his
;
retinue at Howrah, instead of taking them over the river to Cal-

cutta. Some of the elephants and camels were much jaded by
the fatigues of the journey, so much so that one of the largest
elephants died, and the rajah ordered it to be buried in a plain at

a little distance. An immense grave was dug, and the unwieldy
beast was, the help of the other elephants,
by drawn to the place,
and rolled into the yawning gulf below. It was a very interest-
ing spectacle, as the surviving elephants seemed to mourn its loss,
and I could see the tears trickle down their cheeks in fast succes-
sion, asthey paid this last friendly office to their deceased com-
panion. The animal must have weighed many tons, and it could
not have been carried to the grave but by the help of these sa-
gacious creatures. Notwithstanding the hole was dug so deep as

to allow six feet of earth above the body of the elephant, the
jackals began their ravages, and in a very few days more than a
hundred of them were feasting upon the carcass.
The elephant is a valuable auxiliary to government in trans-
porting stores and troops to the different stations where no water
conveyance is available. A gentleman, being about to travel to
a distant station, had many government elephants put under his
care ; and they were brought over to Gusserah to wait his depart-
ure. As he was staying with a friend of mine, I cheerfully com-
plied with his request that the elephants might remain beneath a
shady grove of mangoes in my large compound. There I had a

constant opportunity of watching their movements, and was de-
lighted and surprised in witnessing their sagacity and docility.
Every morning, they came down to the river side to wash. Ly-
ing upon one side in the stream, each elephant would fill its trunk
with water, and squirt it over the
place where the mohout was
19
290 HUNTERS ON ELEPHANTS ATTACK A TIGRESS.
rubbing then, kneeling, would perform the same operation on its

;
back and lastly on the other side, until the whole body was
;
cleansed. One of these animals, in passing through the bazaar,

suddenly came upon a man sleeping in the path when, rather ;
than crush him beneath its foot, the careful animal rolled him over
with its trunk, and placed him out of danger. The man awoke
in a terrible state of alarm but the elephant acted with the
;
greatest coolness and caution. Whenever a branch of a tree

hangs in the way of the hovvdah, although the elephant itself
might pass under it, yet, knowing it would incommode its master,
the considerate beast seizes it, and rends it off, that no incon-
venience be sustained by its rider.
may Whenever an elephant
scents a tiger, which it can do at a considerable distance, it utters
a shrill cry, and elevates its trunk perpendicularly to repel the at-
tack. The leaps which the tiger makes in its charge are truly
astonishing ; yet a well-trained elephant will generally succeed in
repelling the most furious attack, by dashing the springing tiger
to the earth with its trunk ; when, if its foe be at all stunned or
maimed by the
fall, or wounded by
of the sportsman, the
the rifle
ponderous foot of the mighty beast will crush the fallen victim,
and complete its destruction. But, in most instances, a well-
directed ball stops the career of the tiger before he reaches the
point of attack. When an elephant turns from the contest, the

life of its rider is in danger, as the tiger can easily climb up in
the rear, and seize the person in the howdah before he can turn
to defend himself. A
few years since, a party of Europeans,
consisting of indigo planters and some of the officers of a native
regiment stationed in their neighborhood, went into the jungles for
the purpose of shooting tigers, and had not proceeded far before
they roused an immense tigress, which, with the greatest intre-

pidity, charged the line of elephants on which they were seated,
when a female elephant, in the direct point of attack, which had
been lately purchased, and was hitherto untried, turned suddenly
around, to fly from the field of battle, showing the greatest dread
of the approaching foe. The tigress instantly sprang upon her
back, and seizing the gentleman in the howdah by the thigh,
brought him to the ground then, throwing him, stunned by the
;
fall, over her shoulder, just as a fox carries a goose, she started
off into the jungle. Every rifle was pointed at her, but no one
dared to fire on account of the position in which her captive lay.
REMARKABLE REb .UE FROM THE JAWS OF A TIGRESS 291
She went through the jungle grass much faster than the elephants
could, and was soon out of sight but her pursuers were enabled
;
to trace her by the blood in her track and as a forlorn hope, they
;
resolved stil. to follow on, to see if it were possible to save the

remains of their friend from being devoured. As they proceeded,
the traces grew fainter and fainter, until, at length, bewildered in
the heart of the jungle, they were about to give up the pursuit,
when they came unexpectedly upon the tigress, lying dead upon
the long jungle grass, still griping the thigh of their associate in
her tremendous jaws, whilst he, though still sensible, was unable
to speak. To him was impossible without first cutting
extricate
off the tigress, which was immediately done, and the
head of the
jaws being severed, the fangs were drawn out of the wounds ;
and as one of the party providentially happened to be a surgeon,

the patient was properly attended to, and the party had the satis-
faction of returning with their friend, rescued from a most perilous
situation, and with hopes of his recovery. He was taken to the

nearest bungalowe, and by the aid there, afforded, he was in a
short time able to see his friends, and to explain how it was that
the animal was thus found dead. For some time after the beast
had seized him. he continued insensible, being stunned by the

fall. When he came to himself, he discovered that he was lying
on the back of the tigress, who was trotting along, at a rapid pace,
through the jungle ;
and every now and then, his face and
hands would receive the most violent scratches from the thorns
and bushes through which she dragged him. He gave himself
up as lost, and determined to lie quietly on her back, waiting the
issue, when it occurred to him that he had a pair of pistols in his
girdle, with which he might yet destroy his captor. After several
ineffectual attempts, he at length succeeded in drawing one from
the belt, and directing it at the creature's head, he fired but the
;
only effect which it seemed to produce was to cause her to quick-

en her pace, and to give him an angry shake, by which she made
her fangs meet more closely in his flesh. From the excruciating
pain thus produced he fainted, and remained totally unconscious
of what was passing for some time, when, recovering a little, he
determined to try the another shot in a different place ;
effect of
renaming pistol out of his girdle, he pointed the

so, getting the
muzzle under the blade bone of the shoulder, in the direction of
the heart, and once more fired, when the tigress fell instantly dead,
292 METHOD OF FRIGHTENING TIGERS SERPENTS.
and neither howled nor struggled after she fell neither had ho ;
the power to call for aid, though he heard his friends approach-
ing, and was fearful that they might pass the spot without
discovering where he lay. The wounds healed, but the sinews
of the limb were so dreadfully lacerated that he never entirely
recovered the use of it.
In the Morung forests, at one season of the year, many persons

are employed I was assured by a friend,
in cutting saul timber.
who had for years employed a great number of these persons,
that when a tiger is found to be near where they are at work,
one of the party, in a state of nudity excepting a girdle around
his waist, which is filled with small pebbles, approaches the lair
of the beast onall fours, making a peculiarly hideous noise, using
the most extravagant gestures, and occasionally casting a few of

the pebbles at the tiger, who views the strange figure with evi-
dent marks of trepidation, and slinks back from his approach.
The gestures of the man now become more violent, and being
accompanied by a copious discharge of pebbles and a still more
hideous shout, the affrighted animal makes a hasty retreat. A
signal being given, the whole band of workmen join in a con-
tinued cry, until the trembling brute is far beyond the reach of
itssupposed pursuer. The men engaged in this employment
have no hesitation in going into the most wild and lonely jungles,
as this method of frightening away wild beasts was never known
to fail.
The
following incident will serve to show the danger to which
the inhabitants of India are continually exposed from serpents.
A gentleman was one evening writing a letter, while his left arm
wascarelessly hanging over the side of the table, when a friend,
who sat by him, said, " Mr. B., don't move a muscle upon any
consideration ;
for a cobra di capello is surveying your hand, and
the least movement will cause it to snap at you." The gentleman
glanced his eye round, and, sure enough, there was the snake
dancing its head round and round his hand. With the greatest
self-possession, he maintained his position. At length, the snake,
poking head into the sleeve of the gentleman's white jacket,
its
began to ascend his arm still not a muscle moved, not a feature
;
was altered soon the

:
reptile emerged from the sleeve at the
collar, when the movement of his friend, alarming it, caused it
to descend his back to the ground, where it was soon killed.

ATTACKED BY A WHIP SNAKE. 293
Had not the gentleman manifested this self-possession, he would

have alarmed the snake, which, for self-defence, would no doubt
have seized the object of its terror.
The whip snake is another venomous and most dangerous rep-

tile. Its body is long and slender, very much in size like the
thong of a chaise whip, from which I suppose it derives its name.
This snake frequents the trees, and, fixing its tail round a branch
will dart forward itswhole length to seize any object that may
unconscious of the danger, pass below it. One evening, whilst
walking beneath a small mango tope, I felt a smart rap upon the
crown of my hat, and looking up, saw one of these reptiles dart-
ing from the bough just above my head with great difficulty I
:
managed to destroy it, but not before I had sent for my gun and
shot at it several times.
EAST INDIAN CHARACTER AND CUSTOMS,
ILLUSTEATED BY ANECDOTES, ETC.
COMMUNICATED BY AN ENGLISH LADY EESIDING IN INDIA.
WE have just arrived in India, and are at our cousin Stanton's

house at Madras. The scene in the Madras roads is the brightest
and liveliest possible. The sea is completely studded with ships
and boats of every size and shape, and the boats are manned with
crews even more quaint and picturesque than themselves. But
none can compare with the catamarans, and the wonderful people
that manage them. Fancy a raft of only three logs of wood, tied
together ateach end when they go out to sea, and antied and left
to dry on the beach when they come in again. Each catamaran
has one, two, or three men to manage it they sit crouched upon
:
their heels, throwing their paddles about very dexterously, but in

a manner remarkably unlike rowing. In one of the early Indian
voyagers' log-books is the following entry respecting a catamaran :
" This
morning, 6, A. M., saw distinctly two black devils playing
at single-stick. Wewatched these infernal imps above an hour,
when they were lost in the distance. Surely this doth portend
some great tempest." It isvery curious to watch these catama-
rans putting out to sea. They get through the fiercest surf, some-
times dancing at their ease on the top of the waves, sometimes
hidden under the waters sometimes the man completely washed
;
off his catamaran, and man floating one way and catamarsji an-
other, they seem to catch each other again by magic.
till
I have seen so many curiosities already that I do not know
wljiich to describe to you first jugglers, tumblers, snake-charm-

ers, native visitors, &c., &c. For the last few days we have been
in a constant bustle. Those snake-charmers are most wonderful.
One day, we had eight cobras and three other snakes all dancing
round us at once, and the snake-men singing and playing to them
on a kind of bagpipe. The venomous snakes they call good
snakes one, the Brahminee cobra, they said was so good, that
:
NATIVE VISITS ADVISED TO TELL A FEW LIES. 295
his bite would kill a man in three hours ;

but of course all these
had their fangs extracted. The men bring them in covered bas-
kets. They place their baskets on the ground, and play their
bagpipes for a while ; then they blow at the snakes through the
baskets then play a little more at last, they take off the lid of
; ;
the baskets, and the snake rises up, arching his neck like a ?wan,
and with his hood spread, looking very handsome, but very
xvicked.
We visits from natives to welcome A
have had a great many
back again, or, as they say, " to see the light of master's coun-
tenance, and bless God for the honor!" One a gentleman, in

his black way called at six in the morning ;
he left his carriage
at the gate, and his
slippers under a tree and then, finding that ;
we were going out riding, he walked barefoot in the dust by the

" were
side of our horses till " our honors pleased to dismiss him.
Another met us, got out of his carriage, thrust off his shoes, and
stood bowing in the dirt while we passed then drove on to the ;
house, and waited under the verandah for an hour and a half,
till we were pleased to finish our ride. One paid me a visit alone,
and took the opportunity to give me a great deal of friendly ad-

vice concerning managing A. He especially counselled me to
" him to a lies." He said he had often advised
persuade tell few
" master " to do so but that he would not mind him, but " per-
;
haps mistress persuade master. Master very good very upright

man he always good but master say all same way that he think.
; ;
Much better not !

Mistress, please tell master. Any body say wrong,
master's mind different that quite :
right master keep his own
mind ;
his mind always good but : let master say all same what
others say ;
that much better, and they give him fine appointment,
and plenty much "
was not English fash- I said that that
rupees !
ion but my
;
me that there were "plenty many"
visitor assured
Englishmen who told as many lies as the natives, and were all
rich in consequence so then I could only say it was very wrong,
:
and not master's fashion, nor mine to which he agreed, but j
it
""
thought plenty great pity !
These natives are a cringing and behave to us English as set,

if they were the dust under our and indeed we give them feet ;
reason to suppose that we consider them as such. Their servility

is disagreeable, but the rudeness and contempt with which the
English treat them are quite painful to witness. Civility to
296 NATIVE CHARACTER A MOOXSHEE EMPLOrED.
servants, especially, seems a complete characteristic of gnjfinage.

(A griffin is a fresh man or fresh woman in India.) One day, 1
said to my ayah, (a very elegant lady in white muslin,) " Ayah,

bring me a glass of toast and water, if you please." She crept
to the door, and then came back again, looking extremely per-
" What mistress tell ? I don't know."
plexed, and whined out,
" I told " Toast water
you to bring me some toast and water."
I know very you please ; I don't know
well, but mistress tell if
if you please" I believe the phrase had never before been ad-
dressed to her. Every thing seems to be done by means of con-

stantly finding fault if one lets the people suppose they have
:
" Master tell

given a moment's satisfaction, they begin to reason :
very good try a little more than worse perhaps master like
; ;
plenty as well." One day, I gave some embroidery to be done

by a Moorman recommended by my tailor the Moorman did not :
bring his work home in time I asked Mrs. Stanton what was to
;
" " of course " But

be done. O," she said, stop the tailor's pay."
"
it is no fault of the poor tailor's." O, never mind that ; he is
the Moorman's particular friend, and he will go and beat him
every day till he brings the work home."

They are like babies in their ways.Fancy great fat ayah, my
forty years old, amusing herself with puffing the wind in and out
of myair-cushion till she has broken the screw The jargon !
that the English speak to the natives is most absurd. I call it
"John Company's English," which rather offends Mrs. Stanton.

It seems so and childish, that I really cannot yet bring my-
silly
self to make use of it but I fancy I must in time, for the king's
;
English another characteristic of griffinage, and the servants

is
seem unable to understand the most common direction till it is

translated into gibberish.
A moonshee seems to be a component part of most English
establishments ;
so I have set up one also. He comes three times
a week to teach me Tamul. He is a very solemn sort of person,
with long mustachios, and numbers of beautiful shawls, which he
twists round his waist till they stand out half a yard in front of
him, and come into the room before his face appears. When we
hired him, he made many salaams, and said he preferred our
friendship to any remuneration we could give ;
but he conde-
scends to accept five pagodas a month besides. He comes when
I choose, and goes away when I bid him. If I am not ready, he
NATIVE LETTEBS INVITED TO A FEAST. 297
sits on his heels in the verandah for a couple of hours, doing

nothing, till I call him. If I am weary in the course of my les-
son, I walk away, and bid him write a little and there he sits, ;
scribbling very slowly and very intently, till I please to come

back again. He is president of a Hindu literary society, and at
its first opening delivered a lecture in English, of which he is
very proud. brought He it to me to-day to read. The whole

was capital concluded with a hope " that this respectable
;
and it
so happily begun in smoke, might end in blaze " !

jinstitution,
This Tamul that he is to teach me is a fearfully ugly language
clattering, twittering, chirping, sputtering, like a whole poultry-
yard let loose upon one and not a singing-bird, not a melodious
;
sound among them. I suspect that I shall soon grow tired of it ;
but meanwhile it is a little amusement. A Tamul writer came

to-day to copy some document on cadjan-leaf for Mr. Staunton.
He held the leaf in one hand, and a sharp steel-pointed style, for
a pen, in the other. He wrote very fast, and seemed quite at his
ease, though sitting on his heels, and writing on his hand in this
inconvenient manner.
Few things amuse me more than the letters we daily receive
from natives, underlings in office, who knew
A. before he went to
England. One apologizes for troubling him with " looking at
the handwriting of such a remote individual," but begs leave
humbly to congratulate him on the safe arrival in India of him-

self and his " respectable family " meaning me Another !
soon to have the honor of himself at "

hopes throwing your good-
ness's philanthropic feet." Is not this the true Fudge style ?
The
other day, a very rich native, an old protege of A.'s, came
to say that he and his son wished to make a feast for me, if 1
would come to their house. I was extremely glad, for I was
longing to get into one of the native houses so we accepted the ;
invitation. Armagum and Looboo, our two entertainers, met us

at their garden gate with lanterns, and rows of natives extended
all the way up which was lighted up most bril-
to the house,
liantly with innumerable chandeliers, lamps, and lustres, hung

from the ceiling and festooned to the walls. The house consist-
ed of one very large verandah, that opened into a large draw-
ing room, with a smaller room at each end, and sleeping rooms
beyond and on the other side of the drawing room another
;
verandah, leading into another garden. The house was furnished

298 BECEFTIOS-VABIOCS ESTEBTADJMESTS.
very much French lodging house, only with more comfort-

like a
able ottomans and sofas but the general effect was very French
;
;
quantities of French knickknacks set out upon different tables,

and the walls quite covered with looking glasses.
We were led into the great drawing room, and seated upon
sofas,and servants were stationed at our side to fan us. Arma-
gum and Looboo brought us each a nosegay of roses, and poiwd
rose water over them and over our hands and they gave me a
;
queer kind of sprig, made of rice and beads, like a twelfth-cake

ornament. They also gave us each a garland of scented flowers,
so powerful that even now, at the end of the next day, I cannot
ged rid of the perfume on my hands and arms. Then the enter-
tainment began. They had procured the musicians, dancers, and
cooks belonging to the nabob, in order that I might see all the
Mussulman amusements, as well as those of the Hindus. First
came in an old man with a long white beard, to play and sing to
the vina, an instrument like a large mandolin, very pretty and
antique to look at, but not much to hear. His music was miser-
able, just a mixture of twang and whine, and quite monotonous,
without even a pretence to a tune. When we were quite tired
of him, he was dismissed, and the nabob's dancing girls came in
most graceful creatures, walking, or rather sailing about, like
queens, with long muslin robes from their throats to their feet.
They were covered with gold and jewels, ear rings, nose rings,
bands round their heads, and rings on
bracelets, armlets, anklets,
all their fingers and on their toes.
all Their dancing consisted
of sailing about, waving their hands, turning slowly round and
round, and bending from side to side. The prettiest of their
performances was their beautiful swan-like march. Then they
sang, bawling like bad street singers a most fearful noise, and
no tune. Then we had a concert of orchestra music, with differ-
ent looking instruments, but in tone like every modification of
bagpipes every variety of drone and squeak you can form

;
no idea of such sounds under the name of music : the chimney

sweepers' clatter on May day would be harmonious in comparison.
Imagine a succession of unresolved discords, selected at random,

and played on twenty or thirty loud instruments, all out of tune
in themselves and with each other, and you will have a fair idea
of Hindu music and its effect on the nerves.
When my teeth had been set on edge till I could really bear it
DAKCI5G GIBL-JUGGlXa-Sl'LEXDID 81TPCB. 299
it was obliged to beg A. to give the musicians a hint

longer, I
t
stop. Then there came in a man to imitate the noises of
trious birds. This sounded promising, but unfortunately the
ladras )irds are screaming, and not singing birds and my ears ;
*re assailed by screech owls, crows, parrots, peacocks, Jtc., so

*11 imitated that I was again obliged to beg relief from such
irture. Then we had a Hindu dancing girl, decorated with the
lostmagnificent jewelry I ever saw her dancing was very much
:
ke that of the Mohammedans, only a little more difficult. There

as a good deal of running backwards and forwards upon her
eels, and shaking her silver bangles or armlets, which jingled
ke bells then glissading up to me, waving her pretty little
;
lands, and making a number of graceful, unmeaning antics, with

icr eyes fixed on mine with a strange, unnatural stare.
After her performance was ended, we had a conjurer, some of

\-hose tricks were quite marvellous. He had on a turban and a
ummerbund, (or piece of muslin wrapped round him,) but no
jacket, so that one could not imagine a possibility of his conceal-
ing any of his apparatus about him ; but, among other tricks, he
took a small twig of a tree, ran his fingers down it to strip the
leaves off, small leaves, like those of a sensitive plant, and
showered down among us, with the leaves, five or six living
scorpions ;
not little things like Italian scorpions, but formidable
animals, almost as long as my hand. I did not admire their
company, creeping about the room ;
so he crumpled them up in
his hand, and they disappeared. Then he waved his bare arms
in the air, and threw a live cobra into the midst of us. Most of
his other tricks were juggling with cups and like
balls, &c., any
English conjurer but the scorpions and cobra were quite beyond
;
my comprehension.
After he was dismissed, we had another
gold and silver girl, to
dance upon sharp swords, to music as
sharp ; then a fire eater ;
and, last of all, a great supper laid out in the back verandah.
The first course consisted of all the nabob's favorite dishes of
meat, and curries, and pillaws, set out in China plates ; the second
course consisted of Hindu
cookery, set out in cups and saucers.
A. whispered to me that I must eat as much as I
could, to please
poor old Armagum ; so I did my best, till I was almost choked
with cayenne pepper. The Moorman pillaws were very good j
300 A SPEECH VISIT A EAJAH AMUSING EXCURSION
but among Hindu messes I at last came to something so

the
queer, slimy, and oily, that I was obliged to stop.

After supper, Armagum made a speech, to inform me that he was
aware that the Hindus did not know how to treat ladies that he ;
had therefore been that morning to consult an English friend of

his concerning the proper mode of showing me the respect that
was my and
due that
;
he had informed him that English ladies
were accustomed to exactly the same respect as if they were gen-
tlemen, and that he had better behave to me accordingly. Ho
begged I would consider that, if there had been any deficiency,
it was owing to ignorance, and not to want of affection for that ;
he looked upon me as his mother Then he perfumed us all with

!
ottar of roses, and we came away, after thanking him very cor-
dially for his hospitality and the amusement he had given us. I
was very curious to see the ladies of the family,
but they could
not appear before English gentlemen. peeped about in hopes
I
of catching a glimpse of them, and I did descry some black eyes

and white dresses through one of the half-open doors, but I could
not see them distinctly.
We are now residing at Rajahmundry, a most lovely spot on
the banks of a magnificent river, the Godavery. A. has betn ap-
pointed judge of this district. I like this place much better than
Madras. Every body tried to make Madras as English as they

could, though without much success, except doing away with
every thing curious but this place is real India, and I am every
;
day seeing something new and foreign.

We have just returned from a visit to a rajah named Ptmtooloo.
It was a very amusing excursion and had I known what an un-
;
dertaking it would be, I never should have attempted it, or rather

A. never would have consented to it, however urgent my curiosity
might have made me. But we are safe at home again, and the
journey has done us good. When the time came for us to go,
A. said he thought it would be scarcely worth the trouble, and
that we should be "more quiet and comfortable at home " such
a thorough John Bull But I made him go, as I wished to " see a
!
little of life." The people had told us that the distance was fifteen
miles, and we expected that, by starting at half past five in the after-
noon, we should arrive about ten o'clock, in time for a good night's
rest. But instead of fifteen, we found it to be thirty miles, and
CONDUCTED IN STATE TO THE PALACE. 301
no road. We had to grope our way in the dark over cotton
fields, the rain pouring down in torrents, and the bearers wading
and splashing through the mud, until half past five the next morn-
"
ing, when we arrived at the end of our journey, plenty tired."
We were conducted to a choultry, which the rajah had prepared
and ornamented with bits of old carpet for our reception, until he
could have us conducted in state to the palace. His principal
attendants came to pay their compliments, and he sent us a very
good breakfast. When we had eaten, his gomashta (secretary)

came to say that all things were ready for our removal. I ex-
pected something of a row, but was quite unprepared for the
uproar which had been provided for us. As soon as our palan-
keens were taken into the street, a gang of musicians started up
to play before us with all their might a performance much like
one of Rossini's most noisy overtures, played by bagpipes, hurdy
gurdies, penny trumpets, and kettle drums, all out of tune. Then
came banners, swords, flags, and silver sticks ;
then heralds, to
proclaim our titles, but we colild not make out what they were ;
and then dancing girls. A. looked rather coy at being, as he
" made such a fool " but when the
said, of; dancing girls began
their ant?cs ankle-deep in the mud, the whole turn-out was so
excessively absurd that mortal gravity could stand itno longer ;
and he was obliged to resign himself to his fate, and laugh and
be happy, like me.
When we arrived at the palace, the courts were filled with
crowds of ragged retainers, and about fifty dancing girls were
bobbing and bowing, salaaming and anticking. At last we came
to the rajah's own where we found him the pink of Hindu
hall,
politeness, bestowing more flowers of speech upon us in a quarter

of an hour than one could gather in all England in a twelvemonth. .
He ushered us to the rooms prepared for us, and staid a while to

have a talk, surrounded by his retinue. His palace consisted of
un paved courts walled in, and literally ankle-deep in mud. We
could not cross them, but .all round there was a raised narrow
pathway of harl earth, on which we walked, holding on by the
wall for fear of slipping into the mud beneath. Our apartments
consisted of one of these courts and the rooms belonging to it.
At one end was a room, or rather gallery, which they call a hall,
open to the court on one side, without any doors or windows, a
small room at each end of the large one, and an outer yard for
302 PALACE DESCRIBED DINNER FEOCESSION
the servants. The other three sides of the square communicated

with other courts of the same kind, one opening into the rajah's
own hall. In the middle of our gallery there was a wooden
alcove overhanging the street, in which Puntooloo sits and smokes
when he is alone. The furniture was a table, a carpet, four chairs,
two cane sofas, and a footstool. Tr.e room was hung with pic-
tures of divinities,by native artists, two French looking glasses,
in fine frames, fastened to the wall in their packing cases, the lids
being removed for the occasion, and two little shaving glasses,
with the quicksilver rubbed The rajah was very
off the back.
fond of his pictures, and sent some colored prints of hares and
for
foxes to show us. They had been given him by an Englishman

long ago and the color having been rubbed off in many places,
;
I offered to mend them for him, which greatly pleased him. While
I was filling up the holes in his foxes' coats with a little Vandyke
"
brown, he stood by, crossing his hands and exclaiming, Ah all !
same new " and A. took the

wonderful
as ! skill !
opportunity to
put in his usual lecture concerning the advantages of female edu-
cation. Puntooloo said he thought it was a very fine thing to
teach girls, but that his people were " too much stupid," and did
not like it, and he would not go contrary to their prejudices.
When we were tired of him, we dismissed him, as the natives
think it a great impoliteness to go away until they are desired ;
therefore, talked as long as we could, A. said that I

when we had
was going to sleep, for that he (Puntooloo) "must be aware that
sleep was a very good thing." That is the proper formula. When
the peons come to report their going away to eat their rice, they
" must be aware that
always inform me that I eating is a very
good thing, and necessary to a man's life."
. After we were and brisk again, the rajah sent us our din-
rested
ner. We had brought with us, at his request, plates, knives and
forks, bread and beer, and he sent us besides all his own messes,
native fashion, in brass trays lined with leaves, and a different
little conundrum on each leaf, pillaws, quantities of pickles, ten
or a dozen varieties of chutnies, different vegetables, and cakes
made of cream, pepper, and sugar.
After dinner, Puntooloo took us out to see the town we in
our palankeens and he in his tonjon, his musicians piping and
drumming before us. The entire population of the town of course

turned out to see the show. The rajah, perceiving that one of
EASTERN SPLENDOR AMUSING INTRODUCTION- 303
A.'s palankeen doors was shut, stopped the procession, and camo
to beg that A. would keep both doors open, and show himself to
the multitude. The town was built of mud, and the best of
the houses were whitewashed. The streets were ankle-deep in
mud, washed off from the walls of the houses ;

but in the midst
of all this dirt and discomfort, some little bit of tinsel would
show itself at every opportunity women, covered with orna-
ments from head to foot, peeping out of the mud hovels men, ;
with superb Cashmere shawls, looking quite beggarly from rags

and dirt. This is " Eastern splendor " a compound of mud
and magnificence, filth and finery. Puntooloo is a great prince
in his little way one of the old hereditary rajahs of the high-
est caste.
When we returned to the palace, we found it illuminated with

torches and crowded with spectators. We staid and witnessed
the performances of dancing girls, and the exhibition of fireworks,
as long as we could endure the heat, din, and glare, and then
went to our own rooms. There we found every thing such a
complete contrast to the native taste, that we could scarcely fancy
ourselves only a hundred yards from all the rajah's row. Our
matee had lighted the candles, and placed our tea things, books,
and drawing materials on the table, all looking as quiet and com-
fortable as at home. I never saw any thing so curiously different
from the scene of the minute before ; every feeling and idea was
changed in an instant.
next day, Puntooloo introduced me to his wife. I had
The
been longing to see her, but did not dare to ask it for fear of
distressing his feelings ; however, he proposed it himself. They
brought her when A. was out of the room. She was an immense
creature, but young, with rather a good, sphinx-like face alto-
gether, much like a handsome young feather bed. She was

dressed in green muslin embroidered with gold, and covered with
jewels from top to toe, besides a be'.t of gold coins round her
waist. All her attendant women came with her, and stood at the
entrance. The
rajah's gomashta stood by, to order her about and
teach her manners and one of my peons acted as interpreter.
;
When she first came in, she twirled, or rather rolled round and
round, and did not know what to do until the gomashta bid her
make salaam and sit down on a chair, and then I did the same. We
did not know much of each other's language she nothing of
304 PRESENTS BETUKN HOME.
mine, and I only enough of hers to be aware that the peon mis
translated every speech we made, and invented the conversation
according to his own taste, making it consist entirely of most

furious compliments She was very curious about
on either side.
my clothes, especially my bonnet, which she poised upon her fore-

finger, and spun round like a top. I showed her some pictures ;
she held them upside down, and admired them very much. She
seemed amused and comfortable till A. came accidentally into the
room, when she jumped up, turned her broad back to him, and
waddled off as fast as her fat sides would let her. Of course he
went away directly, not wishing to hurt her modesty and as ;
soon as he was gone, she came mincing back again, reseated her-
self with all sorts of affected airs and graces, and sent him a
"
condescending message to beg he would not distress himself, for
that he was her father and mother."
While she remained with me, A. took the opportunity of being
alone with Puntooloo, to try to do him a little good. He was
very ready to unusually so for a Brahmin,
listen, and did not
refuse to take some books. I gave him some drawings, which I
had made for him, of subjects likely to suit his taste, particularly
an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, on account of the red flames. I
put the drawings in a blue satin portfolio, embroidered with scar-
let and gold and he was delighted with it.
;
We came home on a dry night quite safely, and found all well ;
but an unexpected stranger visitor had arrived while we were ab-

sent, and established himself in our house, ready to receive us ;
however, he was an agreeable person, and we liked his
company.
now " and could not im-
I left off writing just for my tiffin,"
agine what they were bringing me to eat some bran, which I

had been boiling to season a new tin kettle, and which the matee
supposed to be some peculiar Europe cooky I was making for
myself; and thinking I was provided for, he had eaten up all
my meat.
A 000 667 663

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LIBRARY

MRS. KENNEiH N. BAKER

THE AUTHOR VISITED INDIA AND TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY

ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS.

great number of persons in eminent stations, among whom were twenty

Rev. E. Nott, D.D., President of Union College.

Benjamin Hale, D.D., President of Geneva College.

2. A Devotee, whose finger-nails were eight inches long, 11

8. A Devotee, whose arms were constantly elevated, 13

4. Hindu of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, 15

5. Mohammedan of Bengal, of high rank, in full dress, 17

6. Byragee playing on a Timbrel, 19

7. Mohman Khaun, Nabob of Cambay, 21

9. Culi Soldier of the Forests of Raj pu tana, 25

10. Minaret at Delhi, 27

11. Columns of a Temple at Benares, 29

12. Columns from the ruins of a Temple at Barolli, 31

18. Temple of Vishnu, at Mahabalipooram, South India, .... 33

14. Entrance to the Cave Temple of Elephanta, 85

19. Fort of Burkhur, on the Indus, 43

23. Celebrating the Huli Festival, 53

84. A View in the City of Benares, 75

35. Presenting Offerings to a Mendicant Priest, 79

86. An Infant Victim of Superstition, 83

37. Interior of a Chapel at Cuttack, 83

38. Baber, the founder of the Mogul Empire, 87

40. Interior of a Choultry, 91

41. Union of the Ganges and Jumna, 95

42. The Sick, brought to the Ganges, 95

43. A Pilgrim at his Devotions, 99

50. A Tank and Temple near Benares, 115

58. Three Hindu Girls, educated at Burdwan, 131

DESCRIPTION OF THE THUGS.

67. A Thug disguised as a Merchant, 167

74. Procession at a Hindu Festival, 199

SPECIMENS OF THE SHASTERS.

80. Gautama, or Budh, 249

eight years, day and night. See description at page 73.

but for what purjtose is now unknown.

by engraving, No. 34, page 75.

No. 12. SPECIMEN OP HINDU ARCH1TKCTURE AT BAROLLI.

tain Festivals an Image of Vishnu is brought from a larger temple

No. 15. A Mosque at Delia.

IT is the opinion of some eminent geographers, that India,

but, whether it be the Tarshish of the ancients or not, it has for

acteristics are ignorance, poverty, and superstition.

ceedingly simple. See Engravings, Nos. 20 and 22.

called a saree,and consists of a single piece of cloth of from four

thrown around the shoulders. In some parts of the country, it

rated with ornaments and jewels of considerable value.

but the use of tobacco is almost universal, and here, as elsewhere

Most of the Hindu dwellings are rude huts,

the females are incarcerated for

No. 21. Travelling in a Palankeen.

public assembly. It is only the higher class of fem&ies, however,

are to be seen at work in the fields, or going to market with large

stage-drivers change their horses. The traveller proceeds on his

No. 24 a Brahmin engaged in reading and explaining a poem

containing some hundred thousand stanzas written on palm-leaf.

explain. His hearers listen attentively to the exciting narra-