The New York herald., 1869-11-13
A SIA.
The "HOly City Of Benarss-'--lts Temples,
Eols, Deyotets, Trade and Inhabitants.

EoIS, Dsyotets Trade and Inhabitants
N man from British India we have the following
letley In continuation OF our special series from that
quxrser of Asia.
1hs Holy City Of Bcnares-From CnIcutta
o. Benaros-Aeross the Ganges-FIrst View
Sr the ssHoly City"-The Temple Of the
xsa~rsd AIoDkies-The Hisheshwar-Grand
Mosque of Aurungxebe-The Streets, Shops,
Fsopls and Beggnrs Of Benares-A tBen-
saiee Baboo''--What He Is and Hopes to
Es-Iiis Political Opinions-Our Hotel.
BENAREs, Oct. ID, 1859.
Tnsnks to the railroad the Ave hundred and odd
miss that lie between Calcutta and Benares can now
be naversed III little than twenty -four hours
and the journey, for Inda, is not an unpleasant one
Starting by the night express from Calcutta, in
. ssseplng carriage, which, though scarcely up to
the American standard OF comfort. Is sufficiently
convenient to make nights rest possibility one
reaches Jumalpore by nine O'Clock the Following
morning. And then hard days travelling lands
voa at seven O'Clock In the evening at what the rail-
roaa company are pleased TO term Benares, though
the city itself Is the opposite side OF the river
Ganges. The heat through the hours on either side
Of noon is OF course almost ins0kcrabe, and the
track seems great deal more dusty than any over
which one has ever been whirlcd before; but are
heat aud dust part aud parcel OF the India
which Americans come here to seer Tie
country through which one passes ts nat
and monotonous. but the thickness Of the popula.
son and the extreme novelty OF the obects that dot
the landscape save it from being uninterestng.
Every mile or two one rolls By hamlet OF mud
houses hudd,ed together III a confused mass, that
knows neither streets nor gardens; thougt 1t may
hna4E
Woather-stained mosque, Of small dimensions and
surmounted with tho usual three orthodox-shaped
cupolas, yet moro diminutive Hindoo snrine dis
NAL with the vestiges OF tawdry decoration, that
scores Of years ago lost the brightness OF It's coorng
Here ana there may be seen the decaying dwelling
or some native landowner, or, in striking contrast
TO It, the trim bungalow OF an 0nicial commissioner
or collector The land Is mostly mapped out by
little ridges Of mud into fields. but patches Of
Indian corn or few acres of jute or wheat not
unfreGuent. All the time the track OF the railroad
never sirays far from the course OF the river ana
at tntervas one gets view OF long reach OF the
0snges whose yellow waters are bearing azily along
scores Of native craft with square sails OF brown or
gray or white, as the case may be.
There Ia no hotel on the railroad side 81 Benares
and during the rainy season there Is only cer-
tain way Of getting ACROSS the river especially one
has but limited knowledge OF Hindostanee. This
is 10 stick close to the maisnever to lose sight OF
them for momcnt-and to insist upon accompany
Ing them to the opposite shore. The mail boat Is
only q small native dngy, and II asked in time,
the men are only too gad'to earn an extra rupee by
carrying passenger. From November to April, in
tho dry season. there Is bridge Of boats the
river, and the passage is then, Of course matter
or no difficulty.
The holy city of Bcnares is altogether distinct
three four miles distant from 1t, In which all the
Europeans the station reside, ana IN which stands
the only hotel where European traveller can flnd
accommodation. Secrole Is not unlike The best
quarter OF a small American city. Its streets are
wide and have an abundance OF trees, and tn civil
oiilces and the church are OF very familiar type .
or tho hotel and the ''Daboo' who keeps it some
thing Will be said at the end OF this letter.
first view Of Benares should always be taken
from the river, and there are few who gaze upon
tho line OF temples mosques and palaces stretching
for two miles along the clll that forms tho rignt
bank OF the Ganges at this point with0ut feeling
something very much akin to enthusiasm. The East
in all its Imagined splendor lies before ones eyes.
At the extreme right the two columns or mnars, o. (
the Grand Mosque OF Aurungzebe spring grace
fully Into the SKY from pLe OF cup0las and
massive stone buildings aad from here
unbroken series magnificent erections, oil OF the
Same Oriental type, and iastnct with grace and
beauty, and yet very various Ia SIZE and costness,
and some cases also far removed from each other
In Gge. Here Hndoo temple shoots up In sicn-
Ger lower encrcled win miniature turrcls and sur
mounted with golden spire: there the marble
cupolas OF q Mussuiman rise above the level OF the
surrounding buildings; now the eye IL caught by
mass Of hall dccayed ruins, whose foundations have
slipped lach by inch through long years. until the
Tune worn was have declined iar from the perpen-
SeuaI s;,d.ni ana again ey some huge seas build
whcn serves as the palace OF some luexy Nawab
with pension from the governments. The cf on
Which this splendid architectural mass has been
reared Ii some seventy eighty 1eet in height out
almost countless lgats oI broad stone seps, wnlcn
are termed gbanis, lead down tne water edge.
Many OF tine houses too though they rise ABOVE the
1evcl oil the c descend TO the river and are bdilt,
1s 1t were, into tho bank. Along the water line
VINO plunge with loud Ilash into the holy waters
And wash away at one ana the same une, the SINS
and dirt Ci han score OF yoara. Tho gnauts
also throngeo witn people, clad In garments
oi every gaudy hue, and a number OF stone domss,
which have pech erected al tle nver by the pety VI
wealthy devoless, serve ss "cogis ol vaurs.er for
cuinpanes OF noy laklrs and pilgrims. Such are
ths maiD features OF scene that set IN the exceed
Ing brillsance OF Bengal summers Gay, seem at
Or3t 20 utterly dazzle the eye and deprive OF all
power 10 examine tho picture before IL otherwise
than as whole. And zen when the lapse vi time
some disturbing acc.dent-sucn, for ms ance as
the uisouvery that the crazy In wiicn you are
ettng ~ han tuil OF wator-Iessores you " state
carefully notice the details OF tais pic
turesque anu Deauriiui vis,oD 1t loses UuJ lew
sto6c IL merely chunam ana whitowash and paster;
ara much OF that happy ABSENCE OF sameness anu
mon0tony In iorn aad color wnch 10 Its most pleas
Ing feature Is iarge.y due to the action OF rhe rop
cai rains, nnler whose fafuelce this house has
staggered away FROM kle perpendicular. or thar mas
been coated over with patches OF weather stains and
green slime. None of the existing buildings ia BEN
ores date beyond the ssy.ltcentn century DuI many
0i them have all the outward a:ld vslDle sisns,
tEsnas TO the neglect OK their inhabitants and the
Cecaylng influences OF The climate OF extreme an
tiqiity. Then the eLIect OF the scene IL somewhat
f4Ad ln siFN nj ri
earthe langnE OF cracked bells In liiiduo temples,
the singuary unpleasant nasal singing OF the uev0;e5
nnu the marsh voices OF tue bDatsacn. Ana among
disgusting sights fa5 Hlidoo butcher rauKs nf5t,
hnd very large percentage OF The pi0us natives
whJ diapOrt themselves ia tne river are extremely
and Jopuislsey stout Bus what 40 al these tn ings
weigh III tho bglance2 Look again at she cay .
integral Whole, aud all the first enthusiastic ardor
retarns. Ana 1t is undoubtedly ~ Absurekto PICK
ont ts or that constituent atom OF the SCENE and
as H. as it would 90 TO separate great paint
ing toto Its component material eleinonts Even