The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-09-19
Letters from the Old World,
BY MISS JENNIE A. NELSON.
NO XXI.
DEHRA Doom. Northern India. !
June %, 1872.

the clouds. I came do1on in q
"Dandy" on Wednesday evening
leaving about 5 P. NJ. I reached
the plains ats. had four ,Pahar
les" or Hill men, who trotted dowr
with me at rapid rate. Mr.. Wood
side started on his horse a shor.
time before me, expecting | would
overtake him, but | did not. and
came all that IS miles alone. AS
I wound around these narrow pass,
es in the mountains, with the shades
# evening gathering over me, with
no protector but th0 poor half naked
flthy-looking men who carried me.
my thoughts turned homeward,
and l wondefed what you would
think if you knew just where 1 was
Ithen. Strange as it may seem, !
hal no fear whatever. 1 met many
natives, but they passed me without
molestation.
l saw many monkeys, and some
Ibaboons. These last mentioned
were very black, with white heads.
A very large one ran across the
road in front OF me from the trees,
They reminded me of old, gray hair
ed negroes. ..
My "Dandy" men gathered ferns
for ma whenever l asked them.
When | reached Rsjpore, l found
Mr.. Woodside waiting for me. TIE
"Tumtrumn had come to meet us,
and we were soon driving down the
broad road TO Dehra. The heat was
very oppressive after the delightful
GOODNESS of the mountains, and for
the first time [ was unable to sleep
on account OF the heat.
All have been looking anxiously
for "the Rains" as they bring re-
lief from the scorching sun. TIE
papers stated a few days ago, Grain
ing in Bombay" them "raining iii
AIIahabad. " To-day it is raining
here, and how can / give you any
conception Of the wonderful aspec:
Nature presents7 Everything W.
wisb to. protect from rust or mOuld
mus; be sealed up in tin boxes. A
soOn as tbs rains begin, the trees in
sh, mountains are covered with
moss, and uut of this the ferns will
saon spring.
The reps Of India are Il most n
tere>tirg atudy ~ themselves, and
as connected with HindoO supersli-
ton The "Banyan" is held in
rrpat ven-rati0n They frequently
place god al the foot. The one
generally honored with this distiEc
ton is "Ganesha," the sylvan deity
and also thp patron OF Letters H is
invoked by raveiers on setting our
on journey, and no good Hindoos
commence etter or any literary
work without salutati0n to him.
l(Our Native Christians always begin
their letters with salutation to the
true God.) Ganasha in form re-
5embles a short fat man, with an
elephants head. He has four hands.
In one he holds a shell, another a
Suout, another a club, and in the
fourth water lily. He sits upon
rat. He has only one projecting
task, the other having been tom cut
by "Vishnu," when angry with
him.
The "Peepul' is very large tree,
and grows in some very extraordin-
ary places, pushing itself through
stone walls. 1t is everywhere sa-
cred to the Gods, who are supposed
TO delight to sit among its leaves.
According to the HindOo, the "Pee-
pull is occupied by one or other of
the Hindco "Triad," the Gods of
Creation, Of Preservation and De-
Istruction, who have the affairs of the
universe to look after, while the
cotton and other trees are occupied
by minor deities, who superintend
Ia small district or village. In April
the cotton trees were covered with
clusters Of the most fiery red flow
ers, with not a green leaf upon
them.
We have magnificent Mango
groves, planted by some rich Hindoo
as work of merit. They certainly
add greatly TO the comfort Of man
and beast. 1t is also considered Il
work of merit to dig well. The
Hirdoos viii not Kill bird, because
they think they may be inhabited
by the soul of some departed friend.
They have places where they SCI
food for them, thinking they are
ferd.ng thei. friends, cOnst gutntly
the birds ar very tame Maiiy .eof:
these people have no idea of Ged.
Oh such gross darkness, and to see
them every day and know they are
dying by thousands every day
without God aud without hope, IS
paint indeed; aud then to feei 81
powerl-ss to helpthem r. a~constaAt
trial to me.
1 am making some progress in the
language. and like it very much.
So many of the words are beautiful
ly expressive. One text where our
translation is, Il was a stranger and
ye comforted me-" An Irish soldier, |
in speaking of the language, said:
NThe sentiment is iTigRt about face"
to the English" which is very true,
as it must be read 6acksCardS; for