The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-15
LETTERS FROM ABROAD.
@Ceyl0ll. s....s sa, .s.,
Po1Nr DE GALE, Aug. l, 1875.

=Ceyl0n. 49,
Po1Nr DE GALE, Aug. l, 1875.
Editor of St. Paul Dispatch:
Quite a long delay has occurred since
my last, and my letters may lose their
interest. l then referred briefly to the
religion of the Cingalese. They are not
followers of Brahma, hut are Buddhists.
Buddhism was revolt against the tyran.
nical domination of the Brahmins and
the caste system, which they pretended
to have derived from Divine authority.
For many centuries, SO say
their ancient historians, Brahminism was
the one religion of India but, about SUI
B. c., there arose reformer called
Booddha. Setting himself against the
caste system, he proclaimed the equal
ity of all men, of all grades, and even
nationalitics. This was doctrine so
congenial to the masses of the people,
/ that it rapidly spread through province
safter province of India, so much so that
ftwo hundred years after Booddha's death
lit had nearly all the power Of India in its
hands; and all the lending thrones were
occupied by Buddhists Emperors, be-
sides having converted Siam and other
neighboring bands. The Buddhist dynas'
ty lasted for some twelve hundred years.
But by this time many errors and aouses
had crept into the system; (there is no
doubt great deal OF truth mixed with
:the errors of this belief;) it's leaders had
become enfeebled by prosperity and its
priesthood corrupted; and during the
If &c
the worst features of Brahmin.
-lism having been forgotten. People
began to turn again to the caste system,
until finally the sceptre of India passed
Hagain into Brahmanic hands.
This commenced a fierce persecution
against the unhappy Buddhists, Destroy
,ing their temples and at last driving them
sfrom the plains Of India to Ceylon, the
::Himalayas, and to foreign lands.
It is said there is not now a genuine
Buddhist in the lower provinces of India.
But the faith still fourishes in Ceylon,
Siam and Nepaul. Nepaul is situated in
ithe northern part of India, on one
lof the Southern slopes of the Himalaya
mountains.
=, 1t figured good deal in the news
papers some eighteen years ago. We
refer to the time of the Indian mutiny,
during the progress of which we owed a
good deal to our allies the Goorkhas, who
coming from Nepaul, when they were
the dominant tribe, helped US to over
come the revolted Sepoys. They did
good service, for not only were they
brave and valiant soldiers, but they
fought as men will fight who have here.
III m
Among the weak points OF Buddhism
we may mention the sending away lig-
ions Of men as hermits, who lived in
caves. or upon the mountain sides, or in
deep forests. They also worship relics
Ito be tooth of Boodhas land which is
said to work miracles) and to stone on
which is the tabled imprint of his feet.
Another of his teeth is said to be in a
temple in Siam. did not see either Of
them; but, I understand, that as regards
size of the enc in Ceylon, would do credit
to a good.sized elephant. Ceylon in
many places exhibits ruins of magnificent
temples and palaces, and also an infinite
number Of decayed tanks for purposes
! of irrigation on a stupendous scale, all
! demonstrating that in early times enor-
/ nous wealth had been lavished on works
Of luxury and utility. But, as on the
main land of India, ruin and decay has
followed in the train CT those internal
awars that were ever being carried on
flor the sake of some barbaric or
sreligious ascendency. But my time
is growing short, so with glance at the
pearl fisheries we will say goodbye for a
season. Ceylon has for centuries been
famed for the richness and value of it's
pearls. Its banks are said to have fur.
-nished these which Cleopatra quaffed in
her vine to Mark Antony. The pearl is
ever a favorite ornament, and is highly
priced by the natives of India. The most
costly produce of the Ceylon pearl fish
cries is carried by Moorish and Hindoo
traders to the Indian continent +;
the less valuable ones being
exported to other countries. Since the
possession of Ceylor by the British the
pearl fishery has proved a source of con-
siderable revenue to the government. 1t
has yielded as high as eighty thousand
pounds per annum but, Of late years it
has considerably fallen off, the last year
exclusive right to this fishery rests with
the Ceylon government, and is sold by
public auction or by private traders to
native renters.
At the present time the pearl fisheries
of Bahrien in the Gulf of Persia are the
most extensive, producing from one hun.
dred and fifty to two hundred thousand
pounds worth annually. I saw wealthy
Persian merchant with splendid, large,
-pear-shaped pearl in one ear, and asked