New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-24
IN ELDER WORLDS.
BATHING IN THE CANOES.

There are several means Of lOcOmOtOn provided
in Benares You may drive through the streets in
bullock cart or be drawn by buflaoes--long-
necked ugly, black beasts, altogether unlike ths
lordly buffalo of the American prairie There are
camels galore and there Is a curious carriage called
"eka" very much like the Irish outside car. except
that il Is smaller aud holds only two passengers,
who SIT on either side with their feet over tho
wheels There Is accommodation tor resting one
foot m an iron strrup. IL Il usual to sat upon
the other These ckas,' drawn by stout little
horses driven at high speed, seem To require long
training and nsensibllty to early falls before be-
coming quite comfortable. We conteutcd ourselves
with the slower bit safer " ghaTy aud drove to
the ManMandIl CHAT, whore we took boatan over
decked topheavy structure rowed by four men
with oars having the maximum Of loom aud the
minimum of blade. In addition 10 the four men
who royed there was one who shouted good deal
and steered a little. and two who did nothing till
we disembnrked when they asked for backsheesh.
II was o'clock an hour at which bathing ~ m
full swing All along the town side Of the river
ghats stone steps run down into The water Ten
orally there is temple AT the top of the ghat ny
the ~ndhia CHAT are two lofty turrets. which APP
near to he topping to- the ground. The foundations,
built almost in the river, have sunk aud n is said
are 9ll sinking The veil of temple close by has
boon rent m TWAIN. and some day there viii he
shrirkinE anu sudden deifn Wh'h 'f''~N Hih@'lN'
turrnts complete their DESTINY and fail with acrash
among the crowd that ia always eurirollng them on
ita way to and from the river Lower down palace
once belonging to tho R,iih uf Gwilior has sunk
into the earth only tho ruined AMI rooHos' walls
uf ito upnrr atorica urliftcd from tho tomb Who're
there ato NJ tamuioa ut pilice1 thn aInrha Hr'uhi
10 tnLrn advantage of for tho carving nht ~ Hin'
traanr Heutranf lhr sudt There apurof thn htnthnr
nt Viahnn, las head hni shoulders ettN"d pht ia
the Yrllnw ntano ot the perpendicular tp'h' h''
body from tho middle downward being repre-
sentrd with legs apart, An lnAnr, haii-aufpflani
look on his vsage turtherl tho fancy that this 10
tho representation If u drunken man, who has
slipped down on his haunche, AMI doubts "hether
ho will be- able, unaa,i,tr, to get mp
The scene on the rivers bank b, bustliug one.
Thousands of people men aud women, are coming
and going by the steep stalrways. Women Win
earthenw ware pots on their heads red in color and
lovely IN shape, though they cost but few pence,
come for water for household purposes. Others
bring their household washing to the marge Of the
beautiful river and side by side with pilgrims from
distant Madras or the far north woman washes
her skirts or scrubs her brazen vessels. But the
great business Is to bathc, to wash and be clean
from impurities more grievous than those that
come from household labor or 'onrneyi"eS by the
Navside. On all tie highways aud railroads con-
verglng on Benares troops OF pilgrims wend their
| way Beuares IS their Mecca the Ganges their Jor-
| dan To behold the one and 70 wash in the other,
has been the daily dream and aspiration OF their
| life. Many of them are very Old, and 10 watch
them trembngly picking their way down tho
rough hewn steps and eagerly cuclInS at the cool
water sugg SIS The doubt whether they will live 10
| mount the step. again. Doubtless many OF them
would be greatly content II death came u them
here and now, aud if life should vary It's loag
kindness by suddenly quitting them whilst their
eyes Toasted on the flow of the Gangcs aud their
weary limbs were laved in It's cool waters
II is hard for phle -matIc Englishmen 10 realize
the sentiment with which the HindOos regard the
Ganges-Nlother Ganga, as they fOndy call IL. tits
part of their daily life to-day, it was IN days
through which history stumbles with fatering
step To the liIndeO the stately river Il daughter
of King Hmalaya and of his Queen, the AIR
nymph Menaka The iccle studded cavern az tho
base Of a snow drift from which the river issues is
the tangled hair of the god silva TO cry "Gaagai
Gangaw 800 miles distant from the river is sufi-
cient to wipe away many Sins. 10 battle in its
waters as blue and fresh when they pass Benares
as when they first reach the plains Is eternal bliss
To spend years IN following the rivers course
from the Bay Of Bengal 10 the illndiay1s and back
again Is to secure a place IN the immortal, impcr-
lshabe world sung of IN tie Ril-Feda where
there Is eternal life, where lOy lnd pleasure reside
aud where the sun IA placed
Life and death stand hand in hlnl on this con-
sccratcd ground. Close By the most crowded CHAT
IL 4 funeral pvre, % near that the bdthers might
reach ont their hands to warm them at lts lame.
This fire IS always burning night aId day, fresh
fuel beng brought hourly from the city when
never seems to have one les IN the baZlars be-
cause of these vacancies IN households When the
bodies are burned out rne ashes are thrown upon
the Gangos and the stream running nshoro min
lies portions Of them with the blther'. From some
of the CHATS wooden stages are built ont over the
river, TINS multiplying the accommodation Tor the
HOrshlppers. Here l. an old man, Ms Wruked
face auiow with dcyu Oual feeling ON his knees 40
the edge OF the stage. ldd.ug mp the water Ia MS
hands aud muttoriug ncessant prayer. Clos" py
~ a ire stalwart Young Brahmln gong through
the ritual with rapid ets" that hciok"ns long
practice and uo dissemination TO get through wtth
II A. quickly ~ possible. Here ~ another l'rahmin
M Ia his waist m water working MS hstS m an en-
ergetic fashion wllch ~ 20 snort dlstanc" looks ~
II he were wanting some one On the OppU,il" bank
10 come ON ard kase n ont iu good oli Engltsh
fashion On closer inspection II II seen that he has
a piece Of string round hts uerk, aud thai holding
Il out first with One hand aud then with The other
he IN vigorously washing n Hero ~ woman
whose aatrouly figure u boldly outlined under he
cotton dmpcry that ciings Ia her a. sac comes
an wholly unlike Nrnus rom her third
dp; a man close hy scoops mp the water u the
palms of h- loucd hands ani pour II out a. II Of
rrug libaton, tnrce repeating the ceremony asa
crying aloud his petition TO the lrrscnrr ,
1h0rr ~ wide variety OF attitude dAd age but All
bound by the common uond OF profound r"tio't.
ness There eau los no question ct the SinooH y OF
tho form of worship which necrssitate' Htandlhg
knee deep iu the LNcr ia dampy 'unsinf cotton
cloths with the morning fresh FROM tfosi bound
fields Glowing krculy. Not less ~ 'aih'~t are ths
Brauulns WHO SIT under umbrella shades ~ tho
head OF the glaks caring i5r The sh~rhhons
clolhing of tie batheIs, and waiting 90 Wamp
tn.,r foreheads with tie mark which tcsttHes
60 due pei formauce of the morning Junction. ms
care TAX NJ and stamping means cOppcrs, aud some
of the stamps must bring Ia a good deal ~ money.
seen from the boat Benarrs il very beautiful lu tho
morning air. The min-r-ts mark forner Moham-
medau aOmin snce M The stronghold of buddhism,
standing ont clear against the skF, thIt IS mo-
mentarIly deepening IN blue As the sun rlses higher
over The broad river HENIY w. Luck