Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-01-20
PHILADELPHIA Press.

/
Expenditure generally observed among the
rich nobility of the Russian empire.
We steamed slowly around among the
many little islands scattered about the
bay, passing Butchers Island, which be-
dotted with bungalows, is the iavorite res
idence spot of Bombay capitalists. In at
tempting to approach the Island OF Ele-
phanta, which is distaucs Of seven miles
from Bombay, we found the water very
shallow for some distaGcs out from the
beach, sni the mode of landing novel in
the extreme. One is bought back few
years in beipg quietly picked up by q
couple Of natives ana noiselessly carried
10 shore We hardly know whether to re-
call childhood memories or to imagine our
selves at q distance watching the natives
unloading a craft which might have car
ried, from the appearance of things, many
bags of sand.
As in all such spots the well-wOrn foot
rath showed US the way, and IN few min
ntas we stood in front Of the temple. Alter
depOsitisg our commissary department
with the guide, whose house IS at the en-
trance, we were prepared 10 fathOm the
mysteries of the cave. 1t is supposed tnst
at one time there WIS . solid front and
doorway, as in the Egyptian rock temples,
but as tire Originsl entrance TO the temple
is destroyed there is really no tangible
proof but that the whole interior stood
open as now. The learned HindOO pro-
lessor was an enthusiastic archie ologlst,
ard proceeded to give the party an enter
tanning and instructive description OF the
caves and their origin in manner that
dispelltd all the dryness pertaining to such
talks.
THE HINDOo THEOLOGY.
He proved to us by the silent snd yet
indisputable evidences before Us, cut out OF
the solid rock centuries ago, that the
foundations of the ancient Hindoo faith
was analogous to the Christian Trinity by
having deities distinctly separate in fame
tons and actions, but spIinging from and
originally contained in one God. These
deities are Brahms, the creator, Vishu,
the preserver, and silva, the destroyer. An
emblem of the latter is newborn infant,
representing that life is continually repro
dpcsd from death. The inferior deltes,
together with their progeny that spring
from these three. number SO, 900 900. 1t
is there believed that 8. 600, 900 of these
belonged TO the evil one, the remainder
being good. 1t will be seen that
the teaching of this religion was the pre-
ponderance Of good evil, and consequently
the benefcsnce of the ruling deity; but the
present belief is but a degeneratsd remnant
of the original faith, and it would be hard
TO find a more superstitioUs spot or the
globe tuan the home of the Hindoo.
But to return to our visit to the cave
temples. Elephanta is about mile in
length, lefty, and covered with palm and
tamarind trees. II is beautiful spot, the
summit being divided into two peaks Of
UNEQUAL height. The Portuguese destroyed
paNch of the 6ae carving, bat the faces Of
the trinity have escaped mutilstiOn. 1t Is
a triple bust, twelve feet high the
heads crowned with mitres. One can
easily read in thsHiace Of Btshma,
the central head, tins conscious will
mower. and would at once determine
this head as representing the Creator. The
other two are represented in profile.
Vishnu, the preserver, Oa the right, Is
quite Grecian IN outline, and so mild but
for the thick upper lip he might be taken
for a female His hair falls IN ringlets
from under cap, and in the right hand
hangs a lotus blossom. On the left is
silva. the destroyer His face, instead OF
mildness and repose, depicts the iercest
cruelty. and shows how well he guides the
hand and arm around which twists the
deadly cobra 20 terrible destruction. The
group stands within niche, and on each
side are two larger statues, but the work
on these is much ccarser. In other parts
of the temple the same figures are to be
sesn.
WONDERS OF THE TEMPLE.
Dwight streams into the different
chambers on either side of the hall, so that
torches were unnecessary 10 examining the
SCULPTURES, &c. Hundred upon buadreds
of statues of gods, surrounded by q staff OF
inferior deities, can be seen in the princi-
nal and the two smaller temples found
mon the island III the absence of all in
scriutions the most learned of ethncgrs-
pbe1s are vet unable TO determine with
sny certainty at what period those caves
were cut out of solid mother earth. All
men agree that it must have been antece-
dent to the f yptian, and it is considered
wonderful TO say the least, that members
of the most ancient order of brotherhood
among men find on the base Of every statue
the individual sign or mark OF the ar'ihceI
who executed the work.
Upon our arrival we had been cautioned
against the myriads of poilonous serpents
|, that ipfest these ruined temples, but as
every one in the party did his best to make
: the day pass pleasantly the snaky inhabit-
ants of the isle had been forgotten, and,
when the call for lunch came, we seated
ourselves around slab of stone under the
trees near the entrance Of the large cave
and commenced an attack on repast re-
{ cherche in all its appointments. All a
once. in the midst Of an animated discussion
one of the Euglishmsn uttered the ter.
rible cry, 81 am bitten by SNAKE" anc
at Ihe same moment we saw the Shiny
BODY of a hooded cobra glide into hole
under the edge of large ruin lying nesr
To describe the CONSERVATION upon th'
countenancss and apparent in the move
ments of the party would be impossible
Everybody advised come one else to d.
something, and one of the American!
grasped a bottle Of French cognac which
{ rad sustained some of us in our antigua
RAN investigations, and filling a large tum
bier with it's contents persuaded the bitter
individual to take the dose.
CURED OF CoBBA's BITE.
The snake had imbeded his poisonous
fargs in the ankle of the sufferer, and wher
p the wound was examined it showed dsrl
purple discoloration about the size of {
, dime, center by two red spots, no doubt
the places where the teeth of the reptile
had entered. The Hindoo professor wa
the only one who knew what to do ant
how to doit, under the circumstances, anC
he took command at once. The wounded
man was laid upon the ground, and tour
p nequet, made of a silk handkerchief o
one of the ladies WAS placed above hi