Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-09-18
4 JACkAl TEMPLE.
A Feast Spread and Homage Done to the
Animal, by Hindoos.

Between six and seven thousand feet
above the level of the sea in the lower
range of the H~imalayas, to the north
of Bareilly. lie the lovely lake and live
ly hill station Of Naini Tai. Besides the
usual floating population of visitors
there is ia this earthly paradise a large
military depot, or hall sanitarium, where
officers and soldiers whose health has
suffered in the hot plains OF Dude and
Rohilkund are sent up for a change of
air. One winter day, having been or
dered TO march a party down 10 Barcil-
ly, and after encamping for the day l
started out to shoot francolin and hares,
which are very plentiful in the neigh
borhood. Before | started my servant,
an intelligent Hindoo of higher caste
than usual, begged me to return before
sunset, as there was a curious Tam
asha, the general expression in India
for any show or spectacle, To be seen
near camp.
Half an hour before sunset | returned
and asked my servant what the ''Tama-
sha" was. 1T is forest temple, sahib,"
was the answer. 1t sounded quaint,
SO decided, though rather tired, to 20
and see. \ guide was at hand. and off
i started. calling 10 some Of the sol.
diers Ia come, too, and cautioning
them to be silent and do nothing To Of
fend the natives in any way. After
crossing two OF three fields We came To
a great hedge OF baInboos, about 100
yards long and very dense. 4 narrow
and tortuous path pierced this wall,
which wa about twenty yards thick,
and then we found ourselves in an OBJ
long quadrangle of high bainboos, at
one end of which stood a little Hindoo
temple.
Ii was a simple, clay built, white
washed building the tall peaked roof
of straw being supported on a few old
and massive be.In whose projecting
ends were quantity carved. :. flight of
six or seven broker stone steps lei up
TO the temple, in front of which hung
oil a little cross bar a beautiful old
bronze bell.
On either side # the building Il little
row Of very simply constructed cells or
cubicles occupied part of the longer
sides of the quadrangle. Before each
cell sat "A priest. naked. save the
waistcluth and sacred Brahman string,
and busy with the cooking of chupat-
ties, of "A singularly thick and coarse
kind.
The setting sun struck shafts Of light
through the delicate foliage Of the top
most bamboo. The priests sal silent
and stolid before their fires and cakes.
as If ignorant of our presence. Then,
as the last rays Of the sunset died oil
The feathers Of the mighty hedge
round us. there issued from the temple
a man of extreme age, clad in white
robes, and closely shaven as 10 his face
and head. IL vas the chief priest, and
he began to toll the bell. Very sweet
and sonorous wa its note. The whole
glade rang with the sound, the bam-
boo feathers seemed to toss in SYM
patty, and the now dusky thickets
caught up and repeated the solemn
tocsin.
Then all the priests arose, as il for
vespers, and moved solemnly and in
dead silence round the quadrangle,
bearing with them their huge chupat-
ties, which they broke up and depos-
tied on stones and old tree trunks and
Oh the steps Of the temple. What
could it all mean! Just then a rustling
sound and a startled exclamation from
a soldier behind ne made me look
down. \ iacaal, big and plump,
brushed past my leg, with an upward
curl Of his lips and an upward look of
surprise and resentment IN the red
bronze, cleaning eyes. Simultane-
ously from every lane and passage in
the darkiiug thickot canc other iackals,
singly and In pairs and even O whole
litter together, and filed the space be-
fore tine temple.
Soon the feast was spread and the
head priest ceasel 10 toll the bell. and
then every Iackal, on a wave Of the
ann and a shout from the chic. priest,
trortcd, without rivalry or snarling or
confusion, 10 what was evidently his
allotted place and feast, seized the cake
In his jaws, turned and disappeared
through the wood. There was no fon-
ding Of the wild animals, no sign Of
worship Of them, no ceremonial. Moth
ing but this silent, business like al
monry.
The rite was over, the priestIy office
performed and one by one the soldiers
moved back 10 camp. Ia vain did 1
fee and question the priests a. - the
meaning Of this bounty 1T had al
ways UesD 20 was the Guswer-the
best argument and the most complete
raison d'etre Tor anything in the east
London Graphic.
Staulsl's Austrian AdmIrsr.
One day uu Austrian enthusiast call
al and sNrf In a rBIifH HgYa r.kit.s