The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1890-11-07
a llAQKAL. TEMPLE.
N Feast Spread and Homage Dono 70 tho
Arjimnls by lIindoos. /. & 3

lH ~
X Between dix and seven thousand feet
above the ls}yols OF tho son In tllo lower
rango of I'll SInalayas, to tho north
of BarciMy, rs aloyelys lako and i've
lyghIll.Dtssti6t VI Mint ,ral.: Besides the
usual floatipg population Of visitors
there isin this earthly paradise a large
military ldopPt Or hall sanitarium, where
officers and soldiers whose health has
suffered In thoihot plnins of Oudo and
5Rohilisund tire sont up for q ohango OF
air One Winter day, having been Or
sdorcd to mnfcli Il party down to Beroil,5
", and d afteff encalnping for tho day :
started ont shoot francolin md hnres,
which VII arc Yery plentiful In tho ncigh.
lD)orllood. J before IBtarted my servant,
nm ~ iintelligeht lIintloo Of highor caste
than usual, Begged mo to return before
sunset, rs there 5was q curious Tam
.assiila, !" tho general expression In India
Tor Il my shdW 3or spectacle, to DO seen
near canpss
llialf M hPur before sunset ! returned
md asked my servant what tile ''Tulna.
sl'e sh'e" was 1T Is q forest temple, sahib,'a
was tho answer. It sounded quaint
SO decided though rather tired, to nc
and Soc a, guide was at hand. and on
! started cs}lling to ssolllc of the sol,
diers to c1inc, too, and cautlonine
them to be silent and do nothing to Of.
fcnd the natives in any way. After
crossing two or three fields ,yo canio to
u great hedge OF bamboos, about 100
yards long '|nd very denso. a narrow
md tofhlols path pierced this wall,
which lgas ;nbouC twenty yards thick.
and then w1found ourselves In MI o,,.
long quadrangle Of high ba,nboos, at
ono end of which stood a littlo IIirldoo
temple t
ga4 It was aEsl,nplo, clay built, white
wasllcd building, tho tall peaked roof
Of straw bolig supported on a few o.
nnd nMsslvp beams, whose projecting
onds wore qlaintly carved. A fligi,t of
Bix or scvcni broken stone steps lp,l up
to tho temple, in front Of whic., hung
on u littlo cross bar u beautiful old
bronze bell.
On either sido of tho building u little
row OF very simply constructed cells Or
cubiclcs ocpupicd palt Of the longer
sides Of the}quadranglo. Before each
cell sat a priest, naked, save the
waistcloth end sacred Brahman string,
and busy With the cooking Of chupat-
ties, OF aa S(iigulnrly thick md coarse
kind. ss
Iflo settihg struck shafts Of light
through tll{ delicate foliage Of tale top.
most bamtoo Tho priests sat silont
and stolid feforo their fires and cakes.
as # ignoraft of our presence. Then,
as the last rays of tho sunset died of
the featheilb$ Of the mighty hedge
round us, ta.,%s3Fo Issued from tho temple
q man OF %<trame age, clad in white
robes, and dsosely shaven as to Ills face
and liead. IL was the chief priest, and
lle began toNoll tho bell. Very sweet
and sonorosR was its note. Tho whole
glade rang With tho sound, the BAN
boo feathers seemed to toss In sym.
patty, alndl1t.io now dus!sy thicllots
caught up IIand repeated tho solemn
tocsin. * ID .Sg5 n 4 B y 4. "a S
,rhcn3ail., Eilo. priests arose, as If for
$yespearss, @. I moved solelnnly and In
dead sllerSs !. round the quadrangle, 4
bearing y NJ hem their hugo clupat-.
ties Wlllsicl.they broke mp and depos,
tied on STONES and Old stfee trunks ind
OH tho stops Of the temple. What
could 1t oil mean? Just. then a rustlinR
sound and d startled exclamation from
a soldier behind mo made mo look
down. Al jaclkal, big and plump,
brushed past my leg, with an upward
curl Of his lips and IN upward look OF
surprise and resentment In tho red
bronze, cleaning eyesl Simultanc
ously from every lnno and passage in
the darkling thickot cano other jackals,
singly md in pairs and oven a whole
litter together and filled tho space DO.
foro the temple.
Soon the feast was spread and the
head priest ceased to toll tho bell, and
then every jackal, on a wave of the
arm and n shout from the cliief priest,
trotted, without rivalry or snarling or
confusion. to what was evidently his
allotted place and feast, seized tho cake
: In his jaws, turned and disappeared
through thp wood. There was no fon.
ding Of the wild animals, no Sign Of
worship Of them, no ceremonial, moth
Ing but tlis silent, business liko al
monry.
Tho rite wns over, tho prlestly Office
performedy and one by ono the soldiers
moved beck to camp. In vain did i
fec and Question the priests as to the
meaning Of this bounty. .It had al
weys been 30, :. waa the answer tho
best ARGUMENT and the most complete
raison d'otFe for anything in tho cast. ~
London Graphic.
Stat,ley's Aust rian Admiror. 4