The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-16
SAILORS OF BRITISH srEAMaRs.
An Interesting Description OF Some
of Them.

An Interesting Description OF Some
Of Them.
s. s. DzRAMoRE, SAVANNAH, Nov. a.
Editor Morning NeiCs: In Saturdays
MORNING NEWS you have an interesting
manned nowadays. Reference is made tC
the so-calIed "Hindoon crew OF the Iran.
Her crew are certainly natives Of Hindo-
stan. or India THE modern way of spelling
This is Hindustanl. British India has q
population Of about 270.000,00O, of whom
f44OOO. 600 are Hindus, Mohammedans
20 600 900, Buddhists $500, 600, Sikhs IA
Hindu sect 1850, 900, native Christians
about l ,OOO, 900, and Parsees about 72,OQO
These are the leading religious sects.
The Hindus do not go 20 sea- Brahman-
ism is their religion, called after a
sacerdotRl caste known as the Brahmans
from Brahma, a potent prayer. II is
founded on the ancient religious writings
known as the Vedas, held as sacred revela-
tons, of which the Brahmans became
custodians and interpreters, also priests.
The sanctity Of Brahman is maintained
by severe penalties. He has right TO aims.
70 exemption from taxes. and from capital
or even corporal punishment. Flesh and
eggs he is not allowed TO touch or eat. The
necessity for the publication Of the soul IN
gave rise to the doctrine of "trausmigra-
ton of souls" This philosophical develop
nent Of Brahmanism gave rise to a distinct
separation between the educated and IN
educated.
Five centuries B. G. the higher thinkers
amongst the Brahmans were developing a
philosophy, which recognized one God,
whilst the popular creed had a trinity
Brahma, Vishnu and silva.
l,ab toblv n..Ik{uaka1 &. 4.
pure theist, and the educated Hindu, ia
general, processes to regard the special
deity he chooses for worship as merely q
form under which the one first cause may
be approached.
Unfortunately there is wide difference
between the educated Brahmans and the
majority, who are grossly ignorant, and
modern Hinduism is mixed up with degrad-
ing supsrstitions. Suffice, or the burning
of widows, has no authority in the Veda.
Caste originally represented distinctions
OF race, but inter-marriages, giving rise to
a mixed progeny, and the variety Of en-
Payments in modern times. have modified
this simple classification. Among the
Brshmans alone now there are several hun
dred castles. who cannot inter-marry, or eat
food cooked by each other.
The Brahmans represent the highest cult
ure OF India, and as the result OF centuries
VA duu udV6 eVOlV6Q
q type of man distinctly superior to the
castles around them.
1t will be seen from this account how
difficult it would be for high caste Hindu
TO serve as sailor on board ship. As a
matter Of fact. the Indian sailor, commonly
called Lascar by Europeans, is always
a Mohammedan, and is bonn and reared
on the coasts of India. Many Brahmans
however, like the Parsees, have finished
their education in Great Britain, aud be-
come lawyers aud doctors, and attained
high positions In their native land. Some
are in the civil service of the Indian gov.
eminent. They are a handsome race,
though dark, but are not powerfully built
or muscular. Their women, when young,
are very beautiful and have most graceful
figures.
Buddhism prevails IN Ceylon, Burmah.
Slam, China, Java and Japan, etc., and its
adherents are said TO comprise about third
OF the human race. The Eve fundamental
precepts of the Buddhist moral code are,
not to kill, not TO steal, not to commit
adultery, not to lie and not to give way to
drunkenness. It would however, take too
much space to give an account Of this relig-
ion, and Of the interesting people who fol-
low it. There are many different languages
spoken in India. J. g. GREIG,
s. 8. Deamore