Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-19
THE CITY FROM THE RIVER.

The eliminating sight Of Benares is the piano.
rama Of the city from the Ganges when the
people are bathing We made our arrange
ments the evening before, and early in the
morning. soon after sunrise. drove to the river,
where a native boat, provided with easy chairs,
awaited our coming, We floated slowly down
with the current and had an excellent oppor-
tunity of beholding the city from the river. All
about us were canoes and sailing vessels. with
high, pointed prows and wide sterns, slender
masts, bamboo yards and sails of India mating.
Stately stone steps called .'ghats" led down to
the banks OF the river, and thousands
Of the natives, old and young, were
bathing in the stream. Bathing is a
religious rite. To erect CHAT by
which worshipers can reach the sacred stream,
Is regarded as a meritorious act which the
gods will remember and reward. The crowd
which we approached was very large. Old men
were scrubbing their hands and faces, cleans
ing their mouths and washing their boards;
mothers were sOusing their babies and scrub
bling them well with sacred mud Others,
laughing and chatting, were swimming ABOUT
in the water. Here youth. beauty and fashion
alike make it a resort, and human nature mani
tests itself much the same by the flowing
Ganges a. BY the seaside at Newport or Bar
Harbor.
We passed the place where the bodies of the
dead are burned. After being cremated, or
partly 30, they are cast into the stream to be
borne out to the ocean, 60 the spirit Of the de-
parted floats upon the eternal tide until abb
sorbed forever into tine self-existing Brahma
Tor more likely into the open mouth Of some
hungry crocodile).
THE VIEW ALONG THE BANK
10 most imposing. Grand palaces erected by
princes and rajahs who wished to spend their
last days near the sacred stream line the shore.
Further down, however, We passed the city
and were in the suburbs amid groves and gard
ems and native villages. Around one point Of
land which we turned the water was alive with
crocodiies, which were basking in the sun or
sporting in the stream. At other times as We
drlfted along under the shady palms and in
hailed the sweet perfume of jasmines, honey
suckies and magnolias, the scene was very
beautiful White pagodas arose about the
green foliage and grass-thatched huts lined the
banks.
SNAKE AND SCORPION CHARMERs.
One morning we were awakened by the beat
ing Of drum under our window and upon
looking out beheld two natives making low
salaams. They were snake charmers The
tailest one had large boa constructor wound
about his neck and upon each arm Was a
coiled snake Of a greenish hue, one Of which
glided to the ground. wriggled between the
mans legs and advanced to make our acauaint-
ance, but turned back at the voice Of his mas
ter The man then set down an earthen Jar,
from which two cobras raised their hooded
heads and Kissed at Us. At whisper they
erepf ont OF the vessel and worked themselves
into fierce rage under the tormenting of the
showmen. The other native had an earthen
vessel filled with scorpions. They were as
tractable as trained mice and chung to his
fingers and crept over his chest. He hung
them upon his ears and played all manner OF
tricks with them, and at one time his chest,
arms and shoulders were one mass Of these
hairy creatures.
GOLDEN PAGoDAs.
One Of the most interesting things in Benares
Is the court Of Biseswara or the golden paeoda
Of the holy bull. The gateway, once glittering
with precious stones. is now dcspoiied Of its
riches. but the dome-like roof is surmounted
by four tall minarets, and the roof. minarets
and spires are overlaid with the purest gold
Tine Una Poorena is larger than the golden
pagoda, lees costly, but more imposing. The
idol which it contains is q female figure with
four arms and il a favorite with the women.
MoHAMMEDAS MOSQUE.
Another interesting edifce is the Madoo-rai-
ke-dharars, Mohammedan mosque with two
slender white minarets which rise 225 feet from
the ground. Before my cousin and myself
started for Jubbulpore, via Allahabad, We
climbed the winding stairs Ct one Of these min
srets and looked out upon the most charming
its red tiled roofs and clusters Of tufted palms.
The court Of Bisewara with its roof OF bur-
nished gold dazed our eyes with it's brightness.
Nearly directly below us the sacred Gauges
rolled its way, while away to the northeast we
caught the Outline Of the Himalsyas towering
In unapproachable grandeur. This, together
with the hum Of thousands Of voices, the
tramping Of feet and the general hubbub Of
tho street. made up a scene which, to say the
least was truly oriental