Connecticut western news., 1891-09-03
A JACKAl TEMPLE.
A Feast Spread and Homage Done to the
 Animals by Hindoos.

A Feast Spread and Homage Done to the Animals by Hindoos.
 Between six and seven thousand feet
 above the level of the sea in the lower range of the Himalayas, to the north
 of Bareilly, lie the lovely lake and live ly hill station of Naini Tal Besides the
 usual floating population of visitors there is in this earthly paradise large military depot, or hall sanitarium, where officers and soldiers whose health has suffered in the hot plains of Dude and Romlkund are sent up for change of air. One winter day, having been or dered to march a party down to Bareil- ly, and after encamping for the day 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 8 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. 'sIt Is forest temple, sahib," was the answer It sounded quaint, so decided, though rather tired, to go and see. A guide was at hand. and off I 1started, calling to some of the sol diers to come, too, and cautioning them to be silent and do nothing to of fend the natives in any way. After crossing two or three fields we came to a great hedge of bamboos, about 100 yards long and very dense. A narrow and tortuous path pierced this wall, which was about twenty yards thick, and then we found ourselves in an ob- long quadrangle of high bamboos, at one end of which stood & little Hindoo temple.
 It was simple, clay built, white washed building, the tall peaked roof of straw being supported on a few old and massive beams, whose projecting ends were quaintly carved. A flight of six or seven broken stone steps led up to the temple, in front of which hung on a little cross bar a beautiful old bronze bell.
 On either side of the building little TOW of very simply constructed cells or cubicles occupied part of the longer sides of the quadrangle. Before each cell sat priest, naked, save the waistcloth and sacred Brahman string, and busy with the cooking of chupat- ties, of singularly thick and coarse kind.
 The setting sun struck shafts of light through the delicate foliage of the top most bamboo. The priests sat silent and stolid before their fires and cakes. as if ignorant of our presence. Then, as the last rays of the sunset died off 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 to his face and head. It was the chief priest, and he began to toll the bell Very sweet and sonorous was its note The whole glade rang with the sound, the bam- boo feathers seemed to toss in sym pathy, and the now dusky thickets caught up and repeated the solemn tocsin
 Then all the priests arose, as if for vespers, and moved solennly and in dead silence round the quadrangle, bearing with them their huge chupat- ties, which they broke up and depos- ited on stones and old tree trunks and on the steps of the temple. What could it all mean? Just then a rustling sound and a startled exclamation from a soldier behind me made me look down. A jackal, 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, gleaming eyes Simultane- ously from every lane and passage in the darkling thicket came other jackals singly and in pairs and even a whole litter together, and filled the space be- fore the temple.
 Soon the feast was spread and the head priest ceased to toll the bell, and then every jackal on wave of the arm and shout from the chief priest, trotted, without rivalry or snarling or confusion. to what was evidently his allotted place and feast, seized the cake in his jaws, turned and disappeared through the wood. There was no ion ding of the wild animals, no sign of worship of them, no ceremonial noth- ing but this silent, business like al- monry.
 The rite was over, the priestly office performed, and one by one the soldiers moved back to camp. In vain did I fee and question the priests as to the meaning of this bounty. 'Tt had al ways been so," was the answer-the best argument and the most complete raison d'etre for anything in the east r