Year: 1878

A correspondent of the New York
W0rM writes as follows concerning Be-
mares:


From Delhi we went to Benares, the
sacred city Of the Hindoos. On arriv-
ing at the station we found it was a
three mile drive from there to the hotel.
We crossed on our way the Ganges, a
broad, muddy river, with low, sandy
plains on one side and on the other the
long line of palaces and temples coming
close to the waters edge and giving up
on the river by broad flights of steps,
AS we were driving over the bridge of
boats, flight of birds, lowering about
a part of the river, near the middle and
hundred yards from the bridge, ever
and again making plunge into the
water, attracted our attention, and as
we came nearer we saw the occasional
CLINT of the fin of fish close to a dark
object floating down stream. Approach
ing still nearer, one could clearly see
that this was the body of man, that of
an outcast; otherwise the ashes only
would have found their way to the river.
Comfortably settled in the hotel, we
were offered fish from the Ganges for
dinner!


A Amore interesting place than BenareS
l have not seen in India. The birth
place of Boodism-like Jerusalem, where
there are comparatively few Christians
has scarcely any remnants of the
purer sect, There are a few ruined
temples, and perhaps some followers,
but the mass of the people here are Hin
docs. A few Mohammedans and bare
ly 200 Christians are found in the pop
ulation of over 200, 900. Three thous-
and temples or shrines are scattered
through the narrow, dirty streets. The
Golden Temple, badly situated and
dirty, suffers by comparison with that at
Umritsr. The Monkey Temple is in
teresting enough to merit visit. 1t is
built of brown stone; a double row of
pillars support the roof OF gallery run
ming round the shrine of the monkey
god, and swarming inside and out with
hundreds of monkeys. On the trees, in
the courts, in the street, everywhere,
are monkeys. Purchasing a supply of
grain, you enter and begin scattering it
about. Soon the direct descendants of
the immediate forefathers of the human
race collect about us, and chatter, and
scream, and fight in most idiotically
human manner. Some bolder than the
rest will take it from the hand; others
look wisely on but keep dignifed dis
tance. A goat and dog enter to dis
pute the food with the sacred animals,
and a general squabble ensues. The
grain being exhausted we go. The fact
that the monkey is sacred animal and
that he abounds in Benares, affords the
means of inficting very serious injury
when one neighbor has grudge against
another. A quantity of grain scattered
on the roof of mans house, in his gar
den, on the doorstep, in the house, and
about it in the streets, attracts a swarm
of monkeys, the garden is uprooted, the
roof is torn to pieces, the victim and his
family are beset by the pests; and woe
betide him should he injure one of these
sacred but unwelcome visitors.


l doubt if in the whole world there is
another sight like the banks of the Gam
ges at Benares of a morning. Slowly
moving up and down the river in boat,
one sees thousands of people of every
age and both sexes washing themselves,
their clothes, and utensils. The broad
steps Of the palaces, leading down to
the waters edge, are alive with Hindoos
engaged in part of their daily worship.
The Brahmin, seated under large UNI
brella, is ready to paint the washed de-
votee with the mark of his caste, or to
allow some wealthy mans servant to
carry to his master for their breakfast or
ablutions the water in which he had just
bathed his holy feet. On platforms en-
tending into the water from the steps
men sit and pray with outstretched hands