IN THE EAST INDIES. 63 
them up (luckily). I cannot get used to seeing 
flocks of parrots flying about. Mr. Palmer is plan- 
ning some sort of hunting trip for Tom; he is doing 
everything for us and is just as nice as he can be. 
Give my love to every one, 
Rosamond, 
Tom sends love to all. 
101, Garden Reach, Calcutta, November 18. 
Dear Mrs. Barbour: 
We left Lucknow fer Benares on Wednesday 
evening and, after a very shaky trip on the train, ar- 
rived at Benares on Thursday morning at eight 0” 
elock. We had ‘‘chotoe hazri’’ (tea and toast) and 
then drove out to the Ganges river about half an 
hour or so from the hotel. Benares really is the 
most filthy place you could imagine, but it was very 
interesting. It is the oldest religious capital of India 
and over a million Hindu pilgrims come here every 
year to bathe in this sacred river and bury or rather 
throw their dead into it. We took a native boat and 
were rowed along the whole river frontage where 
we saw crowds of people bathing in and drinking 
this vile water. The town is full of funerals as people 
bring their sick to die near the Holy River and then 
throw them into it. The river is better imagined 
than described really, but I am delighted we saw it. 
Along the banks are temples swarming with people 
and animals (sacred cows and goats, ete.) ; every 
now and then we heard a gong ring and this we were 
told meant that some one was praying to the god. 
They ring the bell first to attract the god’s attention 
