Temple of Jaggannatha and of the Rat’h-Jatré. 257 
The waste of human life occasioned by pilgrimage, though doubtless very 
melancholy in an unfavourable season and when the Rath festival occurs 
late, has nevertheless been greatly exaggerated. Some old persons come to 
die at Jaggannd(?’ha, and many measure the distance from their homes to 
Jaggannavha by their own length on the ground ; but besides all these vo- 
luntary sufferings, many endure great hardships when travelling, from bad 
food, &c. if they are not well supplied with cash. At Jagganndt(’ha itself 
the poor and indigent pilgrims are extremely well taken care of, and in 
cases of sickness supplied with medical aid, medicines, and food gratis, and 
nothing is left undone by Government to add to their comforts, and secure 
them against the oppressions of their own rapacious priests and Pandits ; 
and I can assure you that the pilgrims are aware of, and greatly thankful 
for the liberality of Government. 
We have some missionaries down here, who, with the Bible in their hand 
and abundance of zeal, walk forth at Jaggannd?’ha and into the neighbouring 
fields and villages, expecting that their well-meant exhortations are to con- 
vert the heathen ; but nothing can be more fallacious than the idea, that a 
Hindu who has travelled a couple of thousand miles from his home to 
worship the idol of Jaggannd?’ha, should become a convert to Christianity 
at that place; and the missionaries might just as well leave this district at 
once, where, after five years zealous labour, not one native has been con- 
verted by them. The practice of a missionary haranguing a mob in a public 
street is, in my humble opinion, one of the worst modes of teaching and 
converting that could possibly be adopted. I have, however, heard these 
very same Baptist missionaries assert, that the natives do collect and listen 
with the most apparent interest and greatest attention; but so I realiy be- 
lieve they would to any stranger on any other subject, for you are aware 
that the natives in general possess great curiosity, and a vast deal of what is 
commonly called good nature. ‘These same missionaries further state, that 
the natives receive their religious tracts or pamphlets with thanks ; but so 
they would receive any other paper, for they are the most inquisitive race 
upon earth, and, from my acquaintance with the native character, I cannot 
after all infer, from their listening to the one and receiving tbe other, that. 
they are one iota nearer to Christianity. The natives in general are great 
idlers, especially the pilgrims at Jagganndt’ha, who have no occupation 
there but to worship the idol, and would for the sake of gossiping, of which 
they are immoderately fond, run after, visit, and listen to any missionary ; 
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