Dr. Waurrex’s Description of a Jétra near Strat. 373 
yajna or sacrifice, as a previous step to attempting her recovery by force of 
arms. At this time he had arrived at the village of Anadipura pattan, (now 
called Anaval, (a cés from the wells), in searchof his wife. The want of 
Brahmans to officiate at the yajna obliged him to send his Duta (envoy) 
Hanu™an to the banks of the Ganga, for a supply of the holy ministers. 
These on being summoned objected to emigrate, as they would be deprived of 
the sacred water, but their scruples were removed by the princely messenger, 
who insisted on his master’s power to supply the deficiency, or create a 
substitute. On the arrival of 18,000 of them (miraculously transported by 
HanumAy) and their asking for the means of ablution, RAma let fly an 
arrow on the ground, and the production of the hot springs was the im- 
mediate effect. He further excited their astonishment at the phenomenon, 
by alleging that a peculiar snake (Sésha Naga) communicated the heat by his 
breath. The Purdna adds, that on the Brihmans refusing the offer of a 
pecuniary reward for their services, the god, being filled with wrath, pro- 
nounced their permanent doom to till the ground and live by the sweat of 
their brow, and accordingly to this day they practise their agricultural 
labours, as well as persist in refusing benefactions from any quarter. They 
are denominated the Bhdiéla tribe, and do honour to their religion by their 
industry and diligence. 
They indeed holdan inferior rank tothe other Brihmanical tribes, and agree- 
ably to Hind& etiquette the estimation in which they are held is proportion- 
ably less, but as this inferiority arises only from the omission of certain cere- 
monies, and their ignorance of the S'éséra, it is rather artificial than essential, 
and their general probity and application to agricultural pursuits entitle 
them, in the eye of reason, to a very elevated rank in the scale of civilized 
communities. Their humble labours are the source of life and comfort to 
their lordly namesakes of the sacerdotal class, who have only the privilege 
of idleness, and the arbitrary pretensions of prescriptive custom, to oppose 
to such substantial merit. It is true that they do not observe the pre- 
liminary ablutions before every meal, and have recourse to the bath only 
once a day, which they find fully adequate for all the purposes of health and 
cleanliness. Like Caro of old also, they do not think the practice of the 
severer virtues can be injured by the moderate excitement of vinous 
beverage, and to this they add the forbidden inhalation of the fumes of 
tobacco. They are rarely found to the northward of the Narbada, or to 
the southward of Gandavi ; and they are most numerous as we recede from 
