PAKASNATH 241 



^ach with multitudes of little cross-legged Boodhs. My mind 

 ras at once carried back to Adam's Peak in Ceylon, and the 

 ligh places of the N. of India, where Boodhism and not 

 [induism prevails, where the less impure form of Heathen 

 rorship has taken refuge. Idol worship as it is, it was 

 ratifying to find it taking possession of this lovely spot, to 

 le exclusion of the abominations of Brahminism, which 

 lock the eye as much as the senses. 



The three weeks' leisurely sail down the river had a double ad- 

 vantage. He could stop where he would to see things of interest, 

 such as the manufacture of rose-water at Ghazipore or the opium 

 works at Patna ; and he had time, most grievously needed, 

 to write up his notes, journal, and correspondence, though 

 the boat, externally very Kke a floating haystack or thatched 

 cottage, internally became too much of a Noah's Ark for his 

 liking, what with rats that mounted the table and stared him 

 in the face, cockroaches of indomitable courage which ' take 

 the crumbs off the side of my plate with the familiarity of Eobin 

 Eedbreast, withdrawing but not retreating on my remon- 

 strating,' and insects in swarms from mosquitos to the flying 

 bug, which is no better than a winged skunk in fetto, not to 

 mention centipedes and monstrous spiders, a hand's spread 

 across, darting about as if they had seven-leagued boots on 

 each of their eight legs. 



For the Kew Museum he was indefatigable in collecting 

 vegetable products used in the arts, notably a pair of smelting 

 bellows made entirely of leaves, and all the gums and drugs 

 procurable, with the Hindu name transliterated, whenever 

 possible, in English and Persian characters. With 250 of 

 these already in hand he exclaims : 



The number of things still to be got at every market is 

 infinite : and I shall go on amassing ; but I have been only 

 two months here now, and cannot bargain properly — ^it also 

 takes a great deal of time. 



This was not merely the passion for collecting ; it had a 

 very practical bearing, and the view of Hooker's work is incom- 

 plete without remembering that the practical applications of 

 his science were as interesting to him as pure research. And 



t 



