INDIA. 319 



deal of useful gum. The blossoms are much sought 

 by honey bees, as their pollen is rich in honey-produc- 

 ing material. 



BKNAUES MONKEY TEMPLE. 



Among the many things which interest the traveler 

 at Benares is the Monkey Temple. Within the walled 

 enclosure surrounding the temple is an immense tank 

 which collects the rainwater. From the tank a series 

 of wide stone steps lead to the famous temple. On 

 entering the temple, we were met by the chief priest, 

 Sree Swayam Prakashhashanand Maithila Auland Bag. 

 the successor of the Benares saint recently deceased. 

 His dress did not indicate his high Brahmin position. 

 It consisted of a loin cloth and a few yards of yellow 

 calico with which to obscure the left arm and a very 

 limited part of the chest. His short-cropped, grizzly 

 hair and beard did not add much to his clerical appear- 

 ance. 



The moment we entered half a dozen young priests 

 who surrounded him howled at the top of their voices. 

 "How, how, how." I thought I had committed a blunder 

 by entering the sanctuary in my mud-stained shoes. 

 This was not the case. It was a priestly greeting and 

 a call for the monkeys, which came running from all 

 directions, knowing well that the call meant the ar- 

 rival of a stranger who would be willing to part with 

 a few small silver coins, with some of which the good 

 priests would buy food for them which they expected 

 to eat in the presence of the visitor. They had cal- 

 culated right; their expectations were realized. These 

 miserable, treacherous, thievish, filthy beasts occupy a 

 high position as objects of worship by the Hindus. To 

 maltreat a monkey constitutes, in their estimation, a 

 greater crime than the killing of a coolie. The mon- 

 keys in this temple are the same as herds of monkeys 

 in and all around Jaipur. They are very large, gray, 

 with black faces, and tails as long and thick as 



