INDIA. 341 



if the census taker of Jaipur keeps his ears ready and 

 his eyes open, he has no difficulty in keeping track of 

 the increase of the population. 



FEAST OF THE NEW MOON. 



As I was elbowing my way through the crowded 

 streets of Jaipur, on Sunday evening, soon after sun- 

 down, I saw thousands of eyes looking in the direction 

 in which the scorching sun had so recently disappeared. 

 I was told that it was the feast of the new moon. It 

 was a long time before I could see the goddess that 

 was the object of worship that evening. I finally could 

 make out the faintest outlines of a pale little sickle — 

 it was the new moon. A great procession formed in 

 honor of the event, headed by a native band, a gaudily 

 caparisoned elephant, a squad of police, and followed 

 by a company of native soldiers. The moon is held in 

 high esteem as a goddess by both Brahmins and Bud- 

 dhists, and the new moon is always greeted with joy 

 and heralded by a religious procession. 



A FAITHFUL ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST. 



At Abu Road a gentleman, plainly dressed, with full 

 beard well peppered with gray, entered my compart- 

 ment and at once entered into a lively conversation. 

 He spoke English as it is spoken in England and I took 

 him for an Englishman, probably an employe in the 

 civil service. In removing his cheap gray helmet I 

 noticed that the top of his head as large as the palm 

 of the hand was shaved. There was now no doubt in 

 my mind concerning the vocation of my new compan- 

 ion. He informed me that he was a Roman Catholic 

 priest, and furthermore, that he was a native of Switzer- 

 land, had been in India since he entered the priesthood 

 26 years ago, and that for eight years he had served as 

 chaplain in the army, and was now on his way to visit 

 a detachment of troops at Ahemabad. It further de- 

 veloped that our birthplaces in Switzerland were not 



