342 AROUND THE WORLD VIA INDIA. 



far apart. It was a strange coincidence that I should 

 find here in the wilds of India a countryman whose 

 cradle was so near to mine. Eev. B. Jost, S.J.R.C.. 

 chaplain, has spent his whole professional life in India 

 as a missionary and chaplain. He has never taken a 

 vacation. He has seen the horrors of famine and the 

 ravages of cholera, and other devastating epidemic 

 diseases and has but once left his post when, stricken 

 by fever and dysentery, his physician insisted on his 

 being taken to Bombay to save his life. He was ten- 

 derly nursed by his brother priests, who for a long time 

 had no hope that he would recover. His vigorous Helve- 

 tian constitution and determined will triumphed. He 

 recovered and at once returned to his station. During 

 the last famine, which extended over four years, he 

 spent the money sent to him by friends in buying food, 

 and dealt out rice and peas with his own hands during 

 the hottest months of the year and was the means of 

 saving 600 lives from starvation. He had exposed him- 

 self to all kinds of privations and dangers. In one day 

 he dispatched four of the most deadly vipers in his 

 yard and bungalow. All honor to such a brave, faith- 

 ful servant of the Boman Catholic church. 



"Calamity is an opportunity to show one's 

 virtue." — Seneca. 



"Fire tries gold, misery tries brave men." — 

 Ibid. 



ELEPHANTA CAVES. 



The most interesting place I visited during my stay 

 at Bombay was the Cave Temple in Elephanta Island, 

 one hour and a half by sailboat from the city. The ele- 

 phant's island is about three miles in circumference, is 

 forest-clad and interlaced with a very pretty creeper, 

 which blossoms more than half of the year. The caves 

 which in reality are a large Brahmin cave temple, are, 

 according to Hindu tradition, 4,000 years old. There 

 are five caves, but the one usually visited is the Great 

 Cave, which is located about 250 feet above the level 



