TEMPLE OF JUGGERNAUT. 489 



continued equable for a few minutes, and then gradually died away. 

 After a short interval of silence, amurmer was heard at a distance; 

 all eyes were turned towards the place, and, behold, a grove ad. 

 vancing. A body of men, having green branches, or palms, in 

 their hands, approached with great celerity. The people opened 

 a way for them ; and when they had come up to the throne, they 

 fell down before him that sat thereon, and worshipped. And the 

 multitude again sent forth a voice ' like the sound of a great thun. 

 der.' But the voices I now heard, were not those of melody or of 

 joyful acclamation ; for there is no harmony in the praise of Mo- 

 loch's worshippers. Their number indeed brought to my mind the 

 countless multitude of the Revelations ; but their voices gave no 

 tuneful Hosanna or Hallelujah ; but rather a yell of approbation, 

 united with a kind of hissing applause.* I was at a loss how to ac- 

 count for this latter noise, until I was directed to notice the wo. 

 men ; who emitted a sound like that of whistling, with the lips 

 circular and the tongue vibrating : as if a serpent would, speak by 

 their organs, uttering human sounds." 



" The throne of the idol was placed on a stupendous car or 

 tower about sixty feet in height,, resting on wheels which indented 

 the ground deeply, as they turned slowly under the ponderous 

 machine. Attached to it were six cables, of the size and length of 

 a ship's cable, by which the people drew it along. Thousands of 

 men, women, and children pulled by each cable, crowding so 

 closely, that some could only use one hand. Infants are made to 

 exert their strength in this office, for it is accounted a merit of 

 righteousness to move the god. Upon the tower were the priests 

 and satalites of the idol, surrounding his throne. I was told that 

 there were about a hundred and twenty persons upon the car alto- 

 gether. The idol is a block of wood, having a frightful visage 

 painted black, with a distended mouth of a bloody colour. His 

 arms are of gold, and he is dressed in gorgeous apparel. The 

 other two idols are of a white and yellow colour. Five elephants 

 preceded the three towers, bearing towering flags, dressed in crim. 

 ion caparisons, and having bells hanging to their caparisons, which 

 founded musically as they moved." 



*' I went on in the procession, close by the tower of Moloch 

 which, as it was drawn with difficulty, ' grated on its many 



>-. 

 See Milton'i Pandemonium, Book X. 



