490 TEMPLE OF JUGGERNAUT. 



wheels harsh thunder*.' After a few minutes it stopped ; and 

 now the worshi of the god begnn. A hLli priest mounted tin 

 car in front of the idol, and pronounced his obscene stanzas in (lie 

 ars of the people ; who responded at intervals in the same strain. 

 ' These songs/ said he, * are the delight of the god. His car can 

 * only more when he is pleased with the song.' The car moved 

 on a little way and then stopped. A boy of about twelve y<ars 

 was then brought forth to attempt something yet more lascivious, if 

 peradventure the god would move. The * child perfected the 

 praise' of his idol with such ardent expression and gesture, that 

 the god was pleased, and. the multitude, emitting a sensual yell of 

 delight, urged the car along. After a few minutes it stopped 

 again. An aged minister of the idol then Srtood up, and with a 

 long rod in his hand, which he moved wkh indecent action, com. 

 pleted the variety of this disgusting exhibition. I felt a conscious, 

 ness of doing wrong in witnessing it. I was also somewhat ap. 

 palled at the magnitude and horror of the spectacle ; I felt like a 

 guilty person on whom all eyes were fixed, and I was about to 

 withdraw. But a scene of a different kind was now to be pre. 

 sented. The characteristic of Moloch's worship are obscenity and 

 blood. \Ve have seen the former. Now comes the blood. 



" After the tower had proceeded some way, a pilgrim an. 

 nounced that he was ready to oiler himself a sacrifice to the idol. 

 He laid himself down in the road before the tower as it was mov- 

 ing along, lying on his face, with his arms stretched forwards. 

 The multitude passed round him, leaving the space clear, and he 

 was crushed to death by the wheels of the tower. A sliout of joy 

 was raised to the god. He is said to smile when the libation of 



Two of the military gentlemen had mounted my elephant that they might 

 witness the spectacle while I walked, and had brought him close to the lower; 

 but the moment it began to move, the animal, alarmed at the unusual noise, 

 took fright and ran off through the crowd till In- wa-. stop! by a wall. The na- 

 tural fear of the elephant, Irst he should injure human life, w;i< remarkably 

 exemplified on this occasiop. Though the crowd was very closely set, he en- 

 deavoured, in tin- midst of his own (error, to throw the people off, on both 

 ides, with his feet, and it was found that he had only trod upon one person. 

 It was with great concern I afterwards learnt, that this was a poor woman, 

 and that the fleshy part of her leg had been torn off. There being no medical 

 person here, lieutenant Woodcock, with great humanity, endeavoured to dress 

 the wound, and attended her daily ; and Mr. Hunter ordered her to be supplied, 

 with every thing that might conduce to her recovery. 



