OF THE AUSTRALASIAN ISLANDS. 495 



The Moral has since been found in the Sandwich Islands, and in 

 almost all the various groups which belong to Australasia ; but in 

 Otaht'ile we meet with it in its most extensive and celebrated form. 

 In this island it consists of a pile of stone raised pyramidically upon 

 an oblong base or square two hundred and sixty. seven feet long, 

 and eighty .seven wide. On each side is a (light of steps ; those at 

 the sides being broader than those at the ends; so that it termi- 

 nated not in a square of the same figure with the base, but in a 

 ridge like the roof of a house. There were ekvon of these stepi 

 to one of the morais, each of which was four feet high, so that the 

 height of the pile was forty-four feet ; each step was formed o! one 

 course of white coral stone, which was neaily squared and po. 

 lished ; the rest of the mass (for there was no hollow within) con. 



ever, were over ruled in this proceeding by a superior authority, which thought 

 it sufficient to acquiesce generally in what the Bengal government, in their above- 

 mentioned letter of the 16th May, 1800, proposed should be done. 



By the same superior authority another dispatch was substituted to that effect, 

 in which it was stated, that as the tax on pilgrims resorting to Allahabad and 

 Juggernaut, was established during the Nawaub's and the Mahratta government, 

 three did not appear to be any objecton to its continuance under the British 

 govern ment. 



This substituted dispatch went, as the law directs, in the name of the Curt of 

 Directors, although it was in opposition to their sentiments. But, before it ar- 

 rived in Bengal, the government there had passed, by their own authority, the 

 regulation of April, 1609. 



That part of the province of Orissa, which contains the Temple of Jusger- 

 naut, first became subject to t!-c British Empire under the administration o f 

 Marquis Wellesley, who permitted the pilgrims at first to visit Juggernaut with- 

 out paying tribute. It was proposed to his lordship, soon after, to pass the regu- 

 lation first above-mentioned for the management of the temple, and levying the 

 tax ; but he did not approve of it, and actually left the government u ithout 

 giving his sanction to the opprobrious law. When the measure was discussed by 

 the succeeding government, it was resisted by < eorge Udney, Esq. one of the 

 members of t::e Supreme Council, who recorded his solemn dissent on the pro- 

 ceedings of government, for transmission to England. The other members con- 

 sider. -d Juggernaut to be a legitimate source of revenue, on the principle, I be- 

 lievr, (!mt money from other temple* in Hindustan had long been brought into 

 the treasury. It is ju-t tli.it I should state that tlu'se gentlemen are men of the 

 most honourable principles and of unimpeached integrity. Nor would anyone 

 of them, ! believe, (for I have the honour to know them) do any thing which 

 he thought injurious to the honour or religion of his country. But the truth is 

 this, that those persons who go to India in early youth, and witnes the Hindoo 

 customs all their life, seeing little at the same time of the Christian religion to 

 counteract the effcL-t, are disposed to view them with complacency, and are 

 sometimes in danger of at length consideiing them even as proper or neccMary." 



