EASTERN H I N D O O S T A N. 139 



All this country is filled with game, deer, antelopes, and 

 birds, terreftrial and aquatic, in numbers incredible : the fea and 

 river fwarm with fi flies. The wonder ceafes when we confider 

 the ftricfl refpedt paid by the Hindoos to the Pythagorean doc- 

 trine ; they will not eat of any animal food, they will neither 

 deftroy any animal, or fufFer to be deflroyed any thing in which 

 is life. 



Parcitc mortales dapibus temerare nefandis 

 Corpora. Sunt fruges ; funt deducentia ramos 

 Pondere poma fuo, tumidaeque in vitibus uva? j 

 Sunt herbse dulces ; funt qus mitefcere flamma 

 Mollirique queant. Nee vobis lacleus humor, 

 Eripitur, nee mella thymi redolentia florem, 

 Prodiga divitias alimentaque mitia tellus 

 Suggerit, atq. epulas fine casde et languine pra-bet 

 Carne ferse fedant jejunia. 



They never drink wine. Like the followers oi Pythagoras they 

 never eat of any thing that had life ; like them they firmly be- 

 lieve in the tranfmigration of fouls ; they hold the elements of 

 water and fire in the utmoft veneration ; the water of the Ganges 

 is thought peculiarly facred. A cow is moft particularly re- 

 fpected. They are monogamifts, have their deities, idols of the 

 wildeft and moft horrible forms, have wonderful legends of 

 their adions and moft myftic tales. The Pagodas are the tem- 

 ples, many of extravagant magnificence in ftrange and vaft 

 fculptures. 



T a The 



