A RUN THROUGH KATHIAWAIt. 313 



There was not a moment's time to be lost ; 

 for the priest had run off to the Khengar palace 

 calling loudly on the Arab guard ; and I knew that 

 if I waited for their arrival, I should never see the 

 Amijhara. So I at once lighted a small piece of 

 candle which I had brought with me, and proceeded 

 to descend into the cave or underground chamber, 

 by steps cut in the rock, and going down from a 

 small aperture in the stone floor of the temple. On 

 this the remaining attendants begged me to allow 

 one of them to go down with me, also with a light, 

 in order to see that no profanation occurred, which of 

 course was at once assented to. I heard, afterwards, 

 that this servitor was secretly put to death for his 

 share in the business ; but trust and believe that 

 this statement was one of those numerous inventions 

 which are added on to any unusual occurrence by 

 the natives of India, and not by them alone. At 

 all events I did not ask the man to conduct me, or 

 to go down Avith me at all, though, as will appear, 

 it was well for me that he did so. The Jain tender- 

 ness for life of all kinds ought surely to have pro- 

 tected him from such a fate as that which he was 

 said to have met with ; but I would not place much 

 dependence on that argument, for the Jains show 

 their tenderness for life in a curious way at times, 

 and, notwithstanding their affinity to the Biidhists, 

 appear to have aided the Brahmans in finally extir- 

 pating the Budhists from India by means of torture 



