A RUN THROUGH KATHIAWAR. 325 



seen by Mrs Postans in 1838, and spoke to me of 

 much earlier visits of Europeans. He evidently did 

 not altogether despise comfort, and devotees of this 

 class sometimes live to an extraordinary age. A long 

 way lower down, in a valley filled with thick jungle, 

 through which it was not easy to push a way, I came 

 upon some very wild devotees. 



Being desirous, if possible, of ascending the for- 

 bidden Kalika, I determined to sleep for one night 

 at the foot of the Dread Mother as the only feasible 

 way of accomplishing the ascent. To my surprise, 

 however, Kooshal failed me on this occasion. His 

 brother-in-law had died below, at the very hour when 

 we had visited the Perspiring Statue, and he required 

 to descend the mountain in order to burn the body 

 at the Damodar temple. At first I thought that 

 this was a polite way, on the part of the Junaghar 

 officials, of withdrawing a too accommodating servi- 

 tor ; but it was evident that the event had really 

 occurred, from the taunts to which Kooshal was sub- 

 jected as to the power of Parashvanatha to avenge 

 the violation of his sacred shrine, and from his own 

 uneasiness and alarm. I say nothing of the logic of 

 Parishnath in punishing the brother-in-law because 

 of our escapade, because reason is an element almost 

 wholly wanting in the coupling of cause and effect 

 in India when religious feelings come into play. 

 Kooshal did go with me as far as the place which I 

 selected to sleep at, but nothing would induce him 



