HINDOO CUSTOMS. 157 



Cf Empfre of Elam and the kingdom of Egypt. 

 tc The dominions of the former bordering on 

 <c the territories of the latter. The subjects 

 Cf of the first were the Indo Persians of Hin- 

 <c dus ; the inhabitants of the second were 

 cc the Egyptians." 



It is wonderful to think that their manners 

 and customs have not changed during such a 

 long period of time. On my return to Eng- 

 land from India after an absence of but a few 

 years comparitively speaking, I found such 

 an alteration in the appearance of the people 

 as far surpasses,, according to my idea, the 

 change the Hindoos have undergone from the 

 time the sacred history was written to the 

 present day. 



It was not my intention to enter into any 

 disquisition on the religion of the Hindoos, 

 or to vindicate in the smallest degree any of 

 its absurdities; yet I cannot help looking 

 with consideration on the poor Hindoo, who 

 adopts them punctiliously from a conviction 



