﻿334 oN TW0 HINDU FESTIVALS, 



II. During the Huh, when mirth and festivity 

 reign among Hindus of every class, one subject of 

 diversion is to send people on errands and expeditions, 

 that are to end in disappointment, and raise a laugh 

 at the expence of the person sent. The Huli is al- 

 ways in March, and the last day is the greatest holi- 

 day. All the Hindus who are on that day at Jaggan- 

 nafh, are entitled to certain distinctions, which they 

 hold to be of such importance, that I found it expe- 

 dient to stay there till the end of the festival ; and I 

 am of opinion, and so are the rest of the officers, that 

 I saved above five hundred men by the delay. The 

 origin of the Hull seems lost in antiquity ; and I 

 have not been able to pick up the smallest account 

 of it. 



If the rites of May-day show any affinity between 

 the religion of England in times past and that of the 

 Hindus in these times, may not the custom of making 

 sffril-foo/sy on the first of that month, indicate some 

 traces of the Huli P I have never yet heard any ac- 

 count of the origin of the English custom ; but it is 

 unquestionably very ancient, and is still kept up even 

 in great towns, though less in them than in the coun- 

 try. With us it is chiefly confined to the lower classes 

 of people ; but in India high and low join in it ; and the 

 late Shujaul Dau/ah, lam told, was very fond of making 

 Huli fools, though he was a Muselman of the highest 

 rank. They carry it here so far, as to send letters 

 making appointments, in the names of persons who, 

 it is known, must be absent from their house at the 

 time fixed on ; and the laugh is always in proportion 

 to the trouble given. 



III. At Jagannafh I found the Sphinx of the Eyp*> 

 flans, and presen: the Society with a drawing of it. 

 Murari Pandit, who was deputy Faujdar of Balasor, 

 attended my detachment on the part of the Mahrattas, 



