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draws his breath through the right nostril, and then closing that 

 nostril likewise with his thumb, holds his breath while he meditates 

 the text. He then raises both fingers off the left nostril, and emits 

 the breath he had suppressed. While he holds his breath, he must 

 on this occasion repeat to himself the Gayatri, with the mysterious 

 names of the worlds, the triliteral monosyllable, and the sacred 

 text of Beahme. A suppression of breath so explained by the 

 ancient legislator, Yaj'mjzcalcya, consequently implies the following 

 meditation: Om! earth! sky! heaven! middle region! place of 

 births! mansion of the blessed! abode of truth!" 



I am cautious in drawing conclusions, or putting a decided 

 construction on the religious ceremonies of the Hindoos ; they may 

 be more or less mystical than I am aware of, and many of their 

 customs have possibly a different meaning from that which a super- 

 ficial observer supposes. A circumstance which occurred at Dhu- 

 boy confirms my principle of not forming hasty decisions on dubi- 

 ous subjects. When I had been there two years, a rumour pre- 

 vailed that I worshipped the devil, or at least that I performed 

 ceremonies, and paid some kind of adoration to the destructive 

 power. On tracing this extraordinary supposition to its source, it 

 appeared to have originated with some of my own servants, natives 

 of the place, who had not been conversant with Europeans. About 

 that time General Goddard being engaged in a political negocia- 

 lion with Futty Sihng, paid him a visit at Brodera, accompanied 

 by his staff officers and a considerable detachment from the Bengal 

 army. On his march to Brodera he favoured me with a visit at 

 Dhuboy, where I entertained him a few days in the best manner 

 my retired situation permitted. We generally sat down sixteen at 



