336: COFFEE. 



everything is worshipped here : idols, cattle, pigeons, monkeys, 

 and the river itself. It is said that there are upward of two 

 thousand five hundred temples in the city, including those of the 

 Buddhists, Mahomedans, and the various sects of the Hindoos, the 

 latter of which are completely filled with idols of all sorts and 

 sizes, mostly springing, however, from the parent gods, Brahma, 

 Vishnu, and Siva. One temple is devoted entirely to monkeys, 

 of which we saw a hundred or more chasing each other over the 

 walls and cutting up a variety of " monkey shines." In other 

 temples and on the streets and " ghats " (steps leading down to the 

 river) are quantities of cattle, which roam hither and thither at 

 their own free will, feeding on the offerings of the pilgrims — 

 which evidently keep them in the best possible condition — and 

 leading what must be an ideal animal life ; for, instead of bear- 

 ing the burdens of the human race, and often coming to an 

 untimely end to serve as food for them, they here lead a lazy, 

 well-fed existence to the end of their days. Pigeons also, are 

 esteemed sacred, and are provided for in the same way. Indeed, 

 I believe, according to the Hindoo religion, all animal life is 

 sacred, and certain it is that orthodox Hindoos subsist entirely 

 upon a vegetable diet. There can hardly' be a more picturesque 

 scene than to take a boat and float down the Ganges, its upper 

 banks lined with temples and the residences of the wealthier 

 classes, and lower down with " ghats," or steps, where the people 

 come down to bathe and drink. According to the Hindoo belief, 

 the waters of the Ganges wash away all sins, and the banks of 

 the river are constantly lined with people bathing and praying. 

 In the early morning the women come, almost before it is light, 

 timidly veiling their faces from the gaze of the passers-by, and 

 after performing their ablutions retire to make room for others. 

 In the winter- time it is not by any means comfortable, for in this 

 latitude in India the climate is quite cold, and the morning we 

 floated down the river it was freezing. Yet I saw crowds of, 

 men and women dipping themselves in the water, saying their 

 prayers with chattering teeth, and carrying away their small brass 

 vessels filled with the sacred water, which the pilgrims carry with 

 them to their homes, even to the farthermost parts of India. One 

 of the ghats is set apart for the burning of dead bodies, which is 



