Book III Travels in India. 177 



On the other fide of the Street where the Colledg is built, there itands another 

 Pagod, eall'd Richourdas, from the name of the Idol, which is within upon the Al- 

 tar : and fomewhat lower upon another fmall Altar ftands another Idol, which they 

 call Goapaidas, the Brother of Richourdas. You fee nothing but the face of all 

 thefe Idols, which is either of wood or ;et; unlefs it be the Idol of Morly-Ram, 

 which ftands in the great Pagod ftark naked. As for the Idol Ram-Kam, which 

 ftands in the Raja's Pagod, it has two Diamonds inftead of eyes, which the Prince 

 caus'd to be fet there, with a Coller of Pearl, and Canopy over his head, fup- 

 ported with four Silver-Pillars. ' 



Some eight days journey from B anarous , bending Northward, you enter into 

 a Mountainous Countrey 5 but which fometimes op ns it (elf into very large 

 plains, fometimes three or four leagues in length. They are very fertil in Corn, 

 Rice, Wheat and PuJfe. But that which is the plague and ruine of the people of 

 that Countrey, is the vaft number of Elephants that breed there, and devour their - 

 Harveft. If a Caravan pais through any part of that Countrey where there are 

 no Inns, in regard the people are fore'd to lye in the op'n Fields, they have much 

 ado to defend themfelves from the Elephants that will come to take away their 

 provifions. To skare them, the people make great fires,, fhoot off their Mus- 

 kets, hooping and hollowing ever and anon. In this place there is another Pagod, 

 well-built, and very ancient, adornM with many figures both within and without, 

 which are only the reprefentations of Maids and Women ; fo that Men are feldom 

 known to repair thither for devotion's-foke ; and therefore it is eall'd the Wo- 

 mens Pagod. There is an Altar in the middle, as in other Pagodsj and upon the 

 Altar an Idol of many Gold,, four foot high, reprefenting a Maid ftanding upright, 

 which they call Ram-Mdrion. At her right-hand ftands a Child of maify Silver, 

 about two foot high ; and they fay that the Maid liv'd a very holy life, that that 

 Child was brought to her by the Bramins to be inftrufted in her belief, and in the 

 knowledg of well-living : but that after two or three years that the Child had liv'd 

 with her, the Infant grew fo knowing and ready-witted, that all the Raja's of the 

 Countrey long'd for her company ; fo that being ftoll'n from her one night, fhe 

 was never ieen afterwards. Upon the left-hand of this Idol itands another Idol, 

 reprefenting an old Man ; who, as they fay, was the iervant of Ram-Marion 

 and the Infant : for which reafon the Bramins do very much reverence this Idol. 

 They never come but once a year in devotion, but they muft be there upon a pre- 

 fix d day, which is the firft of November, though they neVer op'n the Pagod till 

 the full of the Moon. During thofe fifteen days, the Pilgrims, as well Men 

 as Women, faft from time to time, and wafti themfelves three times a-ciay, not 

 leaving a hair in any part of their bodies, which they take off with a certain 

 earth. 



CHAP. XII. 



A Continuation of the description of the principal Tagods of 



the Indian Idolaters. 



NExt to the Pagods of fngrenate and Banarous, the moft confiderabfe 

 is that of Matura, about eighteen leagues from Agra, upon the way to 

 Dehly It is one of the moft fumptuous Edifices in all India, and the place to 

 which the greateft number of Pilgrims was wont to refort : But now there are 

 very few or none $ the Idolaters having infenfibly loft the reverence which they 

 had for that Pagod, fmce the River of Gcmena, that formerly ran by that Pagod, 

 has chang'dUts courfe, above half a league from it. For it requires fo much 

 time to return to the Pagod,after they have WaftrM in the River, that they were 

 many times defil'd again before they could reach it. Though this Pagod Itand m 

 a bottom yet you may difcover it five or fix leagues before you come at it, the 

 building beine very lofty and magnificent. The Stones are of a red colour, 

 & ° * Aa which 



