1837.] condition of Oujein or Ujjayani. 337 



hours before, covered with water a foot deep. No rain had fallen at 

 the city or for 20 miles round, it was a visible interposition of 

 God." — I am not surprised at the credulity of the Bohra, at his telling 

 that he saw what he never could have seen ; ignorance is always more 

 ready to wonder than to investigate ; — ■ sanctius et reverentius visum 

 de actis deorum credere quam scire.' The disease of superstition which 

 converts " the freshest sandal-wood into a flame of fire"* has infected 

 every class at Oujein, where miracles are daily believed which seem to 

 defy belief. During my visit, a gosain ran an iron stake through 

 his body ; — a brahman passed his hand over the wound and cured itf. 

 The Musalmans in their turn, boast of a faqir, who has been for 

 years in the habit of standing in the open air when it rains ; the 

 water separates in a cone over his head and does not wet his 

 body, JThe frequent recurrence of and ready faith in these 

 miracles, "seen, heard, attested, every thing but true," teach us, how 

 cautiously we must receive, when superstition is concerned, the 

 testimony of witnesses however numerous, or disinterested ; and 

 perhaps in like cases the most rational rule, is almost to adopt the 

 paradox of Mackenzie, and "to doubt of strong evidence from the 

 very circumstance of its strength." 



The Hindus of Oujein do not seem to be much troubled with 

 sectarianism ; though Mahadeo is of course the most popular divinity, 

 the worshippers of other gods are not molested, nor are the objects 

 of their worship neglected. — A brahman whom I questioned on the 

 subject said in answer, " we treat our deities as you English gentlemen 

 do your friends in a cantonment. We call on them all round but are 

 more intimate with some than with others." It would be difficult to 

 form an estimate of the number of places at this city which are 

 devoted to the worship of the brahmanical Pantheon, but Abul Fazl 

 certainly speaks within bounds when he enumerates them at 360. 



Leaving for the present the Hindu and his faith, let us devote a few 

 lines to the followers of the prophet. The orthodox sect of Musal- 

 mans, during the fighting times of the first Sindia, attained consider- 



* Sentiment of an Indian author quoted by Sir W. Jones. 



t I was to have witnessed this trick, but was prevented by illness. 



X Jehangir tells us that a shower of gold fell in bis presence on the head of a 

 saint. The emperor perhaps never saw it, for he is a most unblushing fabulist : or 

 if he did, even his credulity seems to have suspected a trick, for he speaks doubt- 

 fully of it and his courtiers laughed at the saint and his miracle ; but in the case 

 of our faqir a trick seems out of the question, and the numbers who tell the tale 

 must believe it, on hearsay. 

 5 o 



