IS2 'ACCOUNT -OF T JOURNEY to the Sources of f he 



bend, vfith one accord, iirft nearly to the earth with their faces, then 

 backwards, then fideways, with much grimace and many contortions, 

 Thefe, and their wild dreffes of black and grey blinkets, give apecuhar 

 v^ir of i).rut,al ferocity to the -afTembl-age^ 



•'•The men dance ill! day, and in the evemng they are joined by the 

 women, who mix indifcriminately with tbetij^ and keep up the dancine^ 

 ,, mad intoxication tiH late inthe nighu 



"They continue thiV frantic wot*Ihip for many davs ; ^rid in trtith, --it 

 V bears much iimilitude to their general manners and habits—farage and 

 t. inconiiftent. At a place' fo facred, where there are fo many brahmins, 

 , arid which is the refort of pious pilgrims, itmight be expe6ted, that a 

 . firid attention to the forms of religion, a fcrupulaus obfervation of the 

 : privations and aiifterities enjoined by it, would be particularly remark* 

 able ; here, however, mut:h is met with, fiiocking even to thofe hin- 

 , dus who are leail bigoted. 'AllclafTes end cads of people, brahmins 

 not even excepted, eat every fort of meaf, fa ve beef, snd 1 believe 

 fowls, and drinlf fpirituotis liquors even to excefs. - Fowls are in plenty 

 in this andthe neighbouiing-vill'iges, and they Vvere even offered to .me 

 ., as pr^fents by the zemindars, which could not have been the cafe, hajd 

 they been held in abhorrence. -I was alfo furprifed at their indiffer- 

 ence, as to what might have appeared, and certainly -would in the low 

 .country, be deemed pollution to their temples. They themfelves 

 pointed out the outer-room of a temple or place of worfhip for the ufe 

 .4)1 the kitchen I and faw with perfedr-compofure a rauifulman fervaet. 

 kill in it the fowls they had themfelves provided, and drefs t : 



dinner. I know not if the place w^s in general ufe for worfliif '> 



cAdand in bad repair; but even to a ruined temple, the hind , ;- 

 bins wouM probably pay more refpe6l than fuHer fuch a ul 



©f it. Thc-drefs.of the people before alluded^ to is,. in [^i.c^^-j.^ 



