334 



BANYANS. 



tion was drawing nigh. Yet Vishnu slept, and 

 still sleeps the sleep of the just. 



When a Bhattia's affairs become hopelessly 

 involved he generally c levants ' : sometimes, 

 however, he will go through the Diwali or bank- 

 ruptcy, a far more troublesome process than the 

 6 Gazette.' The unfortunate places in his store- 

 front a lighted lamp, whence the name of the 

 ceremony, and with head enveloped in a sheet, 

 he silently occupies the furthest corner. Pre- 

 sently a crowd of jeering Moslems collects to see 

 the furious creditors ranting, scolding, and beat- 

 ing the bankrupt, who weeps, wails, calls upon 

 his gocl, and swears to be good for all future 

 time. These degrading scenes, however, are now 

 becoming rare. They remind us of the Tuscans 

 and the Boeotians of old, c who brought their 

 bankrupts into the market-place in a bier, with 

 an empty purse carried before them, all the boys 

 following, where they sat all day, circmmtante 

 plebe, to be infamous and ridiculous.' 



All Hindus are careful when returning home 

 from foreign travel to purge away its pollution 

 by performing a Tirth or Yatra to some holy 

 spring, and by large payments to Brahmans. 

 Moslems declare that when the death-rattle is 

 heard, one of those present ' eases off' the mori- 



