BENARES. 105 
but would be impracticable in a house of six stories, and situated 
in a town. It is seldom that the universal custom of a country is not 
founded on reason ; though, therefore, they have larger windows 
in their country houses, which can be cooled by artificial means ; 
yet up stairs, where that cannot be done, they reduce the apertures 
as much as possible. The opposite sides of the street in some places 
approach so near to each other that they are united by galleries. 
Several new houses were building on a very handsome scale, and 
the town in general had an appearance of prosperity, which is by 
no means deceitful. The city of Benares is so holy, that several 
Hindoo Rajahs have habitations there, in which their vakeels * re- 
side, and perform for them the requisite sacrifices and ablutions. 
The land is extremely valuable, and law-suits respecting it most 
frequent. The number of stone and brick houses from one to six 
stories high is upwards of 1^,000. The mud houses, upwards of 
16,000. The permanent inhabitants are upwards of 58,000, besides 
the attendants of the three princes, and several other foreigners, 
who may amount to near 3000; but the concourse during some of 
the festivals is beyond all calculation. The Mahometans are not 
one in ten. -f- 
The mosque with its minars was built by Aurungzebe, to mor- 
tify the Hindoos. Not only is it placed on the highest point of land, 
and most conspicuous from being close/to the river, but the founda- 
tions are laid on a sacred spot, where a temple before stood, which 
was destroyed to make room for it. This edifice violated the holy 
* Envoy or embassador. 
t I have given in the Appendix a very curious account of the population of Benares? 
communicated to me by my friend Mr. Deane. 
