HURD WAR. 
195 
of draining the sands to search for those few pieces 
which the gods are pleased to leave them as a reward 
for their services ; and when it is understood that at 
the mela, or annual grand festival, the influx of pil- 
grims is from three hundred thousand to a million of 
o 
souls, it will be credited that an extraordinary amount 
of treasure is collected by these devotees. 
Charity of this description is inculcated as the first 
virtue. A gold mohur, so bestowed, will absolve from 
the darkest crime as effectually as the severest course 
of penance ; and a bestowal of such offerings will enable 
a man to continue in the most diabolical practices with 
impunity. In expiation of any deep offence, the 
Brahmins sometimes receive a vow from a pilgrim, 
binding him to give a certain boon to every Brahmin 
who shall from time to time demand it of him. These 
vows are doubtless sometimes made in the fulness of 
remorse, and are sometimes very religiously observed ; 
nay, always to the letter, though not always in the 
spirit of the vow, the superstitions of the Hindoos pre- 
venting their breaking such a solemn obligation, though 
they are ever ready to adopt the most ingenious de- 
vices for escaping the inconvenience of them. There 
is, however, a notion impressed upon them by the 
Brahmins, that if the gods do not openly punish such 
evasions of their oaths, they fail not to circumvent the 
fraudulent practice, or otherwise indemnify themselves 
at the expense of the schemer. Numberless are the 
instances they relate of this conduct on the part of the 
s 2 
