220 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
daily many thousands, — failed not to apply at the banias 
shop for his handful of fine meal, so that he was com- 
pelled to appoint a slave whose sole occupation was 
the distribution of this charity : thus not only did the 
expenditure become enormous, but his trade was 
ruinously impeded, and his repose completely de- 
stroyed through the continual pressure of the noisy 
multitude around his cottage. Under these unhappy 
circumstances, the wretched Purwatti found his trea- 
sure daily decreasing without the possibility of his 
escaping the ultimate min which stared him in the 
face. 
In the midst of his sorrows, he was again visited 
by the pearl-merchant, who condoled with him on his 
sad misfortunes, and endeavoured to inspire him with 
hope ; he persuaded him to accompany him one day’s 
journey to Hurdwar, there to consult the holiest 
Brahmins of that sacred place, and to try the virtue 
of ablution at the renowned ghat of Hari. To 
this proposal Purwatti gladly assented; but having 
presented himself before those devout persons, he 
related to them the history of his misfortunes, 
and having distributed large sums of money, having 
bathed continually, received their loudest blessings, 
and been the incessant object of their prayers, he was 
at last informed, that the Brahmins of his native village 
had not erred in their assurance that the persecutions 
of his destiny would only cease with death. The 
pearl-merchant, however, would not permit the despair 
