PROGRESS OF TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES IN THE ARMY. 
148 
come from other parts of India to settle there 
and dress as they do elsewhere. 
The inhabitants of Arrakan are idolaters ; on 
which account, says iic/iojttegu, they are called 
Moges (Q) ,• worshiping devoutly their ima- 
ges, made of clay, baked in the sun*. They 
are very superstitious, and look on the barking 
of a dog, or the like, as the presage of some 
remarkable event. On every such frivolous oc- 
casion the priests are sent for; who know how 
to make their advantage of the people’s folly. 
The idols in their temples are so numerous, 
that one of them is reported to contain no few- 
er than 20,000. They are built in the form of 
pyramids or spires. Besides the temple-idols, 
they have their domestic ones. To both sorts 
they offer victuals every day ; and both are 
clothed by them in winter, that they might 
not catch cold. They wear the mark of their 
household god branded on their arms, sides, 
or shoulders. On their anniversary festival, 
in commemoration of the dead, they carry in 
procession one of their idols, Quiay Poragray 
(li); which is carried in a heavy chariot, 
with ninety of the priests, clothed in yellow 
sattin. Many throw themselves under the 
wheels, others hang themselves on hooks 
fastened for the purpose, and sprinkle him 
with their blood. These martyrs to folly are 
in such veneration with the people, that he 
thinks himself happy on whom one drop of 
their blood happens to light. Nay, the hooks 
are taken down by the priests, as sacred 
relicks, and carefully preserved in their tem- 
ples. From these instances our readers may 
perceive, that the religion of Arrakan tallies 
with that of the Hindiis, in the hither parts of 
India ; and their priests impose upon them no 
less by subtil artifices. 
Their priests, called RauUn, or Raidini, 
are divided into three orders, distinguished by 
the names Pungrini, Panjani, and Shoshom ; 
something resembling the orders of bishops, 
priests, and deacons, in the Christian hierarchy. 
The chief of their priests is called Shoshom 
Pungriy which title imports as much among 
them as that of Pope does at Rome. On him 
depend all ecclesiastical causes, and he is had 
in so great veneration even by the king, that 
his majesty places him on his riglrt hand, and 
never speaks to him without a profound 
reverence. The place of his residence, or 
see, is in the island of Mimay, already 
mentioned. All the priest-hood are clothed in 
yellow (S), and have their heads shaven. 
* Sellout, p. 239- 235. 
iQ) Or Moghes. If this be so, we then learn 
wbai Ovington tells us, p- 582, he could never find, 
whence the kitm derives the appellation of Moghi, 
which he assumes. 
(It) He is their supreme deity. See p. 580 of 
Ovington.— Hamilton says, the name of 
the titular god of the kingdom is Dagon» Vol. ii. 
p. 28. 
(S) Schoutin snys, they wear black, which Is the 
colour of modesty, as well as mourning, in Arra. 
/can, Voy. vol. i p. 335. 
All go uncovered, excepting the Pungrini, or 
those of the first order, who wear a yellow 
mitre, with the point turned and falling back- 
ward. I’hey are obliged by vow to live 
single; and, in case of disobedience, are de- 
graded : by which means they are reduced to 
the condition of laics, and are taxed as such*. 
To be continued. 
THE PROGRESS OF TEMPERANCE 
SOCIETIES AT THE SEVERAL MI- 
LITARY STATIONS OF INDIA. 
We consider the effects of ardent spirits 
upon the health of troops so destructive 
that we shall make no apology for calling the 
attention of our professional readers to the 
progress of temperance societies. We have 
just received the last report of the Chunar 
Auxiliary Temperance Society, a station at 
which more scenes of debauchery and 
drunkenness among old invalids were once 
exhibited than at any other on this side of 
India ; but such has been the effect of a 
Temperance Society there ; that out of the 
few troops they have recorded no less than 
108 members who have stood steadfast. We 
find from this report that during the last 
year, a branch association has been instituted 
at Buxar consisting of 52 members: an 
excellent beginning in proportion to the num- 
ber of residents. A native Temperance 
Society has also been instituted at Chunar, 
consisting of 100 members. The following 
extract from the report affords additional proof 
that these societies merit every support the 
Government can give them. 
‘ ‘ Another proof, if another were now 
wanting, of the absurdity of the opinion that 
ardent spirits are necessary to support 
strength under fatigue, has been recently 
furnished by the members of the European 
Regiment Temperance Society, during the 
late march of that regiment from Dinapore 
to Agra. On this interesting subject an 
extract may be given from the first report 
of that Society lately published. We quotfr 
Ovingb p. 575, & seqq. 
