4809.] 
infidels ; and forgetting theirattack upon 
me, and their own assertions of their be- 
ing Thugs, agreed to liberate them, which 
they accordingly did,. with dreadful de- 
nunciations of vengeance against the 
Brahmins, if they did net return quietly 
to their homes, and be silent on-the busi- 
ness. On my arrival at Lucnow, the two 
men, either from a dread of future detec- 
tion, or from some other motive, quitted 
my service, and thereby escaped the pu- 
‘nishment they so richly merited. 
_ A few miles above Baugilpore, and 
opposite to a large village, called Saltan 
Gunge, I was much struck with the sin- 
gular appearance ofa rock in the middle 
of the river, well known to Europeans 
who travel that way by the name of the 
Jehangeera Rock; it rises in a rough and 
irregular form, to the height of about 
sixty feet above the level of the water; 
on the suinmit there is a small Hindu 
temple, dedicated to Visnu, under his 
preserving, or rather creative appellation 
of Hari. A couple of Brahmins who take 
care of it, are supported by the pious 
donations of a. few pilgrims from the 
neighbouring districts; but what renders 
it an object of curivsity to travellers, is 
the sculpture in alto and. basso relievo, 
with which a considerabie part of the 
rock is covered: a gigantic figure of 
Hari, in a recumbent posture, 18 most 
conspicuous. The Hindus believe in a 
certain number of creations, at the end 
of each of which they suppose every 
thing is absorbed in the essence of the 
divinity, and that, in the interval he- 
tween the end of one creation and the 
“commencement of the next, the deity 
reposes on a serpent with many heads, 
called Sesa, or Eternity; to represent 
this act was the design of-the sculptor. 
The figure is represented reposing on the 
voluminous coils of the serpent, whose 
numerous heads, armed with forked 
‘tongues, forma canopy over the drowsy 
god, as a protection during his sleep. 
The fiery and ardent looks of the ser- 
pent, the skill with which the heads are 
disposed into a canupy, and the mild 
and benignant aspect of the deity, exbi- 
_ bit a considerable degree of taste in. the 
artist. From some characters on ano- 
ther part of the rock, a learned gentle-’ 
man, to whuse profound reseaches in 
oriental literature the public is much in- 
 debted, has attempted to prove, that the 
sculpture was executed-some centuries 
before the christian era; if so, it cannot 
fail of exciting some interest; on ac- 
connt of its remoteantiquity. The sam- 
“Montury Mag. No, 189. 
4 
Narrative of a recent Tour in India. 
149 
mit of the rock commands an extensive 
and beautiful prospect, and from its in- 
sular situation, the air 1s much cooler 
than onthe main land. The two Brah- 
mins, who resided there, appeared ex- 
tremely ignorant, and could give me no 
reason, how a place dedicated to a Hine 
du deity acquired the Mabummedan ap- 
pellation of Jehangeera; they knew it by 
no other name, and did not appear sen- 
sible of its being foreign to their religion : 
the most probable conjecture is, that it 
derives its present name from the Empes 
ror Jehangeer, grandfather to the cele= 
brated Aurungzebe,; who, ona visit to 
this part of his domimions, might have 
honoured it with his name, for the singue 
larity of its appearance, or to shew hig 
contempt for the Hindu religion. 
The loss of my gun deprived me of a 
good deal of amusement, as the nume- 
rous. islands which T passed abounded 
with water fowl, and the main land with 
partridges, quail, and snipe; the islands 
were also much frequehted by tortoises 
and alligators; f might have caught many 
of the former, as they lay asleep on the 
warm sand, but as they are not deemed 
wholesome food, lke the salt-water 
turtle, it would have been cruel to 
kill them from mere wantonness. Al- 
ligators abound in every part of the 
Ganges: there are two kinds, called, by 
the natives, Gureeal and Kumheer; the 
latter is by far the most dangerous, and 
is generally found in the Sunderbunds, 
and other parts within the influence of 
the tides, Its voracity is extreme, and in 
the water no animal has a chance of es- 
caping, if it once get within reach of its 
devouring jaws; it generally lies among 
the edges and higi grass, on the margin 
of the river, where it resembles a log 
of wood, or the stump of an old tree; in 
this situation, it watches with wary eye 
the approach of its prey, and when the 
unsuspecting victim 1s arrived within its 
reach, it is stunned by a sudden and vio- 
lent stroke from its tail, and, before it 
can recover itself, seized, and car- 
ried into the water, to be devoured at 
leisure. There are instances of buffaloes 
and tygers being laid hold of, as they were 
quenching their thirst in the river, and, 
inspite of their great strength, pulled 
under water and drowned. The Gureeal 
is generally found lieher up the river, 
and is comparatively a harmless animal, 
but I should not be fond of trusting my- 
self too near one of them, although I 
have seen the Danelies, when tacking 
the boat, pass within a few yards of 
Te - them, 
