I watched him for more than a quarter of an
hour; he remained in the same position as firmly and quietly as if
he had been turned to stone. He had, perhaps, exercised this
useless occupation for years. The other held the point of his foot
to his nose.
Another sect of the Fakirs condemn themselves to eat only a little
food, and that of the most disgusting kind: the flesh of oxen that
have died, half-rotten vegetables, and refuse of every kind, even
mud and earth; they say that it is quite immaterial what the stomach
is filled with.
The Fakirs all go about almost naked, smear their bodies with cow-
dung, not even excepting the face; and then strew ashes over
themselves. They paint their breasts and foreheads with the
symbolical figures of Vishnu and Shiva, and dye their ragged hair
dark reddish brown. It is not easy to imagine anything more
disgusting and repulsive than these priests. They wander about all
the streets, preaching and doing whatever they fancy; they are,
however, far less respected than the martyrs.
One of the gentlemen whose acquaintance I made in Benares, was so
obliging as to communicate to me some information as to the relation
of the peasants to the government.
