Wherever the Europeans go they will not give any reward, but
only orders and commands; and their rule is generally much more
oppressive than that of the natives.
26th December. The custom of exposing dying people on the banks of
the Ganges, does not appear to be so general as some travellers
state. We sailed on the river for fourteen days, during which time
we passed many thickly populated towns and villages, and did not
meet with a single case until today. The dying man lay close to the
water, and several men, probably his relations, were seated round
him, awaiting his decease. One dipped water and mud out of the
river with his hands, and put them to the nose and mouth of the
dying man. The Hindoos believe that if they die at the river with
their mouths full of the holy water, they are quite certain to go to
heaven. His relations or friends remain by the dying man till
sunset, when they go home, and leave him to his fate. He generally
falls a prey to crocodiles. I very seldom saw any floating corpses;
only two during the whole journey. Most of the corpses are burnt.
27th December. Ghazipoor is an important place, and is remarkable
at a distance for its handsome ghauts. Here stands a pretty
monument erected to the memory of Lord Cornwallis, who conquered
Tippoo Saib in 1790. Very near is a large establishment for
training horses, which is said to turn out remarkably fine ones.
But Ghazipoor is most remarkable for its enormous rose-fields, and
the rose-water and attar prepared here. The latter is obtained in
the following manner: -
Upon forty pounds of roses, with the calixes, sixty pounds of water
are poured, and the whole is distilled over a slow fire. From this,
about thirty pounds of rose-water are obtained. Another forty
pounds of roses are again added to this, and, at the utmost, twenty
pounds of water distilled off. This is then exposed during the
night to the cold air in pans, and in the morning the oil is found
swimming upon the surface and is skimmed off. Not more than an
ounce and a half of attar, at the utmost, is obtained from eighty
pounds of roses. An ounce of true attar costs, even at Ghazipoor,
40 rupees (4 pounds).
At 10 o'clock on the morning of the 28th, we at length reached the
holy town of Benares. We anchored near Radschgaht, where coolies
and camels were ready to receive us.
Before taking leave of the Ganges, I must remark that, during the
whole journey of about a thousand miles, I did not meet with a
single spot remarkable for its especial beauty, or one picturesque
view. The banks are either flat or bounded by layers of earth ten
or twenty feet in height, and, further inland, sandy plains
alternate with plantations or dried-up meadows and miserable
jungles. There are, indeed, a great number of towns and villages,
but, with the exception of occasional handsome houses and the
ghauts, they are composed of a collection of huts. The river itself
is frequently divided into several branches, and is sometimes so
broad that it resembles a sea rather than a river, for the banks are
scarcely visible.
Benares is the most sacred town of India. It is to the Hindoos what
Mecca is to the Mahomedans, or Rome to the Catholics. The belief of
the Hindoos in its holiness is such that, according to their
opinion, every man will be saved who remains twenty-four hours in
the town, without reference to his religion. This noble toleration
is one of the finest features in the religion and character of this
people, and puts to shame the prejudices of many Christian sects.
The number of pilgrims amounts annually to 300,000 or 400,000, and
the town is one of the most wealthy in the country, through their
trading, sacrifices, and gifts.
This may not be an improper place to make some remarks upon the
religion of these interesting people, which I extract from
Zimmerman's "Handbook of Travels."
"The foundation of the Hindoo faith is the belief in a superior
primitive being, immortality, and a reward of virtue. The chief
idea of God is so great and beautiful, its moral so pure and
elevated, that its equal has not been found among any other people.
"Their creed is to worship the highest Being, to invoke their
guardian gods, to be well-disposed towards their fellow-men, to pity
the unfortunate and help them, to bear patiently the inconveniences
of life, not to lie or break their word, to read the sacred
histories and to give heed to them, not to talk much, to fast, pray,
and to bathe at stated periods. These are the general duties which
the sacred writings of the Hindoos enforce, without exception, upon
all castes or sects.
"Their true and only god is called 'Brahma,' which must not be
confounded with Brahma who was created by the former, who is the
true, eternal, holy, and unchangeable light of all time and space.
The wicked are punished and the good rewarded.
"Out of the Eternal Being proceeded the goddess Bhavani, i.e.,
Nature, and a host of 1,180 million spirits. Among these there are
three demi-gods or superior spirits, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, the
Hindoo Trinity, called by them Trimurti.
"For a long time, happiness and content prevailed; but they
afterwards revolted, and many gave up their allegiance. The rebels
were cast down from on high into the pit of darkness. Hereupon
succeeded the transmigration of souls; every animal and every plant
was animated by one of the fallen angels, and the remarkable
amiability of the Hindoos towards animals is owing to this belief.
They look upon them as their fellow-creatures, and will not put any
of them to death.
