For
example, they stick an iron hook through their flesh, and have
themselves drawn up to a height of twenty or five-and-twenty feet;
or they stand several hours in the day upon one foot, and at the
same time stretch their arms in the air, or hold heavy weights in
various positions, turn round in a circle for hours together, tear
the flesh off their bodies, etc. They frequently torment themselves
so much as to be in danger of their lives. These martyrs are still
tolerably venerated by the people; however, there are at the present
time but a few more remaining. One of the two whom I saw, held a
heavy axe over his head, and had taken the bent attitude of a
workman hewing wood. 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. The peasant has no landed
property. All the land belongs either to the English government,
the East India Company, or the native princes. It is let out
altogether; the principal tenants divide it into small lots, and
sublet these to the peasants. The fate of the latter depends
entirely upon the disposition of the principal tenant. He
determines the amount of rent, and frequently demands the money at a
time when the crops are not harvested, and the peasant cannot pay;
the poor people are then obliged to sell the unripe crops for half
their worth, and their landlord generally contrives to buy it
himself in the name of another person. The unfortunate peasant
frequently has scarcely a sufficiency left to keep life in himself
and his family.
Laws and judges there certainly are in the country, and, as
everywhere else, the laws are good and the magistrates just; but it
is another question whether the poor ever receive justice. The
districts are so extensive, that the peasant cannot undertake a
journey of seventy or eighty miles; and even when he lives near, he
cannot always reach the presence of the magistrate. The business of
the latter is so great, that he cannot himself attend to the
details, and generally he is the only European in office, the
remaining officials consisting of Hindoos and Mahomedans, whose
character - a lamentable fact - is always worse the more they come in
contact with Europeans. If, therefore, the peasant comes to the
court without bringing a present, he is generally turned away, his
petition or complaint is not accepted or listened to; and how is he
to bring a present after being deprived of everything by the
landlord? The peasant knows this, and therefore seldom makes a
complaint.
An Englishman (unfortunately I have forgotten his name) who
travelled in India for scientific purposes, proves that the peasants
have now to suffer more than formerly under their native princes.
In India, under the so-called "free English government," I found a
sad proof that the position of the slaves in Brazil is better than
that of the free peasants here. The slave there has not to provide
for any of his wants, and he is never burdened with too much work,
as the interest of his master would then suffer; for a slave costs
seven or eight hundred gulders (70 or 80 pounds), and it is to the
interest of his owner that he should be well treated, that he may be
longer of service. It cannot be denied that there are cases in
which the slaves are tyrannically treated, but this is extremely
rare.
Several German and English missionaries reside in the neighbourhood
of Benares, and go constantly to the town to preach. At one of
these missionary establishments is a Christian village, which
contains more than twenty Hindoo families. Nevertheless,
Christianity makes scarcely any advance. {173} I inquired of each
of the missionaries how many Hindoos or Mahomedans they had baptized
in the course of their labours: generally they said, "None;" very
seldom, "One." The above mentioned families result from the year
1831, when nearly the whole of India was ravaged by cholera, nervous
fever, or famine; the people died, and many children remained
orphans, wandering about without a home. The missionaries took
these, and brought them up in the Christian religion. They were
instructed in all kinds of trades, were housed, married, and their
whole maintenance provided for. The descendants of these families
are continually educated by the missionaries, and strictly watched:
as to new converts, however, there are unfortunately none.
I was present at several examinations: the boys and girls seemed to
have been taught well to read, write, reckon, and were well
acquainted with religion and geography. The girls were clever
embroiderers, they did needle-work very well, and sewed all kinds of
things; the boys and men made tables, carpets, bound books, printed,
etc.
