little regard to concealment, sit down on the sands close to the town, in public view; and the Sacred Bulls walk about among them and eat the ordure*

"The vicinity of Juggernaut to the sea probably prevents the contagion, which otherwise would be produced by the putrefactions of the place. There is scarcely any verdure to refresh the sight near Juggernaut, the temple and town being nearly encompassed by hills of sand, which has been cast up in the lapse of ages by the surge of the ocean. All is barren and desolate to the eye; and in the ear there is the never intermitting sound of the roaring sea."

"Fuggernaut, 18th of June.

I have returned home from witnessing a scene which I shall never forget. At twelve o'clock of this day, being the great day of the feast, the Moloch of Hindoostan was brought out of his temple amidst the acclamations of hundreds of thousands of his worshippers. When the idol was placed on his throne, a shout was raised by the multitude, such as I had never heard before. It continued equable for a few minutes, and then gradually died away.After a short interval of silence, a murmur was heard at a distance; all eyes were turned towards the place,. and, behold, a grove advancing! A body of men, having green branches, or palms in their hands, approached with great celerity. The people opened a way for them; and when they had come up to the throne, they fell down before him that sat thereon, and worshipped. And the multitude again sent forth a voice "like the sound of a great thunder.” But the voices I now heard, were not those of melo-dy or of joyful acclamation; for there is no harmony in the praise of Moloch's worshippers. Their num

This singular faet was pointed out to me by the gentlemen here. There is no vegetation for the sacred Bulls on the sand plains. They are fed generally with vegetables from the hands of the pilgrims.

ed his obscene stanzas in no responded at intervals ese songs," said he, "are is car can only move when The car moved on a d. A boy of about twelve orth to attempt something radventure the god would eted the praise" of his idol Sion and gesture, that the multitude emitting a send the car along. After a ain. An aged minister of nd with a long rod in his with indecent action, com disgusting exhibition. I ng wrong in witnessing it. alled at the magnitude and felt like a guilty person, d, and I was about to withdifferent kind was now to cteristics of Moloch's wor lood. We have seen the blood." roceeded some way, a pilas ready to offer himself a laid himself down in the was moving along, lying stretched forward. The m, leaving the space clear, eath by the wheels of the raised to the god. He ation of the blood is made.

or small money, on the obation of the deed. He rable time, and was then Golgotha, where I have How much I wishIndia stock could have at

ber indeed brought to my mind the countless multitude of the Revelations; but their voices gave no tuneful Hosannah or Hallelujah; but rather a yell of approbation, united with a kind of hissing applause.* I was at a loss how to account for this latter noise, until I was directed to notice the women; who emitted a sound like that of whistling, with the lips circular, and the tongue vibrating, as if a serpant would speak by their organs, uttering human sounds.

"The throne of the idol was placed on a stupendous car, or tower, about sixty feet in height, resting on wheels which indented the ground deeply, as they turned slowly under the pronderous machine. Attached to it were six cables, of the size and length of a ship's cable, by which the people drew it along. Upon the tower were the priests and satellites of the idol, surrounding his throne. The idol is a block of wood, having a frightful visage painted black, with a distended mouth of a bloody color. His arms are of gold, and he is dressed in gorgeous apparel. The other two idols are of a white and yellow color. Five elephants preceded the three towers, bearing towering flags, dressed in crimson caparisons, and having bells hanging to their caparisons, which sounded musically as they moved."

"I went on in the procession, close by the tower of Moloch; which, as it was drawn with difficulty, grated on its many wheels harsh thunder.† After a few minutes it stopped: and now the worship of the god began. A high priest mounted the car in front

See Milton's Pandemonium, book X.

Two of the military gentlemen had mounted my elephant that they might witness the spectacle, and had brought him close to the tower; but the moment it began to move, the animal alarmed at the unusual noise, took fright and ran off through the crowd till he was s:opped by a wall. The natural fear of the ele phant lest he should injure human life, was remarkably exemplified on this oceasion Though the crowd was very closely set, he endeavoured, in the midst of his own terror, to throw the people off on both sides with his feet, and it was found that he had only trod upon one person. It was with great concern I afterwards learnt that this was a poor woman, and that the fleshy part of her leg had been torn off. There being no medical person here, Lieut. Woodcock with great humanity endeavored to dress the wound and attended her daily; and Mr. Hunter ordered her to be supplied with every thing that might conduce to her recovery.

of the idol, and pronounced his obscene stanzas in the ears of the people; who responded at intervals in the same strain. "These songs," said he, "are the delight of the god. His car can only move when he is pleased with the song.' The car moved on a little way and then stopped. A boy of about twelve years was then brought forth to attempt something yet more lascivious, if peradventure the god would

The "child perfected the praise" of his idol with such ardent expression and gesture, that the god was pleased, and the multitude emitting a sensual yell of delight, urged the car along. After a few minutes it stopped again. An aged minister of the idol then stood up, and with a long rod in his hand, which he moved with indecent action, completed the variety of this disgusting exhibition. I felt a consciousness of doing wrong in witnessing it. I was also somewhat appalled at the magnitude and horror of the spectacle; I felt like a guilty person, on whom all eyes were fixed, and I was about to withdraw. But a scene of a different kind was now to be presented. The characteristics of Moloch's worship are obscenity and blood. We have seen the former. Now comes the blood."

The

"After the tower had proceeded some way, a pilgrim announced that he was ready to offer himself a sacrifice to the idol. He laid himself down in the road before the tower as it was moving along, lying on his face, with his arms stretched forward. multitude passed round him, leaving the space clear, and he was crushed to death by the wheels of the tower. A shout of joy was raised to the god. He is said to smile when the libation of the blood is made. The people threw cowries, or small money, on the body of the victim, in approbation of the deed. He was left to view a considerable time, and was then carried by the Hurries to the Golgotha, where I have just been viewing his remains. How much I wished that the proprietors of India stock could have at