"The writings of the Hindoos, every class of them, even their works on ethics, are full of abominable allusions and descriptions; so that they are to-day what they were ages ago, a people unrivalled for impurity. Many parts of the works called the Lunus, of the poorans, and of their poetical writings, are so indelicate, that they cannot possibly be translated; they can never see the light. But what is a million-fold more atrocious, the object of worship appears as the personification of sin itself. One or two of the Hindoo objects of worship cannot possibly be named; but in the acts of Hindoo worship the same licentiousness prevails. In the songs and dances before the idols, at the periodical festivals, impurity throws away her mask. The respectable natives themselves are absolutely ashamed of being seen in their temples. A Brahmin acknowledged that he never witnessed these spectacles without hiding himself behind one of the pillars of the temple. The scenes exhibited in the boats on the Ganges every year at the festival of the goddess Doorga, in the presence of hundreds of spectators, are grossly impure; and at the annual festival of the goddess of learning, the conduct of the worshippers is intolerably offensive. The figures painted on the car of Juggernaut, which is exhibited to the public gaze for fifteen days together, at the festivals in honour of this deity, are equally licentious. And, as might be expected, the priests and the religious mendicants under this profligate system, are the very ring

aders in crime. The whole country is, indeed, ven up to abomination in that degree, that, acrding to the opinion of one of the oldest and ost respectable residents in India, there is scarcea chaste female to be found among all these yriads of idolaters."

CHAPTER V.

"The patient kine

Pursue their tedious toil: this way or that
They turn obedient, as their guide directs,
By pull of either tail: he sits aloft

In easy state, and sucks the fragrant smoke
Delicious from the cocoa-nut, with tube

And earthen trumpet top, where burns the weed
Narcotic."-ORIENT HARPING,

INFLUENCE OF CASTE ON

CROPS ILLUSTRATIONS
ANECDOTES, &c.

AGRICULTURE-VARIOUS

OF SCRIPTURE-SNAKES

THE greatest of all impediments to the improvement of the moral and social, as well as religious condition of the Hindoos, is the tenacity with which the distinctions of castes are holden. These follow them into all their pursuits, trades, and avocations. The agriculturists particularly, labour under the greatest disadvantages from this barrier to all improvement, as the following statement, made from actual observation will fully prove.

Loss of caste would inevitably follow the introduction of any improvement or alteration in the shape or construction of their agricultural implements, which are the same in appearance now that

they were centuries ago. The European often smiles to behold the Bengalee ploughman going forth to work; a yoke of kine are driven before him, whilst the plough is carried on his shoulders, harness he needs not, as the plough consists of a long pole, through one end of which a piece of harder wood passes, forming the share and handle, whilst at the other end another piece, transversely fixed, answers the purpose of a yoke: this resting upon the necks of the kine, just before the high hump, precludes the necessity of any harness being used. The form of one of these ploughs may be pretty accurately conceived, by imagining an anchor with one of the arms reversed, that is, pointing downwards, the stock forming the yoke. With this plough they merely scarify the ground, no furrows are made, in fact they describe any line in their ploughing but a straight one. I have seen twenty ploughs at work in a large field, crossing each other at all points, stirring it up to the depth of about five or six inches, and in this manner the earth is prepared for the casting in of the seed, without fetching up a portion of new soil, as is the case with ploughing in England. On account of caste, the Bengal farmer cannot feed and rear sheep or poultry, except he be a Mussulman; and Mussulman farmers must not rear pigs, nor spin the wool of their sheep, this must be done by a low caste of Hindoos. Cows must not be fattened for slaughter by Hindoos, neither are they permitted to breed horses; this is all left to the Mussulman farmer, who,

although much less fettered than his Hindoo neighbour, yet even he lies under many restrictions which prove a great hindrance to his prosperity. However industrious the Hindoo farmer may be, yet he must not make or mend any implements of agriculture, or build an outhouse or tank; the Grammy caste must do this. If his fish ponds are full of large fish, he must not catch any for sale, the Mutchewallah must have all the sport and profit. If his land be full of fine brick earth, he must let the Hooman make bricks, and buy the quantity he wants from him; then he dares not use one himself, but however small the job must employ a regular builder. When his trees are laden with cocoa nuts, a particular caste must gather them; the owner even then must employ another caste to extract the kernel, which he is not permitted to press into oil; this falls to the lot of another low caste, and so on with regard to making coir and besoms, from the husks and leaves, every process must be effected by a particular party, a breach of these regulations entailing loss of caste.

It is the same with regard to the produce of the fields. Cotton must be sold in its raw state, and those who spin it, must not weave it. Sugar, tobacco, mustard seed, fruit, and vegetables, are all under some restraints, so that a man cannot do with the produce of his fields what he pleases, nor make the slightest improvement upon the customs of his fathers, under pains and penalties which, to a Hindoo, are worse than death itself. I knew an