feet, a seat, tobacco, water to drink, &c. After these refreshments, they give him fire-wood, a new earthen pot to cook in2, rice, split peas, oil, spices, &c. The next morning he departs, sometimes without saying any thing, and at other times he takes leave. In the houses of the poor or the covetous, a stranger meets with worse entertainment. Not unfrequently the mistress of the house excuses herself to a person wishing to become a guest, and among other things alleges, that there are none but women and children at home. It is not very uncommon for a traveller to go to several houses, and to be refused at all. This is partly. owing to fear, that the stranger may plunder the house in the night. Where persons have porches at the outside of their houses, they have less fear, as the stranger is then kept at a distance. This hospitality to strangers is indeed sometimes abused by a thief, who robs the house and de

2 Almost every Hindoo is either constantly or occasionally his own cook.

a The Hindoos have no word for 'thank you' in their common language, and gratitude itself appears to constitute no part of their virtues. The greatest benefits conferred very rarely meet with even the least acknowledgment. I have known European physicians perform the most extraordinary cures on the bodies of the natives gratuitously, without a solitary instance occurring of a single individual returning to acknowledge the favour. Amongst the higher orders of Hindoos, however, the master of a house sometimes says to a guest on his departure,' You will excuse all inattention;' and the guest replies,' Oh! sir, you are of a distinguished cast! What shall I say in return for the manner in which I have been entertained? Such food! such a bed! But this is like yourself. No one entertains a guest as you do. May Lukshmēē (the goddess of riches) ever dwell in your house.'

I suppose, that in all eastern countries it is a custom for guests to be thus entertained at private houses. The address of our Lord to his disciples seems to intimate that such was the case among the Jews: And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And whosoever shall not receive you, when ye depart out of that house, &c.'

camps. Yet if a person refuse to entertain a stranger, the shastru declares that all the sins of the guest become his, and his works of merit become the guest's. The traveller sometimes murmurs on going away, exclaiming that the people of this village are so depraved, that they refuse a handful of rice to a traveller. If a family are unable through poverty to entertain a guest, the shastrů orders that they shall beg for his relief. The stranger after eating must take nothing uncooked from the house.

A person of the name of Golŭků-Chundrů-Rayŭ, of Serampore, formerly sirkar to the Danish East India Company, has particularly distinguished himself in the present day, as the most eminent Hindoo in Bengal for liberality to strangers. Upon an average, two hundred travellers or mendicants were formerly fed daily at and from his house; and it is said that he expended in this manner fifty thousand roopees annually.

Another work of charity is the digging of pools by the side of public roads, to supply the thirsty traveller with water. The cutting of these ponds, and building flights of steps in order to descend into them, is in many cases very expensive: four thousand roopees are frequently expended in one pond, including the expense attending the setting it apart to the use of the public; at which time an assembly of bramhuns is collected, and certain formulas from the shastrus read by a priest; among which, in the name of the offerer, he says, I offer this pond of water to quench the thirst of mankind.' At the close of the ceremony, a feast is given to the assembled bramhŭns, who are also dismissed with presents. It is unlawful for the owner ever afterwards to appropriate this pond to his own private use. If the water be very clear and sweet, the offerer is complimented as a

person with whose merits the gods are pleased. A person of Burdwan, of the name of Ramŭ-palŭ, is mentioned as having prepared as many as a hundred pools in different places, and given them for public use. Persons inhabiting

villages where water was scarce, used to petition this public benefactor to cut a pool for them; and, after obtaining leave of the raja, he bestowed upon them this necessary blessingb.

The planting of trees to afford shade to travellers is another act of merit among the Hindoos, and, in a hot climate like this, deserves to be classed among actions that are commendable. Some trees also are considered as sacred, and the planting of them is therefore deemed a religious act. The trees thus planted are generally the ŭshwůť'hů, the vůtůa, vilwů, ŭshoků, vŭkoolů, plúkshuh, oodoombŭrů, shingshŭpa*, tumalů1, jēēvn-pootrēēm, &c. At the time of planting these trees, no religious ceremony takes place; but when they are dedicated to public or sacred uses, the ceremony called prŭtisht'ha is performed. The person who plants one ŭshwŭt'hŭ”, one nimbăo, two chumpŭků, three nagukéshwůru, seven talŭ', and nine cocoa-nut trees, and devotes them with their fruit, shade, &c. to public uses, is promised heaven.

About twenty years ago, a landowner of Patŭ-dŭhů, about fourteen miles from Calcutta, planted an orchard by a

b Cutting wells made a man famous in patriarchal times: a well, said to be Jacob's well, existed in Samaria at the commencement of the Christian era. John iv. 6, 12.

Ficus religiosa. d Ficus Indica. • Ægle marmelos. f Jonesia h Ficus venosa. i Ficus glomerata.

asoca.

Mimusops elengi.

Dalbergia Sisso.

Ficus religiosa. 4 Mesua ferea.

1 Xanthochymus pictorius.

• Melia azadirachta. Borassus flabelliformis.

in Unascertained.

P Michelia champaca.

public road, placed a person to keep it, and dedicated it to the use of travellers of all descriptions ;.who are permitted to enter it, and take as much fruit as they can eat on the spot. Krishnů-vůsoo, of Calcutta, made a road from Kutŭků to the temple of Jugŭnnat'hŭ, in Orissa, and planted a double row of fruit trees on the sides of this road for the use of pilgrims going to the temple. The pilgrims cook their food, sleep under the shade of these trees, and eat the fruit which they yield. He also cut a large pool near the temple, to supply these pilgrims with water. Raja Sookhu-muyů, of Calcutta, who died in the year 1811, left 100,000 roopees to be appropriated to the repairs and im-' provement of the road to the temple of Jugunnat'hŭ, in Orissa, and to assist pilgrims going there in paying the tax to government.

In some parts, in the sultry months Voishakhŭ and Jyoisht hu, rich Hindoos, as an act of merit, erect sheds by the public roads, and supply travellers gratis with water and other refreshments.

For the comfort of travellers, lodging-houses are erected by opulent Hindoos on the side of public roads, in some of which travellers are supplied with refreshments gratis.

SECT. XX.-Reading and hearing the Pooranus.

At the close of most of the pooranus, the writers affirm, that it is an act of the greatest merit, extinguishing all sin, for the people to read these works, or hear them read.

There are very few good public roads in Bengal.

Those principally recited in Bengal, as an act of merit, are the Muhabharǎțů, the Shree-bhagŭvůtů, the Kalikŭ pooranů, the Ootkŭlu and Kashēē khundust.

Some auspicious day, in the month Kartiků, Maghŭ, or Voishakhŭ, is chosen, on the day preceding which the bramhuns are entertained: A shed, covered with thatch and open on all sides, is prepared, sufficiently large, if the ceremony be on a grand scale, to accommodate four or five thousand people. At one end, a place rather elevated is prepared for the person who is to read; and the other end, if there be a portico to the house, is enclosed by a curtain, from whence the women hear, and peep through the crevices. Mats are spread for the people to sit on, the bramhuns in one place, and the kayůst hus in another", and the shōōdrus in another. On the appointed day all take their places the people, on entering, make prostration to the shalgramŭ and to the bramhuns. The person at whose expense this is performed, after bathing, enters the assembly, acquaints the pundits with his design, and asks leave to choose those who are to read; to each of whom he presents a piece of cloth, directing him what to do. The reader (Pat❜hŭků) sits on the elevated seat; below him, on the right and left, sit the examiners, (Dharŭkŭs;) and before him the Sudŭsyus, who decide upon the exactness of the copy. Two persons (Shrotas) sit in front, and in the name of the householder hear it read. Before the recitation begins, a bramhŭn in his name presents a garland of

:

These two last works are parts of the Skundů pooranů.

" When a kayůst'hŭ has a pooranŭ read at his own house, before the recital commences the officiating bramhun worships the book, the author, and the person whose actions are celebrated in this work. Flowers, rice, a burnt-offering, &c. are presented to the book, and to the persons worshipped.