safeguards against fraud in the substitution of unhallowed

water.

Even this sealing process is curious, for, instead of a little commonplace fire, the men we noticed had each kindled one end of a whole tree, and were allowing it gradually to smoulder. This, remember, was all in the open street, and the blue smoke from the fires curled upwards in a light film, blending with the warm brown tones of thatch and shadow. Each bottle is protected by a wicker case, for doubtless it has far to travel. A vast number of ecclesiastical traders devote their lives to the sale of this holy water, not only for the service of the idols, and for medicinal purposes, but also for use in British courts of justice (where it takes the place of the Bible in the administration of oaths.) So large covered baskets are filled with these thin bottles, of all sizes to suit all purses, from tiny bottles two inches long, to large ones containing about a quart. (We may be sure that the tiniest bottle is costly, by the time it has been carried a thousand miles)

The water carriers travel in companies, each carrying two of these baskets slung from the ends of a bamboo which rests on his shoulder. The baskets are decorated with peacock s feathers and little red flags, and in each company there is apparently a leader, whose basket is more ornamental than the others, having a large arched cover with numerous little jingling bells, which tinkle as they travel.

This traffic in holy water seems to be the chief trade of the town. The only secular business of which I saw any sign was cotton-picking. Everything else was more or less in the sacred line. Many stalls were exclusively for the sale of brass idols of every sort and kind, chiefly neat little pocket idols. There were thousands of brass bells, such as are rung in the temples; incense burners, flower vases, absurd brass toys, mirrors, lotas, glass bottles of every size for holy water, while many men are wholly occupied in making basket-work cases for these. I think all the other booths were devoted to the sale of sweetmeats and beads -beads of every sort and kind and colour, ridiculously cheap, made of Ganges mud painted and gilded.

The temples lie all along the edge of the river. There are none of very striking architecture, but the general effect is nevertheless picturesque in the extreme. The domes are chiefly pyramidal, very tall in proportion to their height, almost like thick spires, and much carved. Some are short and low, and incrusted with a pattern like huge roses in stone. They are mostly overshadowed with sacred peepul trees--the abode of innumerable monkeys, who have the run of the temples and of the town; and who sit perched on roofs or balconies, inspecting the various goods offered in the market below, and, suddenly pouncing down, help themselves to whatever they fancy, none venturing to thwart the sacred animals.

Passing through the town, our road lay for about a mile beside the river, sometimes overshadowed by fine old banyan-trees and small temples. We found the pleasant little Forest Bungalow all ready for us, a secluded nest, in a compound surrounded with a hedge of tall aloes in blossom, far above which waved pink sirkee grass, which in fact was actually higher than the house. Beyond were fine trees and clumps of tall bamboo. Two bed rooms and a large sitting-room, with sufficient furniture for all requirements, seemed to us luxury, and being very dusty, very hungry, and very tired, supper, baths, and bed, happily crowned a day of much enjoyment.

LL 2

CHAPTER XXI.

IN THE HOLY CITY OF HARDWAR.

A Brave Christian-The Telegraph-The Great Canal-The Great Fair-A Terrible Catastrophe-Scorpion and Snake Bites-In the TemplesFamiliarity with Idolatry-Sacred Pebbles-The Five Daily ServicesSacred Bulls in Marble or Metal-Animals associated with divers Gods -A Priest's Home-A Living Image-A Lovely Island-The Ganges from its Source to the Ocean-Shrine at Gangoutri-The Town of Kanthal-Night March through the Forest-Adventures-Nynee Tal— Almorah-Darjeeling.

VERY near the house in which we were so comfortably lodged, stands another, inhabited by the only Christian resident in the district, a clerk in the telegraph office. I believe he is an American, quiet and shy in speaking to such a rara avis as ourselves, but brave and plucky enough in other matters. Fancy this only Christian in that hotbed of heathenism, going bravely out to the temples at the hours of sacrifice, to preach, which, I was told, he does most eloquently. If you can imagine a solitary Hindoo explaining his views of religion at some great revival meeting in Ireland or Scotland, you may perhaps realise the situation. The people listen to his words as to a curious and pleasant story, but he told me that he had not the smallest reason to hope he had ever made one convert. Nevertheless if pleading for the Master's cause, when that cause is unpopular, be the truest test of discipleship, it may be that from this far-away village there shall some day be gathered one of earth's least, who shall be chief in the Master's kingdom.

THE TELEGRAPH AT WORK!

517

How strange it did seem to find a telegraph working in this out-of-the-way place, and to know that, if need were, I could have flashed a message home by lightning! Nor is this the only wonderful proof of England's skill that has astonished the people of Hardwar. Within a stone's throw of our bungalow was the head of the great Ganges Canal, the work which above all others, not even excepting the railway, has most amazed the natives, and which will, through long ages, prove the most priceless boon to this thirsty land.

Of all India's difficult questions, that of irrigation has always proved one of the most fertile sources of trouble in a land subject to sudden and prolonged droughts, such as must inevitably destroy the growing crops, especially the rice-fields on which so many myriads are wholly dependent. This too in a country where vast districts have even now no good roads whereby to bring food from afar. Of course a frightful famine follows, such as that of which we have in several recent years received such appalling statistics; human beings dying in numbers almost incredible, while bullocks, cows, sheep, and goats have all shared the same horrible fate. And looking back a few years farther, we find that in 1833 a million and a half of human beings perished in the awful famine.

To avert such horrors as these, the Mogul emperors devoted their chief energies. Thus we hear of Feroze having made one great canal from the Chetang river to Hansi and Hissar, and he bordered his canal with trees which should give to all travellers shade, blossom, and fruit. Moreover, he made thirty great reservoirs, and fifty dams across the river, for purposes of irrigation. He also constructed roads that should open up the country, with one hundred and fifty bridges, and one hundred caravanserais for travellers. When Shah Jehan succeeded to the throne, he made a branch canal from that of Feroze which was carried by an aqueduct of masonry right through Delhi, whence watercourses diverged to supply all quarters of the town, the tanks and gardens. Akbar's chief part in this matter seems to have been repairing the works of his predecessors.

Two hundred years later these were choked up during intestine wars till they were once more restored at enormous cost by the East India Company, to the exceeding joy of the people, who went forth as to a great religious festival to meet the returning waters, and cast in their offerings of flowers.

For England was reserved the honour of devising this mighty Ganges Canal, and for Sir Proby Cautley the merit of designing it. Its first suggestion was met with utter amazement on the part of the Hindoos. To those who dwelt in distant regions, the possibility that these sacred, life-giving waters might perhaps be brought to their very doors was so astounding that they could hardly believe in it, more especially as the Brahmans denounced the undertaking as altogether impious, and declared that the great goddess Gunga would swiftly avenge herself on the rash mortals who dared attempt to divide the sacred stream, and assign to her any course save that in which it should please her to flow.

Great, then, was the interest with which they marked the vicissitudes of the work, and of course the difficulties of such an undertaking were manifold. In many places the canal is constantly endangered by the overwhelming torrents which, only during the rains, rush down from the mountains, varying their course from year to year at their own sweet will. Sometimes foundations had to be laid on the shifting sands across these vague river beds. Across one of these-the River Solani-the canal has been carried by a great aqueduct, ending in a raised embankment three miles long, thus reaching the town of Roorkee. Beyond Roorkee two long tunnels of strong masonry carry the canal below the bed of similar torrents.

But in some places the levels will not admit of either of these methods, and then comes the sorest test of engineering skill, when, by the help of mighty weirs and sluices, the flood is carried right across the bed of the canal, whose own waters are held back by great floodgates. Those who have witnessed this bridling of the mad, foaming waters, thus mightily forced back by the work of puny human atoms, speak of it as a scene of breathless