pagodas
attached to their territories, but the greater part is in the hands
of the Jainas (the oldest of Hindu sects) and of the Rajputana Takurs,
whose ancient hereditary castles are scattered all over Rajistan, like
so many eagles' nests on high rocks. The existence of the celebrated
collections in Jassulmer and Patana is not unknown to the Government,
but they remain wholly beyond its reach. The manuscripts are written in
an ancient and now completely forgotten language, intelligible only to
the high priests and their initiated librarians. One thick folio is
so sacred and inviolable that it rests on a heavy golden chain in the
centre of the temple of Chintamani in Jassulmer, and taken down only
to be dusted and rebound at the advent of each new pontiff. This is
the work of Somaditya Suru Acharya, a great priest of the pre-Mussulman
time, well-known in history. His mantle is still preserved in the
temple, and forms the robe of initiation of every new high priest.
Colonel James Tod, who spent so many years in India and gained the love
of the people as well as of the Brahmans--a most uncommon trait in the
biography of any Anglo-Indian--has written the only true history of
India, but even he was never allowed to touch this folio. Natives
commonly believe that he was offered initiation into the mysteries
at the price of the adoption of their religion. Being a devoted
archaeologist he almost resolved to do so, but, having to return to
England on account of his health, he left this world before he could
return to his adopted country, and thus the enigma of this new book of
the sibyl remains unsolved.

The Takurs of Rajputana, who are said to possess some of the underground
libraries, occupy in India position similar to the position of European
feudal barons of the Middle Ages. Nominally they are dependent on some
of the native princes or on the British Government; but de facto they
are perfectly independent. Their castles are built on high rocks, and
besides the natural difficulty of entering them, their possessors are
made doubly unreachable by the fact that long secret passages exist in
every such castle, known only to the present owner and confided to his
heir only at his death. We have visited two such underground halls, one
of them big enough to contain a whole village. No torture would ever
induce the owners to disclose the secret of their entrances, but the
Yogis and the initiated Adepts come and go freely, entirely