s send out persons to tell the sad news. The people, believing
the report, hasten to bring in their gifts and offerings. The god, on
beholding such proofs of their attachment to him, feels himself cured of
his disease, and immediately returns to his throne within the temple.

The Brahmins use another kind of deception, in order to procure
offerings for the temples. They declare that their gods are angry with
certain individuals who have offended them, and that they have sent some
evil spirit or devil to take possession of their bodies and torment
them. Accordingly, persons appear wandering about in different parts of
the country, showing, by their dreadful convulsions, their writhings
and twistings, every symptom of being possessed with the devil. The
people who see them are filled with dismay, fall down before them, and
offer gifts and sacrifices, for fear of being injured by them. Whatever
they ask is granted. The people give them to eat and drink abundantly;
and when they leave a place, accompany them with instruments of music,
till they arrive at some other place, where the same deception is
practised.

There are various other ways in which the Brahmins deceive the people;
but I have told you enough.

At every large temple, there is at least yearly one grand procession.
The idol is brought out from its inclosure, and placed in a great car or
chariot, prepared for this express purpose. This stands upon four wheels
of great strength, not made like ours, of spokes with a rim, but of
three or four pieces of thick, solid timber, rounded and fitted to each
other. The car is sometimes forty or fifty feet high, having upon it
carved images of a most abominable nature. I must not tell you any thing
about them. The car, when finished, presents somewhat the shape of a
pyramid.

[Illustration]

On the day of the procession, it is adorned with painted cloth, garlands
of flowers, green shrubbery, and precious stuffs. The idol is placed in
the centre, loaded with jewels, etc., to attract the attention of the
people. Having fastened ropes to this enormous car, eight or nine
hundred or a thousand people catch hold of the ropes and slowly drag it
along, accompanied with the awful roaring of their voices. At certain
periods they stop; when the immense crowds, collected from all parts of
the country, set up one universal shout, or rather yell. This, with the
sound of their instruments and numerous drums, produces much uproar and