modern Buddhism in India. The temples of the
Buddhists are very interesting to see. Many of their priests are men of
learning and culture. I spent a few hours with them, and received much
attention on their part on account of my being a representative of
America. There is an old tradition among the Hindoos that the garden of
Eden was situated on the island of Ceylon. The Hindoo narrative of the
fall of man has many features in common with the biblical narrative, but
with this difference: that Adam, being reproached for his sins, did not,
according to the Hindoo legend, put the blame on Eve, but took it all on
himself, and said that he alone was to blame, and that the woman should
not be cursed. It is further told that when they were expelled from
paradise they turned their course northward, and when they came to the
shallow water which separates Ceylon from the main land of Asia, Adam
took Eve in his arms and carried her across.

Having remained two days at this delightful place we embarked again, and
on the 20th of May we were steaming along the coast of Arabia, being
within sight of land the whole morning. In my note-book I find the
following lines for this day: "Under thick canvass there is a strangely
mixed crowd of people on the half-deck, gathered for divine worship, and
when they closed the same by singing:

'O, hear us as we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea,'

the voices of Mohammedans, Jews, Buddhists and Brahmins from a dozen
different countries were blended with those of the Christians."

We spent the 22d of May in the city of Aden, in South Arabia. This place
is hot and dreary. Accompanied by one of my fellow-passengers I took
a ride on camel-back through the desert to the celebrated water
reservoirs. It seldom rains more than once in every three years at this
place. To preserve the water that falls on these occasions the Arabians
have built a series of cisterns, or large reservoirs, for the water
along the foot of a mountain. These cisterns are made with great
architectural skill; they are built of stone and cement, and are much
more compact and durable than similar works of modern times. Water is a
great luxury in Southern Arabia, and it is customary to offer the driver
a drink of water for his camel or horse as an encouragement to drive a
little faster or to show him a favor. At the same time the driver does
not object to a tip, which in oriental countries is called, as in Egypt,
"ba