the influence of an evil destiny may be known from those who are born under happier auspices.

I saw, then, as the Bramhun continued to speak, that Goonah Purist became more and more dejected: he folded his arms, and sat with his eyes bent downward, attentively and eagerly hearkening for some word of comfort to a sinful soul standing in need of salvation: but, in all the words of the Bramhun he found not as yet any thing which might lead him to that which he needed, to wit, primarily, justification, or a means by which he might reasonably hope for emancipation from the punishment of his sins; and, secondly, sanctification, or a means by which his polluted nature might be rendered pure.

At length, he thus addressed the Bramhun:"By what you have hitherto said, I am to understand that all religious duties have the same end, even such an absorption in the Supreme Being, as produces an entire exemption from all the pains and sorrows to which we are liable in our separate state. You also intimated, in the beginning of our conversation, that there were several ways by which this end might be attained: either by separation from human society, bodily austerities, abstraction of mind, or, the observance of devotional duties. I am willing, as I before said, to be led by you. Point out to me what I ought to do, and you will, I trust, find in me a faithful disciple."

The Bramhun answered, "God is to be obtained by him who maketh God alone the object of his works. The yogee who, in the deep solitudes of the desert, devotes the day to meditation upon God; and the devotee who observes, with scrupulous nicety, the appointed hours of prayer; do both perform one duty, and will obtain the self-same end-provided that each alike performs

the duties of life, quitting all interest in them, and placing his desires upon Brumhu, the Supreme; not being tainted by sin, but remaining, like the leaf of the lotus, unaffected by the waters."

"It is, then, to Brumhu, the Supreme Being," returned Goonah Purist, "that I must address my devotions?"

"I would have you to understand," replied the Bramhun, "that the one God is never worshipped by us as a mere spiritual being, but always as united to matter. The universe is full of the Divine Majesty; therefore, whatever creature partakes more largely and especially of the divine energy, that creature is rightly considered as a fit object of our adoration. It is written in one of our holy books," continued the Bramhun, "that when Brumhu resolved to create, he individuated himself into separate portions of animal life. The principal of these were, Shivu, Vishnoo, and Brumhu: and from these three superior deities, an infinite number of inferior deities, worshipped by us, have derived their origin. These deities are personifications of certain qualities of the Supreme Being: as they appear in the works of creation, the government of the world, and the work of destruction. And of these we have formed certain images, in order to fix the mind of the worshipper, and to assist him in forming suitable ideas of their attributes and splendour."

« But,” said Goonah Purist, “ can these deities save me from the effects of my sins? I feel like one on whom the sentence of death has already passed; and I am looking for one who is not only willing, but able, to save me."

"We believe that each of these inferior deities, or debtas, has the power," replied the Bramhun, "to save his votaries from eternal misery, pro

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vided they exercise an unshaken confidence in him. But, if they are desirous of possessing any earthly good, they must apply to that god whose particular province it is to bestow it.

"But let us employ no more time in conversation. I have, surely, said enough to make you comprehend the nature of that religion, which I perceive, by your dress and appearance, was the religion of your forefathers. Follow me, and I will provide you with a speedy deliverance from the burden of your past sins, and will also point out to you a way by which you may be purified from the plague of your leprosy."

So the Bramhun led the way, and Goonah Purist followed him slowly, for he went like one heavily burdened, till he came to the side of a fair large river, by which stood many sacred buildings, from each of which a flight of stone steps descended into the water. The ushwuttu, or Indian fig-tree, grew on each side these steps, affording a thick shade to many pilgrims, who paid their devotions beneath its wide-spreading branches.

"That holy stream," said the Bramhun, addressing Goonah Purist, "is called Gunga. She is a goddess, the daughter of Mount Himavut; and he who thinks upon her, though he may be eight hundred miles distant from her sacred streams at the time, is delivered from all sin, and is entitled to heaven. There are," continued the Bramhun, "three million five hundred thousand holy places belonging to Gunga; and the person who looks on her, or bathes in her waters, will obtain thereby all the fruit which might accrue from visiting all those sacred places.

"There is no sin, however grievous," proceeded

he, even the sin of killing a cow, or a Bramhun, or of drinking ardent liquors, which may not be washed away by the waters of Gunga."

The Bramhun then directed Goonah Purist to bring offerings of fruit, rice, cloth, sweetmeats, garlands of flowers, sesamum, and clarified butter, to the river; which, after various ceremonies and addresses to several gods, including the inhabitants of the waters, namely, the fish, the tortoises, the frogs, the water-snakes, the leeches, the snails, the shell-fish, &c. were thrown into the river. Other ceremonies followed; after which, the Bramhun left Goonah Purist, for a while, on the banks of the river.

Then I continued to look after Goonah Purist, who took up his dwelling by the water-side, under the shade of the many-branching ushwuttu: and, day by day, he carefully performed his devotions, standing up to his middle in the water; from time to time immersing his whole body in the stream. Moreover, he gave gifts and alms to the yogees and sunyasses, and other persons esteemed holy, who came to the river to bathe.

Now it came to pass, in my dream, that I looked to see whether the burden on the back of this lamenting sinner had fallen off, or whether the inflammation of his leprosy had in any wise abated: but I perceived no change for the better in his case, notwithstanding the promises and flattering assurances of the Bramhun. Upon which I began to think that the old man had undertaken more than he could perform. So I looked again; and, after a while, the Bramhun came to Goonah Purist, to enquire of him, how he did, and what relief he had found by following his directions.

Then I perceived that the poor man broke out into lamentations and tears, saying, that he feared his was a desperate case, inasmuch as the sacred waters of Gunga had as yet afforded him no relief; nor was he able to persuade himself that they ever would.

To which the Bramhun replied, "If this be the case,―if, by reason of your exceeding sinfulness, the holy Gunga refuses her purifying influences,— we must endeavour to win the favour of some other deity."

So speaking, the Bramhun bade Goonah Purist to follow him; and he led him into the courts of the sacred buildings, which I before mentioned.

Now I saw, in my dream, that these courts were amazingly extensive, and contained the images or shrines of thirty-three millions of debtas, or inferior gods, by whose instrumentality, the Bramhun affirmed that the Supreme Being performed all his works.

Some of these images were placed under trees deemed sacred, and others in small buildings covered with cupolas, which buildings were chapels consecrated each to its respective debta. Then the Bramhun made Goonah Purist to visit many of these sacred buildings, and to learn the names of a number of these debtas. Moreover, he made him acquainted with some of the histories and exploits of these demi-gods, whose most celebrated actions were depicted, in flaming colours, on the outer walls of their respective chapels. And behold, these debtas were of monstrous and horrible forms: some having many heads, and others many arms; some presenting the heads of beasts, and others the tails of fishes; while others again expressed the countenance of man diabolically caricatured, with every abominable and hideous variety of which the human form is capable. These idols were placed on pedestals, in the several places consecrated to their worship. And I saw that the dark and filthy walls of the small chapels had no other light than that of a lamp burning in a little niche formed in the wall.

Then I hearkened to the words of the Bramhun,