were in a state of complete intoxication; and after remaining a short time, one of them called out, "Uncle, a thief is come to steal the offerings-see, he stands there, in a white garment." The uncle, also intoxicated, but still able to walk, staggered up to the pile of offerings, and supposing that to be the thief in a white garment, smote it with such force, as to scatter the offerings at the feet of the goddess, and all over the temple floor. While the uncle was thus driving the thief out of the temple, a friendly dog was devouring the vomit of the nephew laid prostrate in the temple yard.-In conversation with a respectable shōōdrů, on these secret violations of the rules of the cast, he gave me in writing an account, of which the following is a translation: "When a party sit to drink spirits, they ask a wise man among themselves, whose family for seven generations has been in the habit of drinking spirits, what benefit may be derived from the practice? He replies, He who drinks spirits, will be filled with joy, till he fall again and again to the earth: should he vomit, he must place his mouth in it if he devour the vomit, he will be rewarded with heaven." Let the reader add this fact to various others which he will find in the introduction to the first volume, and he will be able to account for the Scripture designating the practices of the heathen by the expressive term"abominable idolatries." : CHAP. III. SECT. I.-Of births, and the nursing and education of children. HINDOOS of respectability treat a pregnant female with peculiar tenderness; and when approaching the time of her delivery, she is indulged with whatever she desires. This solicitude does not arise from the fear that the infant will suffer if the mother be denied what she longs for, but, from the hope of having a son, as well as from a common fear among the Hindoos, that if a female do not obtain what she desires, the delivery will be prolonged. A Hindoo woman exceedingly dreads the hour of childbirth, especially at the first birth after marriage. In the houses of the rich, a slight shed is always prepared for the female; who, after her delivery, is considered as in a state of uncleanness; where a number of families live together, such a shed is always reserved for this purpose. Before the birth of a child, to keep off evil spirits, the Hindoos lay the scull of a dead cow, smeared with red lead, &c. at the door of this hut. If a female have a difficult delivery, she suffers extremely for want of that assistance which a skilful surgeon, (did Hindoo manners admit of his services,) would be able to afford: many perish. The midwives are chiefly of the haree cast; other b So great is this dread, that it has received a proverbial appellation, “sŭtŭ-shŭnka, or the hundred-fold to be dreaded," and the relations of such a female, considering how doubtful her passing through that period with safety is, to show their attachment, present her with various farewell gifts. It is become a proverb among this indolent people, that the life of a woman, being more sedentary, is happier than that of a man, and nothing but a dread of the danger here alluded to, makes them content to be men still. females of low cast practice, but they are not numerous. A roopee and a garment are the common fee to the midwife from the middling ranks; the poor give less. Almost all the lower orders of Hindoos give spirituous liquors to their females immediately after delivery; and medicine, a few hours after the child is born; sickness rarely succeeds a lying-in. When the father first goes to see the child, if a rich man, he puts some money into its hand; and any of the relatives who may be present do the same. The mother is constantly kept very warm; after five days she bathes; and on the sixth day, to obtain the blessing of Shusht'hee on the child, this goddess is worshipped in the room where the child was born. If a child die soon after its birth, the Hindoos say, "See! the want of compassion in Shŭsht'hēē: she gave a child, and now she has tahen it away again." If a person have several children, and they all live, the neighbours say, "Ah!-Shusht'hee's lap !" On the eighth day, to please the neighbouring children, the members of the family sprinkle, with a winnowing fan, on the ground opposite the house, eight kinds of parched pease and parched rice; and about twenty-one days after delivery, the woman begins to attend to her family business. On the twentyfirst day, Shusht'hee is again worshipped, by the women a Hindoos of the lowest class, if several of their children have died soon after the birth, procure a ring to be made from the chains of some convict, and place it upon the next child's ancle. If a son, when grown up, act very contrary to the manners of his parents, he is said to have been changed in the womb by Jatu-harinēē, a goddess, worshipped by this people, and supposed, as her name imports, to play such tricks with mankind. • Poor women in the northern parts of Bengal are known to attend to the business of their families the day after delivery. The author is informed, that sometimes a mother is delivered while at work in the field, when she carries the child home in her arms, and returns to her work there the next day. of the family, under the shade of the fig tree. If the child be a son, the mother continues unclean twenty-one days; if a daughter, a month. The respectable Hindoos, at the birth of a child, keep a record, drawn up by a gănŭků, or astrologer, who is informed by the father, or some relative, of the exact time of the birth, and is requested to cast the nativity of the child and open the roll of its fate. The gunŭkŭ goes home, and draws up a paper, describing what will happen to the child annually, or during as many astronomical periods as he supposes he shall be paid for: indeed some of these rolls describe what will happen to the person during every period of his existence. This astrologer is paid according to the good fortune of the infant, from one roopee to one and two hundred. The parent carefully deposits this paper in his house, and looks at it occasionally, when any thing good or evil happens to his child. The nativity of sons is more frequently cast than that of daughters. Some persons merely keep the date of the birth; or they add the signs under which the child was born, without having its fate recorded. The poor keep no record whatever. f When the child is a few days old, the parents give it a name, which is generally that of a god, the Hindoos believing, that the repetition of the names of the gods is meritorious, and, operating like fire, consumes all sin. Some are the simple names of gods, as Narayŭnů, Kartiků, Gŭnéshŭ, Vŭroonů, Půvănŭ, Bhōōt-nat'hŭ, Indră, f Never that of its father. The names of the gods are also given to towns, gardens, pools, &c. as Shree-Rampoorŭ, the town of Ramŭ; Krishnŭ-vaganŭ, the garden of Krish nŭ; Lukshmēē-sagŭrů, the sea of Lukshmēē. Gopală, Ununtă, Eeshwuru, Koovérů, Muhu-dévŭ, Bhugŭvanů, &c. and others have attached to the name of a god another word, as Ram, and Ram-průsadů, *Krishnŭ, and Krishnu-churunu,' Bramhanŭndu," Shivu-nat'hu," Sōōryu-kant❜hů. The names of the goddesses, with an additional word, is also given to men, as, Doorgachurunu, Gunga-Ramu, &c. These are very common names among the Hindoo men. Women are named after the goddesses, as Kalēē, Doorga, Lukshmēē, Sŭrès wŭtēē, Gŭnga, Radha, &c. To these names some add single words, as Vishnoo-priya.P A great portion of the various names of the gods and goddesses are chosen and given to men and women. The names of heroes and heroines are also given, as Yoodhist'hirŭ, and Bhēēmŭ ; Droupŭdee, and Koontee. Names are also chosen from those of trees, flowers, &c. as Luvungu-lŭta,1 Pŭdmă, Soodha-mookhēē, Sŭkhee.' F The father makes known the name, though the mother has generally the privilege of choosing it. Some Hindoos place two lamps on two names beginning with the `same letter, and choose that over which the lamp burns most fiercely. Besides the common name, another is given by selecting a letter from the name of the stellarmansion under which the child was born: this is used in the marriage contract, and at other ceremonies. I give an example from the name of one of the Sungskritů pundits in the Serampore printing-office: Krishnů happened to The common name for God. i The great god. * Průsadů, plea sure; this name intimates that Ramă is pleased with this person. T Chŭrănă, foot. m Anŭndŭ, joy. n Nat'hŭ, lord. o Kant❜hú, beautiful.' The beloved of Vishnoo. The climbing plant Luvinga. **The water-lily. She whose mouth is like the water of life. A female friend. 2 |