through the Walls, near their foundation,1 for tho.telb |tar^ose!d^adinit-
^agsdogs; qr other -beasts of prey. On rfhe hgdkJfcbbve,: a platform
overhung, tire inclosure, which had been* constructed for.the convenis
©%<^^i|ireGipitating the*deadfoodies ;with greater-ease; over- the walls",
into,the area..• Andhere, I understood, the only rites performed,foft
hpstforcjf ifhe dead, were merely such as tended io ifacilitate theide-
sJructioji of the body by dogs, or birds of prey. • vBut though, t.his-was
thcjgeneral receptacle, yet, there, were some who declined the use. of
it, ,an:d.conveyed their friends to the sumaafoJttftMm^afei^hBiMal^
hill, where, 1 .was told, they disjointed and mangled $ tbewdead-bedyi
that it might, become a more easy,prey to carnivorous'- birds: '1 fcBnfo
eluded, thafother.ewas a strong prejudice in their minds, of some idea
of pollution attached to ° being given to the dogs,"-which was sufficient
to create a preference of the contrary practice. - *
In Tibet;, as well as in Bengal, an annual festival is kept inhMbfo-ef
the dead. On the 59th of October, as soon as the evening drew on,
and it became dark, a general illumination was displayed upon the
summits of all the buildings in the monastery; the" tops also of the
houses upon the plain, as well as in the most distant villages, scattered
among the clusters of willows, were in the saiiie manner lighted up
with: lamps, exhibiting all together, a brilliant and splendid spectacle.
The light was ;dark, the..weather calm, and the lights -burnt with a
cleat and steady flame. The Tibetians reckon these circumstances of
the first importance, as, on the contrary, they deem it a most evil
omen if the weather be stormy, and their lights extinguished by the
wind or ratio.
It is^btrfchyfoffloWefl^.v# infitewally5, ahfofleiftt'deptendsf Hpbfi,'<a pre-
VfoliMy ,^dolarfe^|oS^,RSld! how diiaxnllri^li^blpositSItbb'CnyotidM.
riiayv'hef,° alt-Ifohg.Bffforoducefofby >'af p^estfalhes!* ©^aeM^’ similar. Id
Efiglapd j Tfffotf Beerd'a'ecus
the1 MbflgeSt ekpressiori ifo’## &aw| tfollBf eiffiibitBcl
af^hlbofomn^toke'n^ awful- tribute
of- respect i'rihuiiiel-abl^tg^nbte!#l0'fcts^®| '„tBSt'dea#. The
darkness «feh4| ritfght;* the) - pFdMkdK^^^ulJIt^’ahaltsilb&e^hihter4
rupted -'only* afad !§lbiwl"^iilep'ratiecibtb,&^S|o®jtheV nowbut,
tiurnpct, gong,’ aiid’ cymbal. *at difttionthnlei-v d?;>«4 teSf t Jl 1 ingf.rt
and the lotfd ihdrfotohohs reipe'titidn ofiSehtbnebWf payfef'§Snie'time&
heard-when the in’stram’erits' were^sil’dfet;' werenall §4 fcalbWlatedyfoy
the^sdfomnityr'tb pro'duce%di¥o®i,reflection,- that Prfeafhy believe Ino
Muhiah cerefribriy coiild posMbty have$^fofoefoteived; MMSefieetbally
foi isipress the mind with sfentimentfejofla-vf^. M‘add'i^j§ihfe#tMiS>%|l^4
nal token of solemn ^trospect,- acts’ of beneficence' perforfnech'during!
this fe^tiy.albare supposed to have ftpliar- merifo and Ml’ ip&Wo'ris)- are-
called upon,-according to-their ability,?tb^dilfoibutei;allns‘,‘arJd>t'o’feed
the poor. J
-This is- a festival of equab cfeleHrifcy in' Bengal ah’d»Hifidostith,iwfth
both Mohammedansland Hindoos;-by the'forme»'is-called Shiibi-'
bauTaUf; by fheUatter Ghefaug-poojt^f'fv
Being go,vended, in all the concerns ofitlifeyby an awful rfega-ryktot
the dictates' of superstition, it is*,rfo.wonder that Wte find-thisfpebjplei
placing impliciMconfidence^hn a'iserie'S'-ofoiu'ck^r^hdi unluckyi days.
Bevoted to astrology, they1 ydeld'-aliyBlllfig, homage' ttJt its,;prt>fe^ors.