Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/181

 down laok, aud as there arc no chimneys, the smoke escapes through the roof or low doorway, and keeps out the mesquitees. The ditch is ususlly spsuned by a narrow plank, whick seems to be a favorite spot to porform the operation of tooth cleaning, for we Tarely pras one of these narrow bridges upon which one cr more natives is not perched, industriously serubbing at his mouth, which I think must be a part of the religion of a Hindoo, for thongh his black ekin may be filthy, and his hair frowsly, I notice that thelr testh are untyerzally white end clean.

Passing by one of these villages by mid— day one cannot apprecists the multitude of inhabitents it sheltors. Ali ig still and somnolent—eyen the trees. The mon exo away 2t work in the fields, their better- halves are asleep, and the children are at the schools supported by the government but for which the peaple have ta pay in taxes. But in the early mornivg, or an hour before dark in theevenive, all iacl aRpE and buatle. The children are noisily playitg and making mud-pies, the “lasses” are gathering cow~ manure, which is stuck against the walls ta dry for fuel, the father ts washing bimeself and his linen in the ditch in front of the Village, from which the women sre filling water jars for culinary purposes. Here the village barber is removing the hair from the poll of a slightly clad gentleman sitting on his haunches in the street, while a Brahmin near by daubs 4 would-be dandy with 4 finishing touch of ochre on his forehead ard nose. Ag the “fire carriage” whirls by, 3 crowd of ewarthy, naked little imps line the most to gaze at the sight, and the hesd ef the family standing up to his waist in the filthy pond, cestes for a moment the clesne~ ing process of daubing himeelf with mud to lock st the train, which, though no longer a novelty, will alwvays remain te him an unfathomable mystery.

Jast before dark we reach mogul-Sarai, the junction ofa branch road siz miles long to Benares, the sscred city of the Hindooe. Here we cross the Ganges by » bridge af boats, and drive two miles through the nar- row streets to the English Cantonment, Where a one-story Bungalow, ¢alied the “Vietoria Hotel,” the only one here, though not very promising in appearance, atfords us a good supper and s comfortable bed.

We took an early start the next morning to “do” the sights of this curious place. Our guide was a high caste Brahmin, a