Page:Catholic Magazine And Review, Volume 3 and Volume 4, 1833.djvu/83

Rh count; and the Post-runners have flambeaux, and small drums to make a noise as they proceed at night. The scenery down this pass is said to be very grand; and I regret much that the fog prevented us from enjoying it. At the foot of this pass we quitted the New Road, and struck off to the North by a road going by way of Gyah to Dinapoor. Here the face of the country was changed; and in lieu of forest and barren soil, the whole was free from wood and jungle, and scarcely a spot left uncultitivated, containing moreover numerous, populous villages. All the rivers we found fordable, and most of the hill–torrents dried up. On quitting the high road we lost the mile stones, though not the traveller's Bungalows, which continue as far as Dinapoor. The mile-stone at the foot of the pass was the 279th from Calcutta. Two days after we came to Gyah, a famous place of Hindoo pilgrimage, where a fine temple of granite is erected on the edge of the river flowing under it, on the spot where it was said that their god Vishnoo placed his foot, and thence called Bishenpud, or the foot of Vishnoo. visited the temple in the old town; but was not permitted to go into the inner apartment, where the pilgrims perform their devotions. These appeared to consist of running round an octagonal basin of silver let into the ground, representing, I suppose, the footmark of their deity, and muttering prayers, whilst an old Brahmin priest was scattering the sacred flowers and leaves into the basin, seated at one angle of it, and repeating aloud some prayers or incantations. There were two fine piazzas with cupolas over them in front of the temple, and large bells hung from die centre. The whole place was crowded with small temples, and numerous images of green stone, and pictures representing parts of their mythology. I was told that there were 1400 priests belonging to this town, who live by the folly of their deluded victims in the most abominable debauchery. The old town has nothing remarkable but the temple; and partakes more Of a religious than a commercial character. The new town, separated from the old by the civil station and the public offices, was laid out by a European many years ago; it has very broad streets with fine shops and houses on each side, and is a place of great Commerce. This is the civil station of Bahar, and appeared to be a quiet, pretty place. In four days more, after sixty miles we came to. the civil station of Patna, Bankipoor, on the banks of the Ganges, leaving the city to the right four or five miles, though there are bazaars and houses all the way along the river to Patna. The only remarkable thing here was an immense Gola, or round granary, built in the year 1784, as a security against famine, a very severe one having occurred a year or two before. There are 140 steps to the