Far Off
by
Favell Lee Mortimer
Part 2 out of 4
Would it be right for a little boy to behave in this way? Certainly not;
for it would grieve kind parents that their little boys should be bitten.
Poor little Chinese boys! They do not know about Him who was bitten by
the old serpent that we might not be devoured and destroyed.
PUNISHMENT.--The Chinese are very quiet and orderly; and no wonder,
because they are afraid of the great bamboo stick.
The mandarins (or rulers of towns) often sentence offenders to lie upon
the ground, and to have thirty strokes of the bamboo. But the wooden
collar is worse than the bamboo stick. It is a great piece of wood with a
hole for a man to put his head through. The men in wooden collars are
brought out of their prisons every morning, and chained to a wall, where
everybody passing by can see them. They cannot feed themselves in their
wooden collars, because they cannot bring their hands to their mouths;
but sometimes a son may be seen feeding his father, as he stands chained
to the wall. There are men also whose business it is to feed the
prisoners. For great crimes men are strangled or beheaded.
CHARACTER.--A Chinaman's character cannot be known at first. You might
suppose from his way of speaking that a Chinaman was very humble; because
he calls himself "the worthless fellow," or "the stupid one," and he
calls his son "the son of a dog;" but if you were to tell him he had an
evil heart, he would be very much offended; for he only gives himself
these names Thai he may _seem_ humble. He calls his acquaintance
"venerable uncle," "honorable brother." This he does to please them. The
Chinese are very proud of their country, and think there is none like it.
They have given it the name of the "Heavenly or Celestial Empire." They
look upon foreigners as monkeys and devils. Often a woman may he heard in
the streets saying to her little child, "There is a foreign devil (or a
Fan Quei"). The Chinese think the English very ugly, and called them the
"red-haired nation."
It must be owned that the Chinese are industrious: indeed, if they were
not, they would be starved. A poor man often has to work all day up to
the knees in water in the rice-field, and yet gets nothing for supper but
a little rice and a few potatoes.
The ladies who can live without working are very idle, and in the winter
rise very late in the morning.
Men, too, play, as children do here; flying kites is a favorite game.
Dancing, however, is quite unknown.
The Chinese are very selfish and unfeeling. Beggars may be seen in the
middle of the town dying, and no one caring for them, but people gambling
close by.
The Chinese have an idea that after a man is dead the house must be
cleansed from ghosts; so to save themselves this trouble, poor people
often cast their dying relations out of their hovels into the street to
die!
But in general sons treat their parents with great respect. They often
keep their father's coffin in the house for three months, and a son has
been known to sleep by it for three years. Relations are usually kind to
each other, because they meet together in the "Hall of Ancestors" to
worship the same persons. To save money they often live together, and a
hundred eat at the same table.
The Chinese used to be temperate, preferring tea to wine. There are
tea-taverns in the towns. How much better than our beer-shops! But lately
they have begun to smoke opium. This is the juice of the white poppy,
made up into dark balls. The Chinese are not allowed to have it; but the
English, sad to say, sell it to them secretly. There are many opium
taverns in China, where men may be seen lying on cushions snuffing up the
hot opium, and puffing it out of their mouths. Those who smoke opium have
sunken cheeks and trembling hands, and soon become old, foolish, and
sick. Why, then, do they take opium? Many of them say they wish to leave
it off, but cannot.
MISSIONARIES.--Are there any in China? Yes, many; and more are going
there. But how many are wanted for so many people! Missionaries travel
about China to distribute Bibles and tracts. One of them hired a rough
kind of chair with two bearers. In this he went to villages among the
mountains, where a white man had never been seen. The children screaming
with terror ran to their mothers. The men came round him to look at his
clothes and his white skin. They were much surprised at the whiteness of
his hands, and they put their yellow ones close to his to see the
difference. These mountaineers were kind, and brought tea and cakes to
refresh the stranger.
An English lady went to China to teach little girls; for no one teaches
them. She has several little creatures in her school that she saved from
perishing: because the Chinese are so cruel as to leave many girl-babies
to die in the streets; they say that girls are not worth the trouble of
bringing up.
One cold rainy evening, Miss Aldersey heard a low wailing outside the
street-door, and looking out she saw a poor babe, wrapped in coarse
matting, lying on the stone pavement. She could not bear to leave it
there to be devoured by famished dogs; so she kindly took it in, and
brought it up.
It is a common thing to stumble over the bodies of dead babies in the
streets. In England it is counted murder to kill a babe, but it is
thought no harm in China. Yet the Chinese call themselves good. But when
you ask a poor man where he expects to go when he dies, he replies, "To
hell of course;" and he says this with a loud laugh. His reason for
thinking he shall go to hell is, because he has not money enough to give
to the gods; for rich people all expect to go to heaven. Mandarins
especially expect to go there. If they were to read the Bible, they would
see that God will punish kings, and mighty men, and great captains, and
_all_ who are wicked.
[6] These are some of the sentences written in the old books:
"Never say, There is no one who sees me, for there is a wise
Spirit who sees all."
"Man no longer has what he had before the fall, and he has
brought his children into his misery. O! Heaven, you only can
help us. Wipe away the stains of the father, and save his
children."
"Never speak but with great care. Do not say, It is only a single
word. Remember that no one has the keeping of your heart and
tongue but you."
These sentences are like some verses in the Psalms and Proverbs;
and, it may be, they were spoken first by some holy men of old.
Here is one more remarkable than all:--
"God hates the proud, and is kind to the humble."
[7] The means by which the Buddhist religion entered China are
remarkable. A certain Chinese emperor once read in the book of
Confucius this sentence, "The true saint will be found in the
West." He thought a great deal about it; at last he dreamed about
it. He was so much struck by his dream that he sent two of his
great lords to look for the true religion in the West. When they
reached India, they found multitudes worshipping Buddha. This
Buddha was a wicked man who had been born in India a thousand
years before. The Chinese messengers believed all the absurd
histories they heard about Buddha, and they returned to China
with a book which had been written about him. Ah! had they gone
as far as Canaan they might have heard Paul and Peter preaching
the Gospel. Alas! why did they go no further, and why did they go
so far, only to return to China with idols!
COCHIN CHINA.
Any one on hearing this name would guess that the country was like China;
and so it is. If you were to go there you would be reminded of China by
many of the customs. You would see at dinner small basins instead of
plates, chop-sticks instead of knives and forks; you would have rice to
eat instead of bread; and rice wine to drink instead of grape wine.
But you would not find _all_ the Chinese customs in Cochin-China: for you
would see the women walking about at liberty, and with large feet, that
is, with feet of the natural size, and not cramped up like the "golden
lilies" of China. Neither would you see the people treated as strictly in
Cochin-China as in China. Beatings are not nearly as common there, and
behavior is not nearly as good as in China.
The people are very different from the Chinese; for they are gay and
talkative, and open and sociable, while the Chinese are just the
contrary. However, they resemble the Chinese in fondness for eating. They
are very fond of giving grand dinners, and sometimes provide a hundred
dishes, and invite a hundred guests. A man is thought very generous who
gives such grand dinners. No one in Cochin-China would think of eating
his morsel alone, but every one asks those around to partake; and if any
one were not to do so, he would be counted very mean. Yet the people of
Cochin-China are always begging for gifts; and if they cannot get the
things they ask for, they steal them. Are they generous? No, because they
are covetous. It is impossible to be at the same time generous and
covetous; for what goodness is there in giving away our own things, if we
are wishing for other people's things?
And now let us leave the _people_ and look at the _land_. It is fruitful
and beautiful, being watered abundantly by fine rivers: but these rivers,
flowing among lofty mountains, often overflow, and drown men and cattle.
The grass of such a country must be very rich; and there are cows feeding
on it; yet there is no milk or butter to be had. Why? Because the people
have a foolish idea that it is wrong to milk cows.
In no country are there stronger and larger elephants; so strong and so
large that one can carry thirteen persons on his back at once.
The land is full of idols: for Buddha or Fo is worshipped in
Cochin-China, as he is in China.
The idols are sometimes kept in high trees, and priests may be seen
mounting ladders to present offerings.
But the people are not satisfied with idols in trees; they have pocket
idols, which they carry about with them everywhere.
TONQUIN.--CAMBODIA.
These two kingdoms belong to the king of Cochin-China; yet all three,
Tonquin, Cambodia, and Cochin-China, pay tribute to China, and therefore
they must be considered as conquered countries.
They are all very much like China in their customs. There are large
cities in them all, and multitudes of people, but very little is known
about them in England.
HINDOSTAN.
This word Hindostan means "black place," for in the Persian language
"hind" is "black," and "stan" is "place." You may guess, therefore, that
the people in Hindostan are very dark; yet they are not quite black, and
some of the ladies are only of a light brown complexion.
What a large country Hindostan is! Has it an emperor of its own, as China
has? No: large as it is, it belongs to the little country called England.
How did the English get it?
They conquered it by little and little. When first they came there, they
found there a Mahomedan people, called the Moguls. These Moguls had
conquered Hindostan: but by degrees the English conquered them, and
became masters of all the land.
There is only one small country among the mountains which has not been
conquered by the English, and that place is Nepaul. It is near the
Himalaya mountains. See that great chain of mountains in the north: they
are the Himalaya--the highest mountains in the world. The word "him," or
"hem," means snow--and snowy indeed are those mountains.
There is a great river that flows from the Himalaya called the Ganges. It
flows by many mouths into the ocean; yet of all these mouths only one is
deep enough for large ships to sail in; the other mouths are all choked
up with sand. The deep mouth of the Ganges is called the Hoogley.
It was on the banks of the Hoogley that the first English city was built.
It was built by some English merchants, and is called Calcutta. That name
comes from the name of a horrible idol called Kalee, of which more will
be said hereafter.
Calcutta is now a very grand city; there is the governor's palace, and
there are the mansions of many rich Englishmen. It has been called "the
city of palaces."
There is another great river on the other side of Hindostan called the
Indus. It was from that river that Hindostan got the name of India, or
the East Indies.
VILLAGES.--Calcutta is built on a large plain called Bengal. Dotted about
this plain are many villages. At a distance they look prettier than
English villages, for they are overshadowed with thick trees; but they
are wretched places to live in. The huts are scarcely big enough to hold
human creatures, nor strong enough to bear the pelting of the storm. When
you enter them you will find neither floor nor window, and very little
furniture; neither chair, nor table, nor bed--nothing but a large earthen
bottle for fetching water, a smaller one for drinking, a basket for
clothes, a few earthen pans, a few brass plates, and a mat.
A Hindoo is counted very rich who has procured a wooden bedstead to place
his mat upon, and a wooden trunk, with a lock and key, to contain his
clothes; such a man is considered to have a well-furnished house.
As you pass through the villages, you may see groups of men sitting under
the trees smoking their pipes, while children, without clothes, are
rolling in the dust, and sporting with the kids. Prowling about the
villages are hungry dogs and whining jackalls, seeking for bones and
offal; but the children are too much used to these creatures to be afraid
of them. Hovering in the air are crows and kites, ready to secure any
morsel they can see, or even to snatch the food, if they can, out of the
children's little hands.
What a confused noise do you hear as you pass along! barking, whining,
and squalling, loud laughing, and incessant chattering. It is a heathen
village, and the sweet notes of praise to God are never sung there.
Yet in every village there is a little temple with an idol, and a priest
to take the idol, to lay it down to sleep, and to offer it food, which he
eats himself.
The poor people bring the food for the idol with flowers, and place it at
the door of the temple.
APPEARANCE.--The Hindoos are pleasing in their appearance, for their
features are well-formed, their teeth are white, and their eyes have a
soft expression. The women take much pains to dress their long black
hair, which is soft as silk: they gather it up in a knot at their heads,
and crown it with flowers. They have no occasion for a needle to make
their dresses, as they are all in one piece. They wind a long strip of
white muslin (called a saree) round their bodies, and fold it over their
heads like a veil, and then they are full dressed, except their
ornaments, and with these they load themselves; glass rings of different
colors on their arms, silver rings on their fingers and toes, and gold
rings in their ears, and a gold ring in their nose.
The men wear a long strip of calico twisted closely round their bodies,
and another thrown loosely over their shoulders; but this last they cast
off when they are at work: it is their upper garment. On their heads they
wear turbans, and on their feet sandals. The clothes of both men and
women are generally white or pink, or white bordered with red.
FOOD.--The most common food is rice; and with this curry is often mixed
to give it a relish. What is curry? It is a mixture of herbs, spices, and
oil.
Very poor people cannot afford to eat either rice or curry; and they eat
some coarse grain instead. A lady who made a feast for the poor provided
nothing but rice, and she found that it was thought as good as roast
beef and plum pudding are thought in England. The day after the feast
some of the poor creatures came to pick up the grains of rice that were
fallen upon the ground.
The rich Hindoos eat mutton and venison, but not beef; this they think it
wicked to eat, because they worship bulls and cows.
A favorite food is clarified butter, called "ghee," white rancid stuff,
kept in skin bottles to mix with curry.
Water is the general drink, and there could not be a better. Yet there
are intoxicating drinks, and some of the Hindoos have learned to love
them, from seeing the English drink too much. What a sad thing that
Christians should set a bad example to heathens!
PRODUCTIONS.--There are many beautiful trees in India never seen in
England, and many nice fruits never tasted here.
The palm-tree, with its immense leaves, is the glory of India. These
leaves are very useful; they form the roof, the umbrella, the bed, the
plate, and the writing-paper of the Hindoo.
The most curious tree in India is the banyan, because one tree grows into
a hundred. How is that? The branches hang down, touch the ground, strike
root there, and spring up into new trees--joined to the old. Under an
aged banyan there is shade for a large congregation. Seventy thousand men
might sit beneath its boughs.
There is a sort of grass which grows a hundred feet high, and becomes
hard like wood. It is called the bamboo. The stem is hollow like a pipe,
and is often used as a water-pipe. It serves also for posts for houses,
and for poles for carriages.
There are abundance of nice fruits in India; and of these the mangoe is
the best. You might mistake it for a pear when you saw it, but not when
you tasted it. Pears cannot grow in India; the sun is too hot for grapes
and oranges, excepting on the hills.
The chief productions of India are rice and cotton; rice is the food, and
cotton is the clothing of the Hindoo: and quantities of these are sent to
England, for though we have wheat for food, we want rice too; and though
we have wool for clothing, we want cotton too.
RELIGION.--There is no nation that has so many gods as the Hindoos. What
do you think of three hundred and thirty millions! There are not so many
people in Hindostan as that. No one person can know the names of all
these gods; and who would wish to know them? Some of them are snakes, and
some are monkeys!
The chief god of all is called Brahm. But, strange to say, no one
worships him. There is not an image of him in all India.
And why not? Because he is too great, the Hindoos say, to think of men on
earth. He is always in a kind of sleep. What would be the use of
worshipping him?
Next to him are three gods, and they are part of Brahm.
Their names are--
I. Brahma, the Creator.
II. Vishnoo, the Preserver.
III. Sheeva, the Destroyer.
Which of these should you think men ought to worship the most? Not the
destroyer. Yet it is _him_ they do worship the most. Very few worship
Brahma the creator. And why not? Because the Hindoos think he can do no
more for them than he has done; and they do not care about thanking him.
Vishnoo, the preserver, is a great favorite; because it is supposed that
he bestows all manner of gifts. The Hindoos say he has been _nine_ times
upon the earth; first as a fish, then as a tortoise, a man, a lion, a
boar, a dwarf, a giant; _twice_ as a warrior, named Ram, and once as a
thief, named Krishna. They say he will come again as a conquering king,
riding on a white horse. Is it not wonderful they should say that? It
reminds one of the prophecy in Rev. xix. about Christ's second coming.
Did the Hindoos hear that prophecy in old time? They may have heard it,
for the apostle Thomas once preached in India, at least we believe he
did.
Why do the people worship Sheeva the destroyer? Because they hope that if
they gain his favor, they shall not be destroyed by him. They do not know
that none can save from the destroyer but God.
The Hindoos make images of their gods. Brahma is represented as riding on
a goose; Vishnoo on a creature half-bird and half-man; and Sheeva on a
bull.
Sheeva's image looks horribly ferocious with the tiger-skin and the
necklace of skulls and snakes; but Sheeva's _wife_ is far fiercer than
himself. Her name is Kalee. Her whole delight is said to be in blood.
Those who wish to please her, offer up the blood of beasts; but those who
wish to please her still more, offer up their own blood.
[Illustration: THE SWING.]
Her great temple, called Kalee Ghaut, is near Calcutta. There is a great
feast in her honor once a year at that temple. Early in the morning
crowds assemble there with the noise of trumpets and kettle-drums. See
those wild fierce men adorned with flowers. They go towards the temple. A
blacksmith is ready. Lo! one puts out his tongue, and the blacksmith
cuts it: that is to please Kalee: another chooses rather to have an iron
bar run through his tongue. Some thrust iron bars and burning coals into
their sides. The boldest mount a wooden scaffold and throw themselves
down upon iron spikes beneath, stuck in bags of sand. It is very painful
to fall upon these spikes; but there is another way of torture quite as
painful--it is the swing. Those who determine to swing, allow the
blacksmith to drive hooks into the flesh upon their backs, and hanging by
these hooks they swing in the air for ten minutes, or even for half an
hour. And WHO all these cruel tortures? To please Kalee, and to make the
people wonder and admire, for the multitude around shout with joy as they
behold these horrible deeds.
THE CASTES.--The Hindoos pretend that when Brahma created men, he made
some out of his mouth, some out of his arms, some out of his breast, and
some out of his foot. They say the priests came out of Brahma's mouth,
the soldiers came out of his arm, the merchants came out of his breast,
the laborers came out of his foot. You may easily guess who invented this
history. It was the priests themselves: it was they who wrote the sacred
books where this history is found.
The priests are very proud of their high birth, and they call themselves
Brahmins.
The laborers, who are told they come out of Brahma's foot, are much
ashamed of their low birth. They are called sudras.
You would be astonished to hear the great respect the sudras pay to the
high and haughty Brahmins. When a sudra meets a Brahmin in the street, he
touches the ground three times with his forehead, then, taking the
priest's foot in his hand, he kisses his toe.
The water in which a Brahmin has washed his feet is thought very holy. It
is even believed that such water can cure diseases.
A Hindoo prince, who was very ill of a fever, was advised to try this
remedy. He invited the Brahmins from all parts of the country to
assemble at his palace. Many thousands came. Each, as he arrived, was
requested to wash his feet in a basin. This was the medicine given to the
sick prince to drink. It cost a great deal of money to procure it; for
several shillings were given to each Brahmin to pay him for his trouble,
and a good dinner was provided for all. It is said that the prince
recovered immediately, but we are quite certain that it was not the water
which cured him.
In the holy books, or shasters, great blessings are promised to those who
are kind to a Brahmin. Any one who gives him an umbrella will never more
be scorched by the sun; any one who gives him a pair of shoes will never
have blistered feet; any one who gives him sweet spices will never more
be annoyed by ill smells; and any one who gives him a cow will go to
heaven.
You may be sure that, after such promises, the Brahmins get plenty of
presents; indeed, they may generally be known by their well-fed
appearance, as well as by their proud manner of walking. They always wear
a white cord hung round their necks.
But we must not suppose that all Brahmins are rich, and all sudras poor;
for it is not so. There are so many Brahmins that some can find no
employment as priests, and they are obliged to learn trades. Many of them
become cooks.
There are sudras as rich as princes; but still a sudra can never be as
honorable as a Brahmin, though the Brahmin be the cook and the sudra the
master.
But the sudras are not the _most_ despised people. Far from it. It is
those who have no caste at all who are the most despised. They are called
pariahs. These are people who have lost their caste. It is a very easy
thing to lose caste, and once lost it can never be regained. A Brahmin
would lose his caste by eating with a sudra; a sudra would lose his by
eating with a pariah, and by eating with _you_--yes, with _you_, for the
Hindoos think that no one is holy but themselves. It often makes a
missionary smile when he enters a cottage to see the people putting away
their food with haste, lest he should defile it by his touch.
Once an English officer, walking along the road, passed very near a
Hindoo just going to eat his dinner; suddenly he saw the man take up the
dish and dash it angrily to the ground. Why? The officer's shadow had
passed over the food and polluted it.
If you were to invite poor Hindoos to come to a feast, they would not eat
if you sat down with them: nor would they eat unless they knew a Hindoo
had cooked their food. Even children at school will not eat with children
of a lower caste,--or with their teachers, if the teachers are not
Hindoos.
There was once a little Hindoo girl named Rajee. She went to a
missionary's school, but she would not eat with her schoolfellows,
because she belonged to a higher caste than they did. As she lived at the
school, her mother brought her food every day, and Rajee sat under a tree
to eat it. At the end of two years she told her mother that she wished to
turn from idols, and serve the living God. Her mother was much troubled
at hearing this, and begged her child not to bring disgrace on the family
by becoming a Christian. But Rajee was anxious to save her precious soul.
She cared no longer for her caste, for she knew that all she had been
taught about it was deceit and folly; therefore one day she sat down and
ate with her schoolfellows. When her mother heard of Rajee's conduct,
she ran to the school in a rage, and seizing her little daughter by the
hair of the head, began to beat her severely. Then she hastened to the
priests to ask them whether the child had lost her caste forever. The
priests replied, "Has the child got her new teeth?" "No," said the
mother. "Then we can cleanse her, and when her new teeth come she will be
as pure as ever. But you must pay a good deal of money for the
cleansing." Were they not _cunning_ priests? and _covetous_ priests too?
The money was paid, and Rajee was brought home against her will. Dreadful
sufferings awaited the poor child. The cleansing was a cruel business.
The priests burned the child's tongue. This was one of their cruelties.
When little Rajee was suffered to go back to school, she was so ill that
she could not rise from her bed.
The poor deceived mother came to see her. "I am going to Jesus," said the
young martyr. The mother began to weep, "O Rajee, we will not let you
die."
"But I am glad," the little sufferer replied, "because I shall go to
Jesus. If you, mother, would love him, and give up your idols, we should
meet again in heaven."
An hour afterwards Rajee went to heaven; but I have never heard whether
her mother gave up her idols.
THE GANGES.--This beautiful river waters the sultry plain of Bengal. God
made this river to be a blessing, but man has turned it into a curse. The
Hindoos say the River Ganges is the goddess Gunga; and they flock from
all parts of India to worship her. When they reach the river they bathe
in it, and fancy they have washed away all their sins. They carry away
large bottles of the sacred water for their friends at home.
But this is not all; very cruel deeds are committed by the side of the
river. It is supposed that all who die there will go to the Hindoo
heaven. It is therefore the custom to drag dying people out of their
beds, and to lay them in the mud, exposed to the heat of the broiling
sun, and then to pour pails of water over their heads.
One sick man, who was being carried to the water, covered up as if he
were dead, suddenly threw off the covering, and called out, "I am not
dead, I am only very ill." He knew that the cruel people who were
carrying him were going to cast him into the water while he was still
alive: but nothing he could say could save him: the cruel creatures
answered, "You may as well die _now_ as at any other time;" and so they
drowned him, pretending all the while to be very kind.
It is thought a good thing to be thrown into the river after death. The
Ganges is the great burying-place; and dead bodies may be seen floating
on its waters, while crows and vultures are tearing the flesh from the
bones. There would be many more of these horrible sights were it not that
many bodies are burned, and their ashes only cast into the river.
Some foolish deceived creatures drown themselves in the Ganges, hoping to
be very happy hereafter as a reward. The Brahmins are ready to accompany
such people into the water. Some men were once seen going into the river
with a large empty jar fastened to the back of each. The empty jar
prevented them from sinking; but there was a cup in the hands of each of
the poor men, and with these cups they filled the jars, and then they
began to sink. One of them grew frightened, and tried to get on shore;
but the wicked Brahmins in their boats hunted him, and tried to keep him
in the water; however, they could not catch him, and the miserable man
escaped. There are villages near the river whither such poor creatures
flee, and where they end their days together; for their old friends would
not speak to them if they were to return to their homes.
BEGGARS.--As you walk about Hindostan, you will sometimes meet a horrible
object, with no other covering than a tiger's skin, or else an orange
scarf; his body besmeared with ashes, his hair matted like the shaggy
coat of a wild beast, and his nails like birds' claws. The man is a
beggar, and a very bold one, because he is considered as one of the
holiest of men. Who is he?
A sunnyasee. Who is _he_?
A Brahmin, who wishing to be more holy than other Brahmins (holy as they
are), has left all and become a beggar. As a reward, he expects, when he
dies, to go straight to heaven, without being first born again in the
world. It is wonderful to see the tortures which a sunnyasee will endure.
He will stand for years on one leg, till it is full of wounds, or, if he
prefers it, he will clench his fist till the nails grow through the
hands.
These holy beggars are found in all parts of India, but they are
particularly fond of the most desolate spots. Near the mouth of the
Ganges there are some desert places, the resort of tigers, and there many
of the sunnyasees live in huts. They pretend not to be afraid of the
tigers, and the Hindoos think that tigers will not touch such holy men;
but it is certain that tigers have been seen dragging some of these proud
men into the woods.
There is another kind of beggars called fakirs; they are just as wicked
and foolish as the sunnyasees; but they are Mahomedans and not Brahmins.
ANIMALS.--Some of the fiercest and most disagreeable animals are highly
honored in India.
The monkey is counted as a god; the consequence is, that the monkeys,
finding they are treated with respect, grow very bold, and are
continually scrambling upon the roofs of the houses. In one place there
is a garden where monkeys riot about at their pleasure, for all in that
garden is for them alone, the delicious fruits, the cool fountains, the
shady bowers, all are for the worthless, mischievous monkeys.
But if it be strange for men to worship _monkeys_, is it not stranger
still to worship _snakes_ and _serpents_? Yet there is a temple in India
where serpents crawl about at their pleasure, where they are waited upon
by priests, and fed with fruits and every dainty. How much delighted must
the old serpent be with this worship!
Kites also, those fierce birds, are worshipped. There is meat sold in
shops on purpose for them; and it is bought and thrown up in the air to
the great greedy creatures.
There are splendid peacocks flying about in the woods, but the Hindoos do
not worship them; they shoot and eat them.
Of all the animals in India there is none which terrifies man so much as
the tiger. The Bengal tiger is a fine and fierce beast. Woe to the man or
woman on whom he springs! What then do you think must become of the man
who falls into his den? These dens are generally hid in jungles, which
are places covered with trees, and overgrown with shrubs and tall grass.
A gentleman was once walking through a jungle, when he felt himself
sinking into the ground, while a cloud of dust blinded his eyes. Soon he
heard a low growling noise. He fancied that he had sunk into a den, and
so he had. Beside him lay some little tigers, too young indeed to hurt
him; but these tigers had a mother, and she could not be far off, though
she was not in the den when the stranger fell in. The astonished man felt
there was no time to be lost, for the tigress, he knew, would soon return
to her cubs. How could he prepare to meet her? He had neither gun nor
sword, nor even stick in his hand. But a thought came into his head.
Snatching a silk handkerchief from his neck, and taking another from his
pocket, he bound them tightly round his arm up to his elbow; and thus
prepared to meet his enemy. She soon appeared, crouching on the ground,
and then with a spring leaped upon the stranger. At the same moment the
brave man thrust his arm between her open jaws, and seizing hold of her
rough tongue, twisted it backwards and forwards with all his might. The
beast was now unable to close her mouth, and to bite with her sharp
fangs; but she could scratch with her sharp claws; and scratch she did,
till the clothes were torn off the man's body, and the flesh from his
bones. But the brave man would not loose his hold; and the tigress was
tired out first: alarmed,--with a sudden start backward, she jerked her
tongue out of the man's hand, and rushed out of the den and out of the
jungle.
How glad was the man to escape from a horrible fate! his body was faint
and bleeding; but his life was preserved, and his heart overflowed with
gratitude to God for his wonderful deliverance. He who delivered Daniel
from the lion's den delivered him from the tiger's den. The tiger's
mouth, indeed, had not been shut; but his open mouth had not been
suffered to devour the Lord's servant.
THE THUGS.
There is a set of people in India more dangerous than wild beasts. They
are called Thugs, that is, deceivers; and well do they deserve the name;
for their whole employment is to _deceive_ that they may _destroy_. Yet
they are not ashamed of their wickedness; for they worship the goddess
Kalee, and they know that she delights in blood. Before they set out on
one of their cruel journeys, they bow down before the image of Kalee, and
they ask her to bless the shovel and the cloth that they hold in their
hands.
What are they for?
The cloth is to strangle poor travellers, and the shovel to dig their
graves.
A Hindoo family were once travelling when they overtook three men on the
way. These men seemed very civil and obliging; and they soon got
acquainted with the family, and accompanied them on their journey. Who
were these men? Alas! they were Thugs. It was very foolish of the family
to be so ready to go with strangers. At last they came up to three other
men, who were sitting under the shade of a tree, eating sugared rice.
These men also were Thugs; and they had agreed with the other Thugs to
help them in their wicked plans. But the family thought they were kind
and friendly men, and consented to sit down with them in the shade, and
to partake of their food. They did not know that with the rice was mixed
a sort of drug to cause people to fall asleep. The family ate and fell
asleep: and when they were asleep, the Thugs strangled them all with
their cloths,--the father, the mother, and the five young people,--and
then with their shovels they dug their graves. But before they buried
them they stripped them of their garments and their jewels; for it was to
get their precious spoils they had committed these dreadful murders. The
Thugs went afterwards to the priests of Kalee to receive a blessing, and
they rewarded the priests by giving them some of their stolen treasures.
But, after all, these wicked men did not escape punishment; for the
English governors heard of their crimes, and caught them, and brought
them to justice. Then these murderers confessed the wicked deed just
related: but this was not their only crime; for it had been the business
of their lives to rob and to destroy.
Do not these Thugs resemble him who is always walking about seeking whom
he may devour? Only he destroys the _soul_ as well as the _body_. He is
the great Deceiver, and the great Destroyer. None but God can keep us
from falling into his power: therefore we pray, "Deliver us from evil,"
or from the evil one.
THE HINDOO WOMEN.
It is a miserable thing to be a Hindoo lady. While she is a very little
girl, she is allowed to play about, but when she comes to be ten or
twelve years old, she is shut up in the back rooms of the house till she
is married; and when she is married she is shut up still. She may indeed
walk in the garden at the back of the house, but nowhere else.
Hindoo ladies are not taught even those trifling accomplishments which
Chinese ladies learn: they can neither paint, nor play music; much less
can they read and write. They amuse themselves by putting on their
ornaments, or by making curries and sweetmeats to please their husbands:
but most of their time they spend in idleness, sauntering about and
chattering nonsense. As rich Hindoos have several wives, the ladies are
not alone; and being so much together, they quarrel a great deal.
Some English ladies once visited the house of a rich Hindoo. They were
led into the court at the back of the house, and shown into a little
chamber. One by one some women came in, all looking very shy and afraid
to speak; yet dressed very fine in muslin sarees, worked with gold and
silver flowers, and they were adorned with pearls and diamonds. At last
they ventured to admire the clothes of their visitors, and even to touch
them. Then they asked the English ladies to come and see their jewels;
and they took them into a little dark chamber with gratings for windows,
and displayed their treasures. They talked very loud, and all together
and so foolishly, that the ladies reproved them. The poor creatures
replied, "We should like to learn to read and work like the English
ladies; but we have nothing to do, and so we are accustomed to be idle,
and to talk foolishly. Do come again, and bring us books, and pictures,
and dolls."
You see what useless, wearisome lives the Hindoo _ladies_ lead. Now hear
what hard and wretched lives the _poor_ women lead. The wife of a poor
man rises from her mat before it is day, and by the light of a lamp spins
cotton for the family clothing. Next she feeds the children, and sweeps
the house and yard, and cleans the brass and stone vessels. Then she
washes the rice, bruises, and boils it. By this time it is ten o'clock,
when she goes with some other women to bathe in the river, or if there be
no river near, in a great tank of rain-water. While there, she often
makes a clay image of her god, and worships it with prayers, and bowings,
and offerings of fruit and flowers, for nearly an hour. On her return
home she prepares the curry for dinner: her kitchen is a clay furnace in
the yard, and there she boils the rice. When dinner is ready, she dares
not sit down with her husband to eat it: no, she places it respectfully
before his mat, and then retires to the yard. Her little boys eat with
their father; but her little girls dine with her upon the food that is
left.
It is not the busy life she leads that makes a poor woman unhappy: it is
the ill-treatment she endures. A kind word is seldom spoken to her: but a
hard blow is often given. Her own boys are encouraged to insult her
because she is only a woman. She is taught to worship her husband as a
god, however bad he may be. There is a proverb which shows how much women
are despised in India. "How can you place the black rice-pot beside the
golden spice-box!" By the rice-box a woman is meant: by the spice-box a
man: and the meaning of the proverb is that a wife is unworthy to sit at
the same table with her husband.
In this manner a _wife_ is treated: a _widow_ is still more despised.
However young she may be, she is not allowed to marry again; but is
obliged to live in her father's house, or (if she has no father) in her
brother's house, to do the hardest work, and never to eat more than one
meal a day, and that meal of the coarsest food. Widows used to burn
themselves in a great fire with their husbands' dead bodies; but the
English government has forbidden them to do so any more; but their
hard-hearted relations make them as miserable as possible.
MISSIONARIES.--There are hundreds of missionaries in India; but not
nearly enough for so many millions of people. The Hindoos call them
Padri-Sahibs, which means "Father-Gentlemen," and they give them this
name to show their love, as well as respect.
Once a missionary who had been long in India was going back to England
for a little while. It was from Calcutta that he set sail. The Christian
Hindoos stood in crowds by the river-side to bid him farewell. Among the
rest was a little girl with her parents. She was a gracious child, who
had turned from idols to serve the living God. The missionary said to
her, "Well, my child, you know I am going to England. What shall I bring
you from that country?"
"I do not want anything," she modestly replied. "I have my parents, and
my brother, and the Padri-Sahibs, and my books, what can I want more?"
"But," said the missionary, "you are only a little girl, and surely you
would like something from England. Shall I bring you some playthings?"
"No, thank you," said the child; "I do not want playthings--I am learning
to read."
"Come, come," said the missionary, "shall I bring you a playfellow, a
white child from England!"
"No, no," answered the little girl, "it would be taking her from her
parents."
"Well then," said her friend, "is there nothing I can bring you?"
"Well, if you are so kind as to insist on bringing me something, ask the
Christians in England to send me a Bible-book and more PADRI-SAHIBS."
[Illustration: MISSIONARY'S HOUSE.]
This was a good request indeed, but to get Padri-Sahibs is a hard thing
to do. Who can tell how much good they have done already! There are many
Christian villages in India, and they are as different from heathen
villages as a dove's nest is different from a tiger's den.
Some very wicked men have been converted. You have heard of those proud
and hateful beggars, the Sunnyasees and the Fakirs.
One day a missionary, who had gone for his health to the Himalaya
Mountains, was walking in the verandah of his house, when he was
surprised by a man suddenly throwing himself down at his feet, and
embracing his knees. The missionary could not tell who this man was, for
a dark blanket covered the man's head and face. But soon the covering was
lifted up, and a swarthy and withered countenance was shown; the
missionary knew it to be that of an old Fakir he once had known, as the
chief priest of a gang of robbers, but now the Mahomedan was become a
Christian; and he had travelled six hundred miles, hoping to see once
more the face of his teacher; and lo! he had seen it at last.
SCHOOLS.--The Hindoos have schools of their own, but only for boys. The
scholars sit in a shed, cross-legged upon mats, and learn to scratch
letters with iron pins upon large leaves. But what can they learn from
Brahmin teachers but foolish tales about false gods?
Missionaries have far better schools, where the Bible is taught; and
missionaries' wives have schools for girls; and sometimes they take pity
on poor orphans, and receive them into their houses.
One evening as a Christian lady was returning home, she saw a Hindoo
woman lying on the ground, and a little boy sitting by her side. The lady
spoke kindly to the sick woman, and then the little boy looked up and
said, with tears in his eyes, "My mother is sick, and has nothing to eat;
I fear she will die." The lady had compassion on the mother and the
child, and hastening home, she sent her servant to fetch them both. They
were soon put to rest on a nice clean mat, with a blanket to cover them;
but the mother died next morning. The little boy was left an orphan, but
not forlorn, nor friendless, for the Christian lady took care of him. He
was five years old, thin and delicate, and much fairer than most Hindoo
children. He had many winning ways; but he had a proud heart. He was
proud of his name, "Ramchunda," because it was the name of a great false
god: but when he had learned about the true God, he asked for a new name,
and was called "John." His wishing to change his name was a good sign:
and there were other good signs in this little orphan; and before he
died,--for he died soon,--he showed plainly that he had not a new _name_
only, but a new _nature_.
Little Phebe was another child received by a missionary's wife. She was
not an orphan, yet she was as much to be pitied as an orphan; for her
mother told the missionaries that if they did not take the child, she
would throw her to the jackals. It was a happy exchange for the infant to
leave so cruel a mother to be reared by a Christian lady, who, instead of
throwing her to jackals, brought her to Jesus.
She died when only five years old by an accident: when washing her hands
in the great tank she fell in, and was drowned.
But some Hindoo children, though carefully instructed, do not grow gentle
and loving, like John and Phebe.
The tents of some English soldiers were pitched in a lonely part of
India; and the night was dark, when an officer's lady thought she heard
the sound of a child crying. The lady sent her servants out to look, and
at last they brought in a little girl of four years old. And where do you
think they had found her? Buried up to her throat in a bog, her little
head alone peeping out. And who do you think had put her there? Her
cruel mother. Yes, she had left her there to die.
This child gave a great deal of trouble to the kind lady who had saved
her, nor did she show her any love in return for her kindness; and after
keeping her about two years, the lady sent her to a missionary's school.
You see how cruelly mothers in India sometimes treat their children.
Their religion teaches them to be cruel.
A mother is taught to believe that if her babe is sick, an evil spirit is
angry. To please this evil spirit, she will put her babe in a basket, and
hang it up in a tree for three days. She goes then to look at it, and if
it be alive, she takes it home. But how seldom does she find it alive!
Either the ants or the vultures have eaten it, or it is starved to death.
When there is a famine in the land, many mothers will sell their children
for sixpence each: and if they cannot sell them, they will leave them to
perish.
One missionary received fifty-one poor starving children into his house:
they were always crying, "Sahib, roti, roti;" that is, "Master, bread,
bread." But the bread came to late too save their lives; for all died
except one.
Yet these sick children were very wicked.
One of them stole a brass basin, and sold it for sweetmeats. Though very
kindly treated, some of them wished to escape; and to prevent it, the
missionary tied them together in strings of fifteen;
There is a tribe in India called Khunds; and they sprinkle their fields
with children's blood, and they say this is the way to make the corn
grow. The English government once rescued eighty poor children from the
Khunds, and sent them to a Christian school. What miserable little
creatures they were when they arrived! but they were soon clothed and
comforted; and taught to hold a needle, and to know their letters; and,
better still, to pronounce the name of Jesus. Like these poor little
captives, we were all condemned to die, till Jesus rescued us, and
promised everlasting life to those who believe.
THE ENGLISH IN INDIA.
There are many rich English gentlemen living in India: some are judges,
and some are merchants, and some are officers in the army. They dwell in
large and grand houses, with many windows down to the ground, and a wide
verandah to keep off the sun. Instead of _glass_, there is _grass_ in the
windows: the blinds are made of sweet-scented grass, and servants outside
continually pour water on the grass to make the air cool. Instead of
_fires_, they have _fans_. These fans are like large screens hanging from
the ceiling, and waving to and fro to refresh the company. Instead of
carpets there are mats on the floor; and round the beds gauze curtains
are drawn to keep out the insects.
The servants are all Hindoos, and a great number are kept; and this is
necessary, because each servant will only do one kind of work.
Each horse has two servants, one to take care of it, and the other to cut
grass: even the dog has a boy to look after it alone. The servants do not
live in their master's house, but in small huts near. The place where
they live is called "the compound."
When English people travel they do not go in carriages, but in
palanquins. A palanquin is like a child's cot, only larger; and there a
traveller can sleep at his ease.
The men who carry the palanquins are called "Bearers." The nurses are
called Ayahs. Babies are carried out of doors by their ayahs, but
children of three or four are taken out by the bearers.
There was once a little girl of three years old who taught her bearer to
fear God.
Little Mary was walking out in a grove with her heathen bearer. She
observed him stop at a small Hindoo temple, and bow down to the stone
image before the door.
The lisping child inquired,--"Saamy, what for, you do that?"
"O, missy," said he, "that is my god!"
"Your god!" exclaimed the child, "your god, Saamy! Why your god can no
see, no can hear, no can walk--your god stone! My God make you, make me,
make everything!" Yet Saamy still, whenever he passed the temple, bowed
down to his idol: and still the child reproved him. Though the old man
would not mind, yet he loved his baby teacher. Once when he thought she
was going to England he said to her,--"What will poor Saamy do when missy
go to England? Saamy no father, no mother."
"O Saamy!" replied the child, "if you love God he will be your father,
and mother too."
The poor bearer promised with tears in his eyes that he would love God.
"Then," said she, "you must learn my prayers;" and she began to teach him
the Lord's Prayer. Soon afterwards Mary's papa was surprised to see the
bearer enter the room at the time of family prayers, and still more
surprised to see him take off his turban, kneel down, and repeat the
Lord's Prayer after his master. The lispings of the babe had brought the
old man to God: Saamy did not only bow the knee, he worshipped in spirit
and in truth, and became a real Christian.
CHIEF CITIES.
There are three great cities which may be called English cities, though
in India: because Englishmen built them, and live in them, and rule over
them. Their names are Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay.
The capital city is Calcutta. There the chief governor resides. Part of
Calcutta is called the Black Town, and it is only a heap of mud huts
crowded with Hindoos. The other part of Calcutta is called the English
town; and it consists of beautiful houses by the river-side, each house
surrounded by a charming garden and a thick grove.
Madras is built on a plain by the sea, and is adorned by fine avenues of
trees, amongst which the English live in elegant villas and gardens. Here
also there is a Black town. It is very hard to land at Madras, because
there is no harbor.
Bombay has one of the best harbors in the world. It is built on a small
island covered with cocoa-nut groves.
Now let us compare these places with each other.
_Calcutta_ boasts of her fine river, but then the ground is flat and
marshy; and therefore the air is damp and unhealthy, and there are no
grand prospects.
Madras is very dry, and sandy, and dusty; but then there is the sea to
enliven and refresh it.
Bombay has the sea also, besides the groves, and at a little distance,
high mountains, which look beautiful, and which it is delightful to
visit. There are no such mountains near Calcutta or Madras.
These are the chief English cities. I must now speak of the favorite city
of the Hindoos.
It is Benares on the Ganges.
You might go from Calcutta in a boat, and after sailing four hundred
miles, you would reach Benares. The Hindoos say that it was built by
their god Sheeva, of gold and precious stones; but that, as we are living
in a bad time, it _appears_ to be made of bricks and mud, though really
very different. They say that Benares is eighty thousand steps nearer
heaven than any other city, and that whoever dies there (even though he
eat BEEF!) will go to heaven.
A missionary once reported a Hindoo for telling lies. The answer was,
"Why, what of that? do I not live at Benares?" The man thought he was
quite safe, however wicked he might be.
In walking about Benares a stranger might be surprised to meet every now
and then a white bull, with a hump on its back, without a driver or a
rider, or any one to keep it in order. You must know that a white bull is
said to belong to the chief god of Benares, and it is considered a sacred
animal, and is allowed to do as it pleases.
And how does it behave?
It behaves much in the same manner as a child would who had its own way.
The white bull helps itself to the fruit and vegetables sold in the
streets, and even to the sweetmeats. It has a great taste for flowers;
and it cunningly hides itself near the doors of the temples, to watch for
the people coming out with their garlands of marigolds round their necks.
At these the bull eagerly snatches with its tongue, and swallows them in
a moment. Finding it is petted by every one, it grows so bold, as to walk
into the houses, and even to go up the stone stairs on to the roof, where
it seems to enjoy the cool air, as it quietly chews the cud.
In the spring the white bulls like to wander out in the fields to eat the
tender green grass. A farmer finding one of these bulls in his fields,
made him get into a boat, and sent him by a man across the river Ganges.
But the cunning creature came back in the evening; for he watched till he
saw some people setting out in a boat, and then jumped in; and though
the passengers tried to turn him out, he would stay there. In this way he
got back to the cornfields.
So much respected are these bulls that a Hindoo would sooner lose his own
life than suffer one of them to be killed. An English gentleman was just
going to shoot one that had broken into his garden, when his Hindoo
servant rushed between him and the bull, saying, "Shoot me, sir, shoot
me, but let him go." You may be sure that the gentleman did not shoot the
servant, and I think it probable he spared the bull's life.
There is one more city to be noticed.
DELHI was once the grandest city in India, and the seat of the great
Moguls, those Mahomedans who conquered India before the British came. The
ancient palace is still to be seen: it is built of red stone; but its
ornaments are gone; where is now the room lined with crystal, the golden
palm-tree with diamond fruits, and the golden peacock with emerald wings,
overshadowing the monarch's throne?
The Persians have stripped the palace of all its gorgeous splendor.
We have now described the two most numerous nations in the world, China
and Hindostan. They contain together more than half the world. In some
respects they are alike, and in some respects they are different. In
these respects they are different.
IN CHINA. IN HINDOSTAN.
There is one emperor. There is no emperor, and
the English govern the country.
There is one language. There are many.
They use chairs, and tables, They sit and sleep on mats.
and beds.
They eat with chop-sticks. They eat with their fingers.
They wear shoes. They go barefoot, and wear
sandals.
The men shave their heads The men twist up their
except one lock. hair with a comb.
They seldom wash themselves. They bathe often.
They eat pigs more than They abhor pigs.
any other meat.
They are grave and silent. They are merry and talkative.
They are industrious. They are idle.
The most learned rise to be Every one is high and low
great men. according to his caste.
They mind the laws. They care not for laws.
The land is well cultivated. There is much waste land,
and many jungles.
Now let us consider in what respects they are _alike_.
China and Hindostan are alike in these respects. They are both very
_populous_, though China has twice as many inhabitants as Hindostan.
In both rice is the chief food.
In both large grown-up families live together.
In both the women are shut up.
In both foreigners are hated.
In both conjurers are admired.
In both many idols are worshipped.
In both there are ancient sacred books.
In both the people are deceitful, unmerciful to the poor, and in the
habit of destroying their own little girls when babies.
In both it is believed that the soul after death goes into another body,
and is born over and over again into this world.
Is it not mournful to think that more than half the people in the world
have no bright hope to cheer a dying bed? One poor Hindoo was heard to
exclaim as he was dying, "Where shall I go _last_ of all?" He asked a
wise question. He wanted to know where, after having been born ever so
many times, he should be put for _ever_ and _ever_. That is the great
point we all want to know. But the Hindoo and the Chinaman cannot know
this: they have never heard of _everlasting_ happiness.
CIRCASSIA.
This is not a vast country like China, or Hindostan. It may be called a
nook, it is so small compared with some great kingdoms: but it is famous
on account of the beauty of the people. They are fair, like Europeans,
with handsome features, and fine figures. But their beauty has done them
harm, and not good; for the cruel Turks purchase many of the Circassian
women, because they are beautiful, and shut them up in their houses.
Perhaps you will be surprised to hear that the young Circassians think it
a fine thing to go to Turkey--to live in fine palaces and gardens,
instead of remaining in their own simple cottages. But I think that when
they find themselves confined between high walls, they must sigh to think
of their flocks and their farms at home, and more than all, of the dear
relations they have left behind.
Circassia is a pleasant country, situated near the noble mountains of
Caucasus. The snow on the mountains cools the air, and makes Circassia as
pleasant to live in as our own England. Indeed, if you were suddenly to
be transported into Circassia, you would be ready to exclaim, "Is not
this England? Here are apple-trees, and pear-trees, and plum-trees, like
those in my father's garden: those sounds are like the notes of the
blackbird and thrush, which sing among the hawthorns in English woods."
But look again, you will see vines interlacing their fruitful branches
among the spreading oaks. You do not see such vines in England. But hark!
what do I hear? It is a sound never heard in England. It is the yell of
jackals.
MANNERS OF THE PEOPLE.--There is no country in the world where the people
are as kind to strangers as in Circassia. Every family, however poor, has
a guest-house. There is the family-house, with its orchard, and stables,
and at a little distance, another house for strangers. This is no more
than a large room, with a stable at one end. The walls are made of
wicker-work, plastered with clay. There is no ceiling but the rafters,
and no floor but the bare earth. Yet there is a wide chimney, where a
blazing fire is kept up with a pile of logs. And there is a sofa or
divan, covered with striped silk, and many neat mats to serve as beds for
as many travellers as may arrive. The wind may whistle through the
chinks, and the rain come through the roof, but the stranger is well
warmed, and comfortably lodged; and above all, he has the host to wait
upon him with more attention than a servant. The supper is served as soon
as the sun sets.
But where is the table? There is none. Is the supper placed on the floor?
Not so. It is brought in on stools with three legs. They answer the
purpose of tables, trays, and dishes, all in one. What is the fare served
up? This is the sort of dinner provided. On the first table is placed a
flat loaf; the gravy in the middle, and the meat all round. When this is
taken away, another table is brought in with cheese-cakes; a third with
butter and honey; a fourth with a pie; a fifth with a cream; and last of
all, a table, with a wooden bowl of curdled milk. The company have no
plates; but each Circassian carries a spoon and a knife in his girdle,
and with these he helps himself. The servants who stand by, are not
forgotten: a piece of meat or of pie-crust is often given to one of them;
it is curious to see the men take it into a corner to eat it there. There
are many hungry poor waiting at the door of the guest-house, ready to
help the servants to devour the remains of the feast; and there is often
a great deal of food left; for there are generally _ten_ tables, and
sometimes there are _forty_ tables. The guests are expected to taste the
food on each, however many there may be.
Instead of wine, there is a drink called shuat handed to the guests: it
is distilled from grain and honey. Vegetables are not much eaten in
Circassia: for greens are considered fit only for beasts: and there are
no potatoes. Pies, and tarts, and tartlets of various kinds are too well
liked, and the finest ladies in the land are skilful in making them.
The family live in a thatched cottage, called "the family-house." It is
not divided into rooms. If a man wants several rooms, he builds several
houses.
As you approach the dwelling of a Circassian, you hear the barking of
dogs, and upon coming nearer, you see women milking cows, and feeding
poultry, and boys tending goats, and leading horses.
If you go into the farm-yard, you will see among the animals, the
buffalo--but no pig. There are, however, wild boars in the woods.
CIRCASSIAN WOMEN.--They are not shut up as Hindoo, and Chinese, and
Turkish ladies are. They do not indeed go into the guest-house to see
strangers; but strangers are sometimes invited into the family-house to
see them.
An Englishman, who visited a family-house, was introduced to the wife and
daughter. They both rose up when he entered: nor would they sit down,
till he sat down; and this respect ladies show not only to gentlemen, but
even to the poorest peasants. The only furniture in the house was the
divan, on which the ladies sat; a pile of boxes, containing the beds,
which were to be spread on the floor at night; and a loom for weaving
cloth, and spindles for spinning.
The daughter, who was sixteen, was dressed in a skirt of striped silk,
with a blue bodice, and silver clasps; and she wore a cap of scarlet
cloth, adorned with silver lace--her light hair flowing over her
shoulders: yet though so finely arrayed, her feet were bare; for she only
put on her red slippers when she walked out. The mother was covered with
a loose calico wrapper, and her face was concealed by a thick white veil.
The visitor laid some needle-cases at the ladies' feet, for it is not the
custom for them to receive presents in their hands.
The needle-cases greatly delighted the young Hafiza, and her mother. The
present was well chosen, because the Circassian women are very
industrious, supplying their husbands and brothers with all their
clothes, from the woollen bonnet to the morocco shoe. The wool, the flax,
and the hemp, are all prepared at home by the mothers, and made into
clothes by the girls, who first spin the thread, then weave the cloth,
and finish by sewing the seams. Some girls are very clever in knitting
silver lace for trimming garments. A girl named Dussepli was famous for
her skill in this art, indeed her name signifies, "Shining as lace."
An Englishman went to the place where she lived to buy some of her lace.
He was shown into the guest-house, and he soon saw Dussepli approaching
in a pair of high pattens. At first sight there was nothing pleasing in
Dussepli but when she spoke she seemed so kind, and so true, that it was
impossible not to like her. By her industry in knitting lace, and dyeing
cloth, she helped to support her father, who was poor.
THE CIRCASSIAN MEN.--War is their chief occupation. Working in the fields
is left to the women, and the little boys, and the slaves. There is,
alas! great occasion for the men to fight, as the land has long been
infested with many dangerous enemies.
The Russians are endeavoring to conquer the Circassians: but the
Circassians declare they will die sooner than yield. Long ago the enemies
must have triumphed, had it not been for the high mountains which afford
hiding-places for the poor hunted inhabitants. Every man carries a gun, a
pistol, a dagger, and a sword; and the nobles are distinguished by a bow,
and a quiver of arrows. The usual dress is of coarse dark cloth, and
consists of a tunic, trowsers, and gaiters. The cap or bonnet is of
sheep-skin, or goatskin.
The boys are taught from their infancy to be hardy and manly. They are
brought up in a singular way. Instead of remaining at home, they are
given at three years old, into the care of a stranger: and the reason of
this custom is, that they may not be petted by their parents. The
stranger is called "foster-father," and he teaches any boy under his care
to ride well, and to shoot at a mark. The boy follows his foster-father
over the mountains, urging his horses to climb tremendous heights, and to
rush down ravines; and appeasing his hunger with a mouthful of honey from
the bag, fastened to his girdle. Such is the life he leads, till he is a
tall and a strong youth; and then he returns home to his parents. His
foster-father presents him with a horse, and weapons of war, and requires
no payment in return for all his care.
Men brought up in this manner must be wild, bold, restless, and ignorant.
Such are the Circassians. They care not for learning, as the Chinese do,
but only for bravery. We cannot wonder at this, when we remember what
enemies they have in their land. The Russians have built many strong
towers, whence they shoot at all who come near. But, not satisfied
with this, they often come forth and rob the villages.
[Illustration: Guz Beg the "Lion of Circassia."]
There was a Circassian, (and he may be still alive,) called Guz Beg; and
he gained for himself the name of the "Lion of Circassia." He was always
leading out little bands of men to attack the Russians. One day he found
some Russian soldiers reaping in the fields, and when he came near they
ran away in terror, leaving two hundred scythes in the field, which he
seized. But a great calamity befel this Lion. He had an only son. When he
first led the boy to the wars, he charged him never to shrink from the
enemy, but to cut his way through the very midst. One day Guz Beg had
ridden into the thick of the Russian soldiers, when suddenly a ball
pierced his horse, and he was thrown headlong on the ground. There lay
the Lion among the hunters. In another moment he would have been killed,
when suddenly a youthful warrior flew to his rescue;--it was his own son.
But what could _one_ do among so _many_! A troop of Circassian horse
rushed to the spot, and bore away Guz Beg; but they were too late to save
his son. They bore away the _body_ only of the brave boy. Guz Beg was
deeply grieved; but he continued still to fight for his country.
See those black heaps of ashes. In that spot there once lived a prince
named Zefri Bey, with his four hundred servants; but his dwellings were
burned to the ground by the Russians. That prince fled to Turkey to plead
for help. What would have become of his wife, and little girls, if a kind
friend had not taken them under his care? This friend was hump-backed,
but very brave. Some English travellers went to visit him, and were
received in the guest-house and regaled with a supper of many tables.
Next day the little girls came to the guest-house and kissed their hands.
The daughter of the hump-backed man accompanied them. The children were
delighted with some toys the traveller gave them, and the kind young lady
accepted needles and scissors. But where was the wife of Zefri Bey? A
servant was sent to inquire after her, and found her in rags, lying on a
mat, without even a counterpane, and weeping bitterly. Had no one given
her clothes, and coverings? Yes, but she gave everything away, for she
had been used, as a princess, to make presents, and now she cared for
nothing. Such are the miseries which the Russians bring upon Circassia.
THE GOVERNMENT.--There is no king of Circassia; but there are many
princes.
The people pay great respect to these princes, standing in their
presence, and giving them the first place at feasts, and in the
battle-field. But though the people honor them, they do not obey them.
There is a parliament in Circassia, but it does not meet in a house, but
in a grove. Every man who pleases may come, but only old men may speak.
If a young man were to give his opinions, no attention would be paid. The
warriors sit on the grass, and hang up their weapons of war on the boughs
above their heads, while they fasten their horses to the stems of the
trees.
The speakers are gentle in their tones of voice and behavior. The
Circassians admire sweet winning speeches. They say there are three
things which mark a great man; a sharp sword, a sweet tongue, and forty
tables. What do they mean by these? By a sharp sword they mean bravery,
by a sweet tongue they mean soft speeches, and by forty tables they mean
giving plentiful suppers to neighbors and to strangers. Are the
Circassians right in this way of thinking? No--for though bravery is
good, and speaking well is good, and giving away is good, these are not
the greatest virtues: and people may be brave, and speak well, and give
away much, and yet be wicked: for they may be without the love of God in
their hearts. What are the greatest virtues? These three, Faith, Hope,
and Charity. These are graces which come from God.
SERVANTS.--There are slaves in Circassia, called serfs. But they are so
well treated, that they are not like the slaves of other countries. They
live in huts round their master's dwelling; they work in the fields, and
wait upon the guests, and share in the good fare on the little tables.
When a Circassian takes a Russian prisoner, he makes him a slave, and
gives him the hardest work to do. Yet the Russians are much happier with
their Circassian masters than in their own country.
Once a Circassian said to his Russian slave, "I am going to send you back
to Russia." The man fell at his master's feet, saying, "Rather than do
so, use me as your dog; beat me, tie me up, and give me your bones to
pick." The master then told him that he had not spoken in earnest, and
that he would not send him away, and then the poor fellow began to shout,
and to jump with joy.
BROTHERHOODS.--There is a very remarkable plan in Circassia, unlike the
plans in other countries. A certain number of men agree to call
themselves "brothers." These brothers help each other on every occasion,
and visit at each other's houses frequently. They are not received in the
guest-house, but in the family-house, and are treated by all the family
as if they were really the brothers of the master.
A brotherhood sometimes consists of two thousand, but sometimes of only
twenty persons.
RELIGION.--Circassia, though beautiful, is an unhappy country. The
Russians keep the people in continual fear; this is a great evil. But
there is another nation who have done the Circassians still greater harm.
I mean the Turks. And what have they done to them? They have persuaded
them to turn Mahomedans. The greatest harm that can be done to any one,
is to give him a false religion. There are no grand mosques in Circassia,
because there are no towns: but in every little village there is a clay
cottage, where prayers are offered up in the name of Mahomet. There can
be no minaret to such a miserable mosque: so the man who calls the hours
of prayer, climbs a tall tree, by the help of notches, and getting into a
basket at the top, makes the rocks and hills resound with his cry. How
different shall be the sound one day heard in every land; when all people
shall believe in Jesus. "Then shall the inhabitants of the rocks
sing--then shall they shout from the top of the mountains, and give glory
unto the _Lord_" and not to Mahomet. (Is. xlii. 11, 12.)
But though the Circassians call themselves Mahomedans, they keep many of
their old customs, and these customs show that they once heard about
Christ.
It is their custom to dedicate every boy to God: but not really to _God_,
for in truth they dedicate him to the _cross_. Let me give you an account
of one of the feasts of dedication.
The place of meeting was a green, shaded by spreading oak-trees. In the
midst stood a cross. Each family who came to the feast, brought a little
table, and placed it before the cross; and on each table, there were
loaves, and a sort of bread called "pasta." There was a blazing fire on
the green, round which the elder women sat, while the younger preferred
the shade of a thicket. The priest took a loaf of bread in one hand, and
in the other, a large cup of shuat, (a kind of wine) and holding them out
towards the cross, blessed them. While he did this, men, women, and
children, knelt around, and bowed their heads to the ground. Afterwards,
the shuat and the bread were handed about amongst the company. But this
was only the beginning of the feast. Afterwards, a calf, a sheep, and two
goats were brought to the cross to be blessed. Then a little of their
hair was singed by a taper, and then they were taken away to be
slaughtered. Now the merriment began: some moved forward to cut up the
animals, and to boil their flesh in large kettles on fires kindled on the
green; many young men amused themselves with racing, leaping, and
hurling stones, while the elder people sat and talked. When the meat was
boiled, it was distributed among the sixty tables, and then the priest
blessed the food. And then the feasting began. Does it not seem as if the
Circassians must once have learned about Jesus crucified, and about his
supper of bread and wine, and about the Jewish feasts and sacrifices?
Once, perhaps, they knew the true religion, but they soon forgot it, and
though they still remember the _Cross_, they have forgotten _Christ_; and
though they still bless the bread and the cup, they know nothing of
redeeming love. Do you not long to send missionaries to Circassia? Well,
some good Scotch missionaries went there some years ago, but alas! the
Russians sent them away. Their thatched cottages may still be seen, and
their fruitful orchards, but they themselves are gone. There are,
however, a few German Christians in Circassia. They are not missionaries,
but only farmers, therefore the Russians allow them to remain. They have
a little church, where the Bible is read, and God is worshipped. You will
be glad to hear a few Circassians may be seen amongst the congregation;
they were converted by the Scotch missionaries, and they have remained
faithful amongst their heathen neighbors.
Circassia is situated between two seas:--
The Black Sea, and
The Caspian Sea.
What a wonderful place is the Caspian Sea. It is like a lake, only so
immensely large, that it is called a sea. The waters of lakes are fresh,
like those of rivers; but the waters of the Caspian are salt, but not so
salt as the salt sea. The shores of the Caspian are flat, and
unwholesome. You might think as you stood there, that you were by the
great ocean, for there are waves breaking on the sands, and water as far
as the eye can reach, but there is no freshness in the air as by the real
sea.
The mountains of Caucasus run through Circassia. They are quite low
compared to the Himalaya; they are about the height of the Alps, and the
tops are covered with snow. But the valleys between these mountains, are
not like the Swiss valleys, which are broad and pleasant; but these
valleys are narrow, and dark, and not fit to live in, yet they are of
great use as hiding-places for the Circassians. When pursued by a
Russian, a Circassian will urge his horse to dash down the dark valley,
and lest his horse should be alarmed by the sight of the dangerous depth
below, he will cover the animal's eyes with his cloak. Thus, many a bold
rider escapes from a cruel soldier.
GEORGIA.
When you hear of Circassia, you will generally hear of Georgia too, for
the countries lie close together, and resemble one another in many
respects. But though so near, their climate is different; for Circassia
lies beyond the mountains of Caucasus, and is therefore, exposed to the
cold winds of the north. But Georgia lies beneath the mountains, and is
sheltered from the chill blasts. Georgia is, therefore, far more fruitful
than Circassia, the people, too, are less fair, and less industrious. The
sides of the hills are clothed with vines, and houses with deep verandahs
are scattered among the vineyards, and women wrapped in long white sheets
may be seen reposing in the porticoes, enjoying the soft air, and lovely
prospect. While Circassian ladies are busy weaving and milking, the
Georgian ladies loll upon their couches, and do nothing. Which do you
think are the happier? These Georgian ladies, too, though very handsome,
are much disfigured by painted faces, and stained eyebrows. Their
countenances, too, are lifeless, and silly, as might be expected, since
they waste their time in idleness. Over their foreheads, they wear a kind
of low crown, called a tiara.
There is no country where so much wine is drank as in Georgia, even a
laborer is allowed five bottles a day. The grapes are exceedingly fine,
quite different from the little berries called grapes in Circassia. The
casks are very curious, they are the skins of buffaloes, and as the tails
and legs are not cut off, a skin filled with wine looks like a dead, or a
sleeping buffalo.
And what is the religion of Georgia? It is the Russian religion, because
the Russians have conquered the country. They cannot conquer the brave,
and active Circassians, but they have conquered the soft, and indolent
Georgians. The Georgians are called Christians, but the Greek Church,
which is the Russian religion, is a Christianity, laden with ceremonies
and false doctrines.
TIFLIS.
There is but one town in Georgia. It is beautifully situated on the steep
banks of a river, with terraces of houses, embosomed in vineyards. So
little do the people care for reading, that there is not a bookseller's
shop in the town, and it is very seldom that a bookcase is seen in a
house; for the Georgians love show, and entertainments, and idleness, but
not study.
TARTARY.
This is one of the largest countries in the world, yet it does not
contain as many people as the small land of France. How is this? You will
not be surprised that many people do not live there, when you hear what
sort of a country it is.
Fancy a country quite flat, as far as eye can see, except where a few low
sand-hills rise; a country quite bare, except where the coarse grass
grows;--a country quite dry, except where some narrow muddy streams run.
Such is Tartary. What is a country without hills, without trees, without
brooks? Can it be pleasant? This flat, bare, dry plain, is called the
steppes of Tartary. In one part of Tartary, there is a chain of
mountains, and there are a few towns, and trees, but _very few_. You may
travel a long while without seeing one.
Nothing can be so dreary as the steppes appear in winter time. The high
wind sweeping along the plain, drives the snow into high heaps, and often
hurls the poor animals into a cold grave. Sledges cannot be used,
because they cannot slide on such uneven ground. But if the _white_
ground looks dreary in winter, the _black_ ground looks hideous in
summer; for the hot sun turns the grass black, and fills the air with
black dust, and there are no shady groves, no cool hills, no refreshing
brooks. There must, indeed, be a _little_ shade among the thistles, as
they grow to twice the height of a man; but how different is such shade
from the shade of spreading oaks like ours! Instead of nice fruit, there
is bitter wormwood growing among the grass, and when the cows eat it,
their milk becomes bitter.
WILD ANIMALS.--The most common, is a pretty little creature called the
sooslik. It is very much like a squirrel.
But can it live where squirrels live,--in the hollows of trees? Where are
the trees in the steppe? The sooslik makes a house for itself by digging
a hole in the ground, just as rabbits do in England. Will it not surprise
you to hear that wolves follow the same plan, and even the wild dogs? The
houses the dogs make are very convenient, for the entrance is very
narrow, and there is plenty of room below.
There are some very odious animals on the steppe. Snakes and toads. Yes,
showers of toads sometimes fall. But neither snakes nor toads are as
great a plague as locusts. These little animals, not bigger than a
child's thumb, are more to be dreaded than a troop of wolves. And why?
Because they come in such immense numbers. The eggs lie hid in the ground
all the winter. O if it were known _where_ they were concealed, they
would soon be destroyed. But no one knows where they are till they are
hatched. In the first warm days of spring the young animals come forth,
and immediately they begin crawling on the ground in one immense flock,
eating up all the grass as they pass along; in a month they can fly, and
then they darken the air like a thick cloud; wherever any green appears,
they drop down and settle on the spot. The noise they make in eating can
be heard to a great distance, and the noise they make in flying is like
the rustling of leaves in a forest. They cannot be destroyed: but there
are two things they hate,--smoke and noise,--and by these they are
sometimes scared and induced to fly away.
PEOPLE AND CUSTOMS.--Besides the wild animals, there are tame animals,
who inhabit the steppe with men and women who take care of them. They are
all wanderers, both men and beasts. You can easily guess why they wander.
It is to find sufficient grass for the cattle.
Every six weeks the Tartars move to a new place. Yet one place is so like
another, that no place appears new;--there is always the same immense
plain--without a cottage, or an orchard, a green hill, or running brook,
to make any spot remembered. It is great labor to the Tartar women to
pack up the tents and to place them on the backs of the camels, and then
to unpack and to pitch the tents. It is a great disgrace to the men to
suffer the women to work as hard as they do: but the men are very idle,
and like to sit by their tents smoking and drinking, while their wives
are toiling and striving with all their might. The women have the care of
all the cattle: and the men attend only to the horses. Perhaps they would
not even do this, were it not that they are very fond of riding; and such
riders as the Tartars are seldom seen.
To give you an idea how they ride, I will describe one scene that took
place on the steppe.
Some travellers from Europe were on a visit to a Tartar prince: (for
there are _princes_ in the desert,) and they were taken to see a herd of
wild horses. The prince wished to have one of these wild horses caught.
It is not easy to do this. But Tartars know the way. Six men mounted a
tame horse, and rushed into the midst of the wild horses. Each of the men
had a great noose in his hand. They all looked at the prince to know
which horse he would have caught. When they saw the prince give a sign,
one of the men soon noosed a young horse. The creature seemed terrified
when it found that it was caught: his eyes started out, his nostrils
seemed to smoke. Presently a man came running up, sprang upon the back of
the wild horse, and by cutting the straps round his neck, set him at
liberty. In an instant the horse darted away with the swiftness of an
arrow; yet the man firmly kept his seat. The animal seemed greatly
alarmed at his strange burden, and tried every plan to get rid of
it;--now suddenly stopping,--now crawling on the grass like a worm,--now
rolling,--now rearing,--now dashing forward in a fast gallop through the
midst of the herd; yet all would not do; the rider clung to the horse as
closely as ever.
But how was the rider ever to get off his fiery steed? That would be
difficult indeed; but help was sent to him by the prince. Two men on
horseback rode after him, and between them they snatched away the man
from the trembling and foaming horse. The animal, surprised to find his
load suddenly gone, stood stupefied for a moment, and then darted off to
join his companions. What _this_ man did,--_many_ Tartars can do: and
even _little boys_ will mount wild horses, and keep on by clinging to
their manes: _women_, too, will gallop about on wild horses.
In Circassia the customs are very different; for though _men_ ride so
well, _women_ there never ride at all; and surely it is far better not to
ride than to be as bold as a Tartar woman.
FOOD.--What can be the food of the Tartars? Not bread, (for there is no
corn,) nor fruit, nor vegetables. The flocks and herds are the food. The
favorite meat is horse-flesh; though mutton and beef are eaten also. Then
there is plenty of milk--both cow's milk and sheep's milk. As there is
milk, there is butter and cheese. But it is very unwholesome to live on
meat and milk without bread and vegetables. The water, too, is very bad;
for it is taken from the muddy rivers, and not from clear springs. It is
a comfort for the Tartar that he can procure tea from China. Their tea is
indeed very unlike the tea brought to England; for it comes to Tartary in
hard lumps, shaped like bricks. It is boiled in a saucepan with water,
and then mixed with milk, butter, and salt. Thus you see the Tartar needs
neither tea-kettle, teapot, nor sugar basin.
It would be well if tea and milk were the only drinks in Tartary; but a
sort of spirit is distilled by the Tartars from mare's milk; and brandy
also is brought from Russia.
TENTS.--A Tartar tent is very unlike an Arab tent.
It is in the shape of a hut, for the sides are upright, and the roof only
is slanting, and there is a small hole at the top to let the smoke
escape. Neither is it made of skins, but of thick woollen stuff, called
felt, which keeps the cold out. At night the entrance is closed, and the
family sleep on mats around the fire in the midst.
APPEARANCE.--The Tartars are not handsome like the Turks and Circassians.
They are short and thick; their faces are broad and bony, their eyes very
small, and only half open; their noses flat, their lips thick, their
chins pointed, their ears large and flapping, and their skin dark and
yellow.
Their dress is warm, and well suited for riding in the desert. Different
tribes have different dresses: this is the dress of the Kalmuck Tartar.
He wears a yellow cloth cap trimmed with black lamb-skin; wide trowsers,
a tight jacket, and over all a loose tunic, fastened round the waist. His
boots are red, with high heels. The women dress like the men; but they
let their hair grow in two long tresses, while the men shave part of
their heads, and keep only _one_ lock of hair hanging on their shoulders.
[Illustration: TARTAR TENTS.]
You see that the Tartars are much like the Chinese in their persons and
dress; but they are a much stronger, bolder people, and much more
ignorant. No wonder, therefore, that many years ago the Tartars got over
the Chinese wall, and took possession of the Chinese throne. You must not
forget that the Emperor of China is a Tartar.
GOVERNMENT.--To whom does Tartary belong? Has it a king of its own? No.
Once it had many kings, called khans; but now the khans have lost their
power, and are only _called_ khan to do them honor. Now Tartary belongs
to the great empires on each side of it,--Russia and China. Part of
Tartary is called Russian Tartary, and part--Chinese Tartary. There is
only a small part that is not conquered; and it is called Independent
Tartary.
There are many different tribes, and each tribe keeps to a certain part
of the land, and never ventures to wander beyond its own bounds.
RELIGION.--The religion is the same as that which is so common in
China,--the religion of Buddha; but in some parts of Tartary there is the
religion of Mahomet. It is sad to think that far more people in the world
worship Buddha, the deceiver, than Jesus, the Son of God. The Tartars
think to please their false god by making a loud noise. It would astonish
a stranger to hear their jingling bells, shrill horns, squeaking shells,
bellowing trumpets, and deafening drums. How unlike is their senseless
noise to the sweet sound of a Christian hymn!
The Tartars think also to please their gods by glaring colors; so their
priests dress in red and yellow, and bear flags, adorned with strips of
gay silk. A band of priests looks something like a regiment of soldiers.
The chief priest is called the Lama, and he is worshipped as a god; but
his situation is not very pleasant; for he is not allowed to walk without
help. Whenever he attempts to walk, he is held up by a man on each side,
as if he were an infant; and usually he is drawn in a car, or carried in
a palanquin. From want of exercise, he becomes very weak and helpless.
When he dies, his body is burned, and the ashes are gathered up and made
into an idol. Thus he continues to be a god after he is dead. Another
Lama is chosen by one of the princes. There are many Lamas in Tartary for
the various tribes.
As the Tartars are always moving about, a tent serves for a temple; and
the idols are carried in great chests. They cannot walk, therefore they
must be carried. What use are such gods?
The Tartars have found out a way of praying without any trouble; and it
is a way that suits idols very well. They get some prayers written, and
place them in a drum, and then turn the drum round and round with a
string. This they call praying; and while they are thus praying, they can
be chattering, smoking, and even quarrelling. The princes have a still
easier way of offering up prayers. They write prayers upon a flag, and
then place it before their tents for the wind to blow it about.
This is _their_ way of praying to their gods.
And what, my dear child, is _your_ way of praying to your God?
Have missionaries visited the Tartars?
Yes; I will tell you of two German missionaries, who tried to convert a
tribe of Tartars called the Kalmucks, living near the Caspian Sea and the
river Volga. These good men were treated with great contempt by the
Tartars. The missionaries translated the Gospel of St. Matthew into the
Tartar language. One of the Tartars, instead of thanking them, observed,
"I wonder you should take so much trouble to prepare a book that we shall
never read." When the precious books were given to the Tartars, some of
them returned the books; and when it was read to them, they scornfully
said, as they turned away, "It is only the history of Jesus."
At last one Tartar, named Sodnom, believed in Jesus. He said to the
missionaries, "Now the Tartars, from my example, may turn to the Lord:
for as, when sheep are to be washed, each is afraid to enter the water
till _one_ has been in, so it may be with my countrymen."
Sodnom read every evening in the Testament to his family in the tent. At
first his wife was displeased, and said that her husband wasted the
fire-wood in making a light to read a book that was of no use. But
afterwards she listened, and made the children keep quiet. The neighbors
also listened, and _twenty-two_ turned to the Lord!
Then the prince and the priests grew angry, and said the Christians must
leave the camp. Where could the Christians go? There was a village called
Sarepta, where some Germans lived. There they determined to go, though it
was two hundred miles off. One of the missionaries led the way on
horseback; the Tartars followed on foot: then came camels bearing the
tents and the women, while a bullock-cart contained the young children.
The flocks and herds were driven by the bigger children.
The good Germans in Sarepta received the Tartars with great joy. One
gray-headed man of eighty-three came to meet them, leaning upon his
staff. He said he had been praying that he might see a _Christian_ Tartar
before he died. He heard these Tartars sing hymns to the praise of
Jesus, and he felt his prayers were answered. Two days afterwards he
died. Like old Simeon, he might have said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation."
The Christians went to live in a small island in the river Volga. When
the river was frozen, the Germans went over the ice to visit them. Sodnom
gave them tea mixed with fat in a large wooden bowl; and to please him,
the kind Germans drank some, though they did not like it. Many Tartars
assembled in Sodnom's tent, and seated on the ground smoking their pipes,
talked together about heavenly things; and before they parted, they put
away their pipes, and folding their hands, sang hymns in their own
language. The Germans, in taking leave, divided a large loaf among the
company; for bread is considered quite a dainty by the Tartars.
The change that had taken place in these Tartars filled the Germans with
joy; and more missionaries would have gone to teach the heathen Kalmucks,
had not the Emperor of Russia forbidden them.
ASTRACAN.
This city is on the Caspian Sea. It is very unpleasant, on account of the
heat and the gnats.
Not only Tartars dwell there, but many people of all nations, Russians,
Hindoos, and Armenians. The chief trade of Astracan is in the fish of the
sea, and in the salt on the shores.
BOKHARA (IN TARTARY).
This is a kingdom in the midst of Tartary. It lies at the south of the
Caspian Sea. It is not like the rest of Tartary, for it is a sweet green
spot. Travellers have said that it is the most beautiful spot in the
world, but that is not true. The reason that travellers have said so, is
that, after passing through a great desert, they have been charmed at
seeing again running streams, and shady groves.
But though Bokhara is a beautiful place, it is a wicked place.
The king is one of the greatest tyrants in the world. He is called the
Amir.
The city where he dwells is called Bokhara (which is also the name of the
whole country). His palace is on a high mound, in the midst of splendid
mosques, and mansions. Amongst these grand buildings is the prison, a
place of horrible cruelty. There the prisoners lie in the dark, and the
damp. One use of the prison is to keep water cool for the king in summer;
it feels therefore just like a cellar.
But the worst dungeon, is filled with stinging insects, called "ticks,"
reared on purpose to torment prisoners. In order to keep the ticks alive
when no prisoners are there, raw meat is thrown into the place. There is
also a deep pit into which men are let down with ropes; as once the holy
Jeremiah was in Jerusalem.
Once a fortnight the prisoners are judged by the Amir. Even when the
ground is covered with snow they stand with bare feet, waiting for hours
till the Amir appears.
Can so cruel a monarch be happy? No. He lives in constant fear of his
life.
He is afraid of drinking water, lest it should be poisoned. All that he
drinks is brought from the river in skins, and sealed, and guarded by two
officers; it is then taken to the chief counsellor, called the Vizier,
and tasted by him, and his servants; it is then sealed again, and sent to
his majesty.
The Amir's dinner when it is ready, is not placed on the royal table, but
locked up in a box, and taken to the Vizier to be tasted, before it is
served up in the palace.
But it is not the Amir only who is afraid of poison. No one will accept
fruit from another, unless that other tastes it first. It must be very
terrible to live in the midst of such murderers as the people of Bokhara
seem to be.
The Amir is so much afraid of people making plans to destroy him, that he
chooses to see all the letters that are written by his subjects; if a
husband write to his wife, the letter must first be shown to the Amir.
There are boys, too, going about the city listening to all that is said,
that they may let the Amir know, if any one speak against him.
But while the Amir is watching his people, _they_ are watching _him_; for
his chief officers hire men to listen to the Amir's conversation, that
they may know if he intends to kill them. Yet every person _appears_ to
approve all the Amir does, saying on every occasion, "It is the act of a
king; it must be good." They are such people as Jeremiah describes in the
Bible. "Their tongue is as an arrow shot out, it speaketh deceit; one
_speaketh_ peaceably to his neighbor, but in his _heart_ he lieth his
wait."--(Jer. ix. 8.)
APPEARANCE.--The people in Bokhara are much handsomer than other
Tartars; their complexions are fairer, and their hair is of a lighter
color. They wear large white turbans, and several dark pelisses with
high-heeled boots. These high heels prevent their walking well, and most
people, both men and women, ride; but the ladies always hide their faces
with a veil of black hair cloth.
The large court of the palace is filled from morning to night with a
crowd of noisy people, most of them mounted on horses and donkeys.
In the midst of the court is the fruit market. It is wonderful to behold
the quantity, and beauty of the fruits. The same fruits grow in Bokhara
as in England, only they are much finer. _Such_ grapes, plums, and
apricots, mulberries, and melons, are never seen in Europe, and they are
made more refreshing by being mixed with chopped ice. Large piles of ice
stand all the summer long in the market-place, and even beggars drink
iced water. But hot tea is preferred before any other drink. In every
corner of the market there are large urns of hot tea, and small bowls of
rich milk, surrounded all day by a thirsty crowd. How much better is this
sight than the gin palaces of London!
But there is one great inconvenience in Bokhara, for which all its fruits
can scarcely make amends. There is bad water. For Bokhara is not built
on the banks of a river, or among running brooks: all the water is
brought by canals, from a small stream near the town, and when the canals
are dried up by the heat, there is no water, except in the tanks where it
is kept. This stagnant water produces a disease called the Guinea worm.
In this complaint the skin is covered with painful swellings, and when
they burst, a little flat worm is discovered in each, which must be drawn
out before the poor sufferer can recover.
RELIGION.--It is the Mahomedan. The Amir is a strict observer of his
religion. Every Friday he may be seen going to prayers in his great
mosque. The Koran is carried before him, and four men with golden staves
accompany him, crying out, "Pray to God that the Commander of the
Faithful may act justly." As he passes by, his people stroke their beards
to show their respect. Bokhara is reckoned by Mahomedans a very religious
city; for in every street there is a mosque; every evening people may be
seen crowding to prayers; and if boys are caught asleep during service,
they are tied together, and driven round the market by an officer, who
beats them all the way with a thick thong.
There is a school, too, in almost every street of Bokhara, and there the
poor boys sit from sunrise, till an hour before sunset, bawling out
their foolish lessons from the Koran; and during all that time they are
never allowed to go home, except once for some bread. They have no time
for play, except in the evening, and no holiday, except on Friday. Seven
years they spend in this manner, learning to read and write. When they
leave school, if they wish to be counted very wise, they go to one of the
colleges; for there are many in Bokhara. Some spend all their lives in
these colleges, living in small cells, and meeting in a large hall to
hear lectures about the Mahomedan religion. It is a happy thing, however,
that in summer the students go out to work in the fields; for how much
better is it to work with the hands, than to fill the head with the
wicked inventions of Mahomed.
The Mahomedans, however, are very proud of their religion, because they
_say_, they do not worship idols; (yet they do worship at Mecca, a black
stone, and other like things in other places). They imagine that _all_
Christians are idolaters, for they know that the Russians bow down to
pictures.
Once the Vizier of Bokhara conversed a long while with two Englishmen
about their religion.
He asked them, "Do you worship idols?"
The Englishmen replied, "No."
The Vizier would not believe them, but said, "I am sure you have images
and crosses hung round your necks."
Upon which, they opened their vests to show there was nothing hidden.
Then the Vizier smiled, and said to his servants, "They are not bad
people."
As the servants were preparing tea, the Vizier took a cup, and said to
the travellers, "You must drink with us, for you are people of the Book,"
meaning the Bible.
Yet you must not suppose because the Vizier seemed to approve these
Christians, that he, and the Amir, would allow missionaries to settle in
the kingdom.
It is dangerous for Englishmen to visit Bokhara. When they do come, they
must be very careful not to give offence, or they will lose their lives.
Englishmen are more dreaded than any other people, because it is known in
Bokhara, that they have conquered Hindostan, and therefore the Amir fears
lest they should conquer his kingdom also. As soon as an Englishman
enters Bokhara, he is forbidden to write a letter, for fear he should
contrive some plan to bring enemies there. Neither is he allowed to ride
in the streets; none but Mahomedans are allowed to ride in them, though
any one may ride _outside_ the city.
Some years ago two Englishmen came to Bokhara, named Colonel Stoddart,
and Captain Conolly. They acted foolishly in writing letters, and trying
to send them secretly to their friends. They were found out, and shut up.
Colonel Stoddart behaved very wickedly in one respect; he pretended to be
a Mahomedan! Was not this wicked? Soon he grew sorry, and declared
himself a Christian. At last both Stoddart and Conolly were sentenced to
die. They were led with their hands tied behind them to a place near the
palace, to be executed. Conolly as he went along, cried out, "Woe, woe to
me, for I have fallen into the hands of a tyrant." At the place of
execution the two Englishmen kissed each other.
Stoddart said to the king's minister, (for the Amir was not present,)
"Tell the Amir that I die a disbeliever in Mahomed, but a believer in
Jesus. I am a Christian, and a Christian I die."
Then Conolly said to his friend, "We shall see each other in paradise
near Jesus."
These were their last words. Immediately afterwards their heads were cut
off with a knife.
Some time after this cruel murder, a clergyman, named Joseph Wolff,
arrived at Bukhara. He had travelled all the way from England, and all
alone, on purpose to inquire after Conolly, who had been his dear friend.
The Amir was surprised at his coming, and said, "I have taken thousands
of _Persians_ and made them slaves, and no one came from Persia to
inquire what was become of them; but as soon as I take two ENGLISHMEN
prisoners, behold a man comes all this long way to inquire after _them!_"
The Amir did not know how precious are the lives of Englishmen in the
eyes of their countrymen.
Joseph Wolff found it hard to get away from Bokhara. He was kept a long
while in prison, and he feared he should be slain; for when he asked the
Amir to give him the bones of Stoddart and Conolly to take to England,
this was the Amir's answer: "I shall send YOUR bones!" Yet, after all, he
was permitted to leave Bokhara, the Lord graciously inclining the tyrant
to let him go.
How can Missionaries be sent to such a country!
* * * * *
Bokhara is the only large town in the kingdom.
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