153
ladiez, who were sitting im a little garden within a high enclosure—the femily per- hapa of some wealthy native. Although women of tha common class cin be geen anywhere inthe atreot, all ladies of bigh rank are kept in the strictest seclusion. Theee were richly dressed and scemed quite pretty; bat perhsps it was the ‘distance that lent enchantment to the view.” While I was watching them through my opera: glass they caught sight of me, and looked up through their handjin imitation of my glass, with a curiosity greater perhaps than my own—or I preeume they bad never be- fore seen thefacs ofa Fravk. But suddenly an old grey-hesded fellow (he might be hua band or father) appeared on the scene, glanced up at me, and drove the ladies, with threstening gestures, into tha house. I bope my innocent curiosity was not the cause of trouble in the family. Dercending from our lafty view-point to the buay hive below we slowly threaded our way out of the labyrinth to the wider street, where our gharry waz waiting, stopping ata toy- shop to buy some curiously painted and var- nished toys which sra 4 specialty of Be- nares manufacture, the peculiarity of which is that the brighicolored pigment is not re- movable by use.
Later in the day, under the euidance of “Bhiva Dotta,’” I went to visit the famous “Golden Pagoda,” dedicated to the god Shiva. Itis situatedin the most crowded part of the city and only accessible on toot. From the roof rise three irregular apires and domes, enyered with sheet copper gilt, presenting the sppearence in the sun of glittering masaea of burnished gold. The throng sround the temple was so dense that it was only sfter a fearful amoustof push- tag and crowGing through au excited throng of both sexes and sll ages that we could pencstrate the vestibule. Tha “holy ot helies”’ none were permitted to enter but the priests and privileged worshippers. Around us in the doorway was a frantic crowd shouting, streaming and howling in their eagerness to gaina sight of the holy chamber. Not being pezmitted to advance, the pushing sud crowding behind us of hese, who seemod frantic with religious frenzy, nearly took us off our feet. Within the sacred inclosure before the tingam, or emblem of worship, was a marble basin into which the priests were throwlnog yellow flowers, and those permitted to onter were pouring from their brass utensils the
