On the second day, the number of Hindoos travelling in my direction

had increased to fifties and hundreds. On the third day, the throng had

swollen to thousands; all slowly converging to one point--the city of

Somnauth.

A trifling service which I was able to render to one of my

fellow-pilgrims, during the third day's journey, proved the means of

introducing me to certain Hindoos of the higher caste. From these men I

learnt that the multitude was on its way to a great religious ceremony,

which was to take place on a hill at a little distance from Somnauth.

The ceremony was in honour of the god of the Moon; and it was to be held

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at night.

The crowd detained us as we drew near to the place of celebration. By

the time we reached the hill the moon was high in the heaven. My Hindoo

friends possessed some special privileges which enabled them to gain

access to the shrine. They kindly allowed me to accompany them. When

we arrived at the place, we found the shrine hidden from our view by

a curtain hung between two magnificent trees. Beneath the trees a flat

projection of rock jutted out, and formed a species of natural platform.

Below this, I stood, in company with my Hindoo friends.

Looking back down the hill, the view presented the grandest spectacle of

Nature and Man, in combination, that I have ever seen. The lower slopes

of the eminence melted imperceptibly into a grassy plain, the place of

the meeting of three rivers. On one side, the graceful winding of the

waters stretched away, now visible, now hidden by trees, as far as the

eye could see. On the other, the waveless ocean slept in the calm of

the night. People this lovely scene with tens of thousands of human

creatures, all dressed in white, stretching down the sides of the hill,

overflowing into the plain, and fringing the nearer banks of the winding

rivers. Light this halt of the pilgrims by the wild red flames of

cressets and torches, streaming up at intervals from every part of

the innumerable throng. Imagine the moonlight of the East, pouring in

unclouded glory over all--and you will form some idea of the view that

met me when I looked forth from the summit of the hill.

A strain of plaintive music, played on stringed instruments, and flutes,

recalled my attention to the hidden shrine.

I turned, and saw on the rocky platform the figures of three men. In the

central figure of the three I recognised the man to whom I had spoken

in England, when the Indians appeared on the terrace at Lady Verinder's

house. The other two who had been his companions on that occasion were

no doubt his companions also on this.




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