conceptions. Generally they do not wear any
clothes, except a piece of muslin round the loins, which is insisted
upon by the police of the towns inhabited by Europeans. They wander from
the age of fifteen, all their lives, and die generally very aged. They
live never giving a thought to the morrow, like the birds of heaven, and
the lilies of the field. They never touch money, and are contented with
a handful of rice. All their worldly possessions consist of a small dry
pumpkin to carry water, a rosary, a brass cup and a walking stick.
The Sannyasis and the Swamis are usually Sikhs from the Punjab, and
monotheists. They despise idol-worshipers, and have nothing to do with
them, though the latter very often call themselves by their names.

Our new friend was a native of Amritsar, in the Punjab, and had been
brought up in the "Golden Temple," on the banks of Amrita-Saras, the
"Lake of Immortality." The head Guru, or instructor, of Sikhs resides
there. He never crosses the boundaries of the temple. His chief
occupation is the study of the book called Adigrantha, which belongs to
the sacred literature of this strange bellicose sect. The Sikhs respect
him as much as the Tibetans respect their Dalai-Lama. The Lamas in
general consider the latter to be the incarnation of Buddha, the Sikhs
think that the Maha-Guru of Amritsar is the incarnation of Nanak, the
founder of their sect. Nevertheless, no true Sikh will ever say that
Nanak was a deity; they look on him as a prophet, inspired by the spirit
of the only God. This shows that our Sannyasi was not one of the
naked travelling monks, but a true Akali; one of the six hundred
warrior-priests attached to the Golden Temple, for the purpose of
serving God and protecting the temple from the destructive Mussulmans.
His name was Ram-Runjit-Das; and his personal appearance was in perfect
accordance with his title of "God's warrior." His exterior was very
remarkable and typical; and he looked like a muscular centurion of
ancient Roman legions, rather than a peaceable servant of the altar.
Ram-Runjit-Das appeared to us mounted on a magnificent horse, and
accompanied by another Sikh, who respectfully walked some distance
behind him, and was evidently passing through his noviciate. Our Hindu
companions had discerned that he was an Akali, when he was still in the
distance. He wore a bright blue tunic without sleeves, exactly like that
we see on the statues of Roman warriors. Broad steel brac