ruit, they are
immediately eaten; if of flowers, the men put them in their turbans, and
the girls entwine them in their hair.

Next to the priests, the most important persons about the temples are
the dancing girls. These are persons of the vilest character. They
perform their religious duties in the temple twice a day. They also
assist at the public ceremonies, and dance. At the same time they sing
the most abominable and filthy songs. Of these wicked creatures,
however, I must not tell you any thing further.

The next order of persons employed in the temples, are players on
musical instruments. Every temple of note has a band of these musicians
who, as well as the dancers, are obliged to attend the temple twice a
day. They are also obliged to assist at all the public festivals. Their
band generally consists of wind, instruments, resembling clarionets and
hautboys, to which they add cymbals and drums. They have a bass,
produced by blowing into a kind of tube, widened below, and which gives
an uninterrupted sound. Part of the musicians sing hymns in honor of
their gods.

The expenses of the temples are borne by the voluntary offerings of the
people, consisting of money, jewels, cattle, provisions, and other
articles. In order to induce them to make such offerings, the Brahmins
use all kinds of deception. Sometimes they will put their idols in
irons, chaining their hands and feet. They exhibit them in this sad
condition, declaring that they have been brought into it by creditors
from whom their gods had to borrow money, in times of trouble, to supply
their wants. They declare that their creditors refuse to set the gods at
liberty, until the money with the interest is paid. The people, seeing
the deplorable condition into which they have been brought, come forward
and pay off the debt; when the chains are taken off, and the god is set
at liberty.

Another way in which the Brahmins sometimes deceive the people, is as
follows. They say that the god is afflicted with some dreadful disease,
brought on by the distress which he has had, because the people do not
worship him as much as they should. In such cases, the idol is sometimes
placed at the door of the temple where they rub his forehead and temples
with various kinds of medicine. They also set before him all sorts of
medicines, pretending in this way to do all they can to cure him. But as
all their efforts prove to be vain, and the disease becomes worse, the
Brahmin