hese disciples get from secular people is given not only from
feelings of charity and compassion, but as a religions or
propitiatory offering: for they are all considered to be armed by
their apostle with a vicarious power of blessing or cursing; and as
being in themselves men of God whom it might be dangerous to
displease. They never condescend to feign disease or misery in order
to excite feelings of compassion, but demand what they want with a
bold front, as holy men who have a right to share liberally in the
superfluities which God has given to the rest of the Hindoo
community. They are in general exceedingly intelligent men of the
world, and very communicative. Among them will be found members of
all classes of Hindoo society, and of the most wealthy and
respectable families.[6] While I had charge of the Narsinghpur
district in 1822 a Bairagi, or follower of Vishnu, came and settled
himself down on the border of a village near my residence. His mild
and paternal deportment pleased all the little community so much that
they carried him every day more food than he required. At last, the
proprietor of the village, a very respectable old gentleman, to whom
I was much attached, went out with all his family to ask a blessing
of the holy man. As they sat down before him, the tears were seen
stealing down his cheeks as he looked upon the old man's younger sons
and daughters. At last, the old man's wife burst into tears, ran up,
and fell upon the holy man's neck, exclaiming, 'My lost son, my lost
son!' He was indeed her eldest son. He had disappeared suddenly
twelve years before, became a disciple of the high priest of a
distant temple, and visited almost every celebrated temple in India,
from Kedarnath in the eternal snows to Sita Baldi Ramesar, opposite
the island of Ceylon.[7] He remained with the family for nearly a
year, delighting them and all the country around with his narratives.
At last, he seemed to lose his spirits, his usual rest and appetite;
and one night he again disappeared. He had been absent for some years
when I last saw the family, and I know not whether he ever returned.

The real members of these monastic orders are not generally bad men;
but there are a great many men of all kinds who put on their
disguises, and under their cloak commit all kinds of atrocities.[8]
The security and convenience which the real pilgrims enjoy upon our
roads, and the entire freedom from all taxation, both upon these
road