taining inmense military stores, is likely to fall into the hands of the enemy; a superior officer to the commandant receives the information, and repairs to the post, and orders him immediately to evacuate it. The commandant feeling himself only responsible to the authority who placed him in that position, refuses to obey, and the magazines and place are lost! The principle is like wise subversive of the very foundation of military subordination and discipline, whereby an inferior should in all cases obey a superior, who alone should be responsible for the effect arising from the execution of his orders. It will readily be believed, that in thus advocating implicit obedience to the orders of a superior, I do not suppose the highest improbabilities, or impossibilities, such as a command from him to turn your arms against the constituted authority of your country, or to be an engine of his tyranny, or the pander of his vices; these are cases wherein a man's reason alone must direct him, and are not and cannot he subject to any human rule what ever. Religion. Its forms are topics with which I am very imperfectly acquainted, but having made some enquiries and observations on the subject, I will freely communicate them, fearful at the same that I may lay myself open to the severe criticism of persons who have in any degree applied themselves to the study of theology or the ritual of the Catholic church. "The kingdom of New Spain is divided into four archbishopricks, viz. Mexico, Guadalaxara, Durango, and St. Luis Potosi; under these again are the subbishopricks, deacons, curates, &c. each of whom is subject and accountable to his immediate chiefs for the districts com mitted to his charge, and the whole are again subject to the ordinances of the high court of inquisition, held at the capital of Mexico; whence are fulminated the edicts of censure against the heresies and impious doctrines of the modern philosophy both as to politics and religion. I am credibly informed that the influence of that tribunal is greater in his Catholic Majesty's Mexican dominions, than in any catholic country in Europe, or perhaps in the world. A few years since they condemned a man to the flames, for asserting and maintaining some doctrine which they deemed heretical; and also a Jew who was imprudent enough to take the image of Christ from the cross and put it under the sill of his door, saying privately, He would make the dogs walk over their God. This court likewise examines and condemns all books of a modern sentiment either as to religion or politics, and excommunicates any one in whose hands they may be found. I recollect to have seen one of its decrees published in the Mexican gazette, condemning a number of books as heretical and contrary to the sacred principles of the Holy Catholic Church, and the peace and durability of the government of his Catholic Majesty. Amongst these were mentioned Helvetius on man, J. J. Rousseau's Works, Voltaire's, Mirabeau's, and a number of others of that description, and even at so great a distance as Chihuahua an officer dared not take Pope's Essay on Man to his quarters, but used to come to mine to read it. "The salaries of the archbishops are superior to those of any officers in the kingdom, that of the bishop of Mexico being estimated at one hundred and fifty thousand dollars per annum, while the viceroy has but eighty thousand, and fifty thousand allowed for his table, falling short of the bishop twenty thousand dollars. These incomes are raised entirely from the people, who pay no tax to the king, but give one tenth of their yearly income to the clergy; besides the fees of confessions, bulls, burials, baptisms, marriages, and a thousand other impositions, which the corruption of priestcraft has introduced, and have been kept up by the superstition and ignorance of the people. Notwithstanding all this, the inferior clergy, who do all the slavery of the office, are liberal and well-informed men. I scarcely saw one who was not in favour of a change of government. They being generally Creoles by birth, and always kept in subordinate grades, without the least shadow of a probability of rising to the superior dignities of the church, their minds have been soured to such a degree, that I am confident in asserting they will lead the van, whenever the standard of independence is raised in the country." TEMPLE AND RITES OF JUGGERNAUT IN ORISSA. [FROM DR. BUCHANAN'S CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES IN ASIA.] WE Buddrock, in Orissa, May 30, 1808. E know that we are approaching Juggernaut (and yet we are more than fifty miles from it), by the human bones which we have seen for some days strewed by the way. At this place we have been joined by several large bodies of pilgrims, perhaps 2000 in number, who have come from various parts of Northern India. Some of them, with whom I have conversed, say that they have been two months on their march, travelling slowly in the hottest season of the year, with their wives and children. Some old persons are among them who wish to die at Juggernaut. Numbers of pilgrims die on the road; and their bodies generally remain unburied. On a plain by the river, near the pilgrim's caravansera at this place, there are more than a hundred skulls. The dogs, jackals, and vultures seem to live here on human prey. The vultures exhibit a shocking tameness. The obscene animals will not leave the body sometimes till we come close to them. This Buddruck is a horrid place. Wherever I turn my eyes, I meet death in some shape or other.Surely Juggernaut cannot be worse than Buddruck. In sight of Juggernaut, 12th June, 1806. -"Many thousands of pilgrims have accompanied us for some days past. They cover the road before and behind, as far as the eye can reach. At nine o'clock this morning, the temple of Juggernaut appeared in view at a great distance. When the muititude first saw it, they gave a shout, and fell to the ground and worshipped. I have heard nothing to-day but shouts aud acclamations by the successive bodies of pilgrims. dies of pilgrims. From the place where I now stand I have a view of a host of people like an army, encamped at the outer gate of the town of Juggernaut; where a guard of soldiers is posted to prevent their M 2 entering entering the town, until they have Outer Gate of Juggernaut, "A disaster has just occurred. 6 the mass of people; and I apprehended that many of them would have been suffocated, or bruised to death. My horse was yet among them. But suddenly one of the sideposts of the gate, which was of wood, gave way and fell to the ground. And perhaps this circumstance alone prevented the loss of lives. Notice of the event was immediately communicated to Mr Hunter, the superintendant of the temple, who repaired to the spot, and sent an additional guard to the inner gate, lest the people should force that also; for there is an outer and an inner gate to the town of Juggernaut ; but both of them are slightly canstructed. Mr. Hunter told me that similar accidents sometimes occur, and that many have been crushed to death by the pressure of the mob. He added, that sometimes a body of pilgrims (consisting chiefly of women and children and old men), trusting to the physical weight of their mass, will make, what he called a charge on the armed guards, and overwhelm them; the guards not being willing, in such circumstances, to oppose their bayonets. Juggernaut, 14th June, 1806. "I have seen Juggernaut. The scene at Buddruck is but the vestibule to Juggernaut. No record of ancient or modern history can give, I think, an adequate idea of this valley of death; it may be truly compared with the valley of Hinnom. The idol called Juggernaut has been considered as the Moloch of the present age; and he is justly so named, for the sacrifices offered up to him by self-devotement, are not less criminal, perhaps not less numerous, than those recorded of the Moloch of Cauaan. Two other idols accompany Juggernaut, namely, Boforam and Shubudra, his bro ther ther and sister; for there are three deities worshipped here. They receive equal adoration, and sit on thrones of nearly equal height. "This morning I viewed the temple; a stupendous fabric, and truly commensurate with the extensive sway of the horrid king,' As other temples are usually adorned with figures emblematical of their religion, so Juggernaut bas representations (numerous and varied) of that vice, which constitutes the essence of his worship. The walls and gates are covered with indecent emblems, in massive and durable sculpture. I have also visited the sand plains by the sea, in some places whitened with the bones of the pilgrims; and another place, a little way out of the town, called by the English the Golgotha, where the dead bodies are usually cast forth, and where dogs and vultures are ever seen. "The grand Hindoo festival of the Rutt Jattra, takes place on the 18th inst. when the idol is to be brought forth to the people. I reside during my stay here at the house of James Hunter, Esq. the Company's collector of the tax on pilgrims, and superintendant of the temple, formerly a student in the College of Fort William; by whom I am hospitably entertained, and also by Captaio Patton, and Lieut. Woodcock, commanding the military force. Mr. Hunter distinguished himself at the College by his proficiency in the Oriental languages. He is a gentleman of polished manners and of classical taste. The agreeable society of these gentlemen is very refreshing to my spirits in the midst of the present scenes. I was surprised to see how little they seemed to be moved by the scenes of Juggernaut. They said they were now so accus tomed to them, they thought little of them. They had almost forgot their first impressions. Their houses are on the sea-shore, about a mile or more from the temple. They cannot live nearer, on account of the offensive effluvia of the town. For, independently of the enormity of the superstition, there are other circumstances which render Juggernaut noisome in an extreme degree. The senses are assailed by the squalid and ghastly appearance of the famished pilgrims; many of whom die in the streets of want or of disease; while the devotees, with clotted hair and painted flesh, are seen practising their various austerities, and modes of self-torture. Persons of both sexes, with little regard to concealment, sit down on the sands close to the town in public view; and the sacred bulls walk about among them and eat the ordure. "The vicinity of Juggernaut to the sea probably prevents the contagion, which otherwise would be produced by the putrefactions of the place. There is scarcely any verdure to refresh the sight near Juggernaut; the temple and town being nearly encompassed by hills of sand, which has been cast up in the lapse of ages by the surge of the ocean. All is barren and desolate to the eye; and in the ear there is the never-intermitting sound of the roar. ing sea. Juggernaut, 18th of June, 1806. "I have returned home from witnessing a scene which I shall never forget. At twelve o'clock of this day, being the great day of the feast, the Moloch of Hindostan was brought out of his temple amidst the acclamations of hundreds of thousands of his worshippers. When the idol was placed on his throne, a shout was raised by the multitude, such as I had never heard before. It continued equable for a few minutes, and then gradually died away. After a short interval of silence, a murmur was heard at a distance; all eyes were turned towards the place, and, behold, a grove advancing. A body of men, having green branches, or palms, in their hands, approached with great celerity. The people opened a way for them; and when they had come up to the throne, they fell down before him that sat thereon, and worshipped. And the multitude again sent forth a voice like the sound of a great thunder.' But the voices I now heard were not those of melody or of joyful acclamation; for there is no harmony in the praise of Moloch's worshippers. Their number indeed brought to my mind the countless multitude of the Revelations; but their voices gave no tuneful Hosanna or Hallelujah; but rather a yell of approbation, united with a kind of hissing applause. I was at a loss how to account for this latter noise, until I was directed to notice the women, who emitted a sound like that of whistling, with the lips circular and the tongue vibrating: as if a serpent would speak by their organs, uttering human sounds. "The throne of the idol was placed on a stupendous car or tower about sixty feet in height, resting on wheels which indented the ground deeply, as they turned slowly under the ponderous machine. Attached to it were six cables, of the size and length of a ship's cable, by which the people drew it along. Thousands of men, women, and children pulled by each cable, crowding so closely, that some could only use one hand. Infants are made to exert their strength in this office, for it is ac counted a merit of righteousness to move the god. Upon the tower were the priests and satellites of the idol, surrounding his throne. I was told that there were about a hundred and twenty persons upon the car altogether. The idol is a block of wood, having a frightful visage painted black, with a distended mouth of a bloody colour. His arms are of gold, and he is dressed in gorgeous apparel. The other two idols are of a white and yellow colour. Five elephants preceded the three towers, bearing towering flags, dressed in crimson caparisons, and having bells hanging to their caparisons, which sounded musically as they moved. "I went on in the procession, close by the tower of Moloch; which, as it was drawn with difficulty,grated on its many wheels harsh thunder. After a few minutes it stopped, and now the worship of the god began. A high priest mounted the car in front of the idol, and pronounced his obscene stanzas in the ears of the people; who responded at intervals in the same strain. These songs,' said be,' are the delight of the god. His car can only move when he is pleased with the song. The car moved on a little way, and then stopped. A boy of about twelve years was then brought forth to attempt something yet more lascivious, if peradventure the god would move. The child perfected the praise' of his idol with such ardent expression and gesture, that the god was pleased, and the multitude, emitting a sensual yell of delight, urged the car along. After a few minutes it stopped again. An aged minister of the idol then stood up, and with a long rod in his hand, which he moved with indecent action, completed the variety of this disgusting |