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The Sacred River of India

IKE most eastern coun- pets and other commodities. The Brahtries India does not change mins then, as now, were performing their much. The traveller who mysterious rites. The Hindoo women in the last cold season were bathing, and the men saluting each glided down the Ganges other with cries of "Rama." At Allamight, for all the change habad he saw naked beggars. In those he sees in the fundamental habits of the days they were quite common, thoughpeople, have been performing his journey and this is one of the few changes which a couple of centuries ago. To read the time has wrought-they have almost disnarrative of Ralph Fitch, one of the early appeared from India in modern times. adventurers in India, is to read the At Benares he gazed on the same description of the river to-day. In 1585 bewildering world of temples and idols, he sailed down the Ganges in a boat, thronged with endless crowds of worshipwhich was one of a fleet of 123 vessels pers, that meet the eye at the present laden with salt, opium, indigo, lead, car- time. But Lower Bengal has vastly