Far Off; Or, Asia and Australia Described: With Anecdotes and IllustrationsMortimer, Favell Lee
Religion
Far Off; Or, Asia and Australia Described: With Anecdotes and Illustrations
Mortimer, Favell Lee
Asia -- Description and travel; Australia -- Description and travel
It behaves much in the same manner as a child would who had its own way.
The white bull helps itself to the fruit and vegetables sold in the
streets, and even to the sweetmeats. It has a great taste for flowers;
and it cunningly hides itself near the doors of the temples, to watch for
the people coming out with their garlands of marigolds round their necks.
At these the bull eagerly snatches with its tongue, and swallows them in
a moment. Finding it is petted by every one, it grows so bold, as to walk
into the houses, and even to go up the stone stairs on to the roof, where
it seems to enjoy the cool air, as it quietly chews the cud.
In the spring the white bulls like to wander out in the fields to eat the
tender green grass. A farmer finding one of these bulls in his fields,
made him get into a boat, and sent him by a man across the river Ganges.
But the cunning creature came back in the evening; for he watched till he
saw some people setting out in a boat, and then jumped in; and though
the passengers tried to turn him out, he would stay there. In this way he
got back to the cornfields.
So much respected are these bulls that a Hindoo would sooner lose his own
life than suffer one of them to be killed. An English gentleman was just
going to shoot one that had broken into his garden, when his Hindoo
servant rushed between him and the bull, saying, "Shoot me, sir, shoot
me, but let him go." You may be sure that the gentleman did not shoot the
servant, and I think it probable he spared the bull's life.
There is one more city to be noticed.
DELHI was once the grandest city in India, and the seat of the great
Moguls, those Mahomedans who conquered India before the British came. The
ancient palace is still to be seen: it is built of red stone; but its
ornaments are gone; where is now the room lined with crystal, the golden
palm-tree with diamond fruits, and the golden peacock with emerald wings,
overshadowing the monarch's throne?
The Persians have stripped the palace of all its gorgeous splendor.
We have now described the two most numerous nations in the world, China
and Hindostan. They contain together more than half the world. In some
respects they are alike, and in some respects they are different. In
these respects they are different.
IN CHINA. IN HINDOSTAN.
There is one emperor. There is no emperor, and
the English govern the country.
There is one language. There are many.
They use chairs, and tables, They sit and sleep on mats.
and beds.
They eat with chop-sticks. They eat with their fingers.
They wear shoes. They go barefoot, and wear
sandals.
The men shave their heads The men twist up their
except one lock. hair with a comb.
They seldom wash themselves. They bathe often.
They eat pigs more than They abhor pigs.
any other meat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account