CHOITHRO, MARCH. Churuck-pooja.--Hook Swinging. 167 MISCELLANEOUS 180 APPENDIX 185 A SKETCH OF MY LIFE AND EXPERIENCE. PREFACE 195 CHAPTER I. My Childhood and Education.--My Mother. 197 CHAPTER II. My “Second Birth.”--Consecration for the Priesthood.--Religious Training.--Death of my Father.--English Schools.--Zeal for Idolatry. 210 CHAPTER III. First Views of Christianity.--Prejudices.--Sermon on the Mount.--New Testament.--Efforts and Struggles.--Comparison of Hindoo and Christian Doctrines.--Conversion.--First Zeal.--Perplexed by the Trinity.--Visit to a Missionary.--Trinitarianism.--My Difficulties.--Deistical Companions.--Arrival of Mr. Dall. 221 CHAPTER IV. Why I became a Unitarian.--My own Reading and Study of the Bible.--The Missionaries’ Doctrines. 256 CHAPTER V. Interest in America.--Desire and Purpose to go.--My Friend agrees to accompany me.--Ill Reports of America.--Horror of Slavery.--My Friend fails me.--Will go alone.--Arrangements.--My Mother.--Last Days at Home.--Voyage.--Arrival in America.--My Experiences here. 270 FAREWELL! 301 THE LIFE AND RELIGION OF THE HINDOOS. TO THE REVEREND C. H. A. DALL. MY DEAR FRIEND AND PASTOR:-- Desirous of acknowledging the precious religious instructions you have imparted to me, and the blessings you are still bestowing on my beloved country, I, in your name, respectfully present this small volume to your countrymen, that they may know the manners, customs, and religious institutions of that distant nation for whose regeneration you are cheerfully spending the best part of your life, away from home and family. That your Christian labors may be ever attended with success, and your life be crowned with the smile of Heaven, is the heartfelt prayer of Your disciple, JOGUTH CHUNDER GANGOOLY. MEDFIELD, MASS., 27 October, 1859. PREFACE. The true knowledge of a thing is always desirable, whatever be its nature,--soft or hard, sweet or bitter.