On some Indian monuments, and in some paintings, this divinity is represented with a band round her neck, from which are suspended a great many skulls, as a sign that she has power over life and death; and that she produces, and again destroys, all things. From her menstrua, which she let fall on the earth, the flowers and all other created things arose. The rest of the Indian deities are indebted to her for their existence; and for this reason the heathens paint on her forehead, as well as on their own, the _Yoni_ or _Medhra_ (female organs of generation), which are represented by two side strokes and a red one in the middle. The fables which the Indians, Thibetians and Chinese relate of this deity, are so numerous that it would be impossible to mention them. A nocturnal solemnity has been instituted in honour of her; but it is so scandalous that decency forbids me to describe it. All that can be said of it is, that a female perfectly naked appears on this occasion, and that the parts of sex are not only bestrewed with flowers, but even worshipped. This festival of offering is called in the Samscred, Malabar, and Tamulic languages, _Shaktipùgia_; that is, the festival of the goddess _Shakti_, or Nature, who is the mother of all things; who produced every thing that exists. This female deity bore three sons, _Brahma_, _Vishnu_, and _Shiva_, the latter of whom is also called _Mahadèva_. The first creates, the second preserves, and the third destroys. These three different effects are called in the Samscred _Srshti_, _Stidi_, and _Samhàra_; that is, creation, preservation, and annihilation. The above three gods are the symbols of the three elements, earth, water, and fire. The earth produces all earthly things; the water promotes their growth, and preserves them; and by fire they are again destroyed. For this reason the Tamulians and people of Malabar say, that _Brahma_ is of the nature of the _Bhu_ or _Bhumi_ (the earth); _Vishnu_, of that of the _Apu_ or _Gelam_ (the water), and _Shiva_, of that of the _Aghni_, or fire. All the three bear on their foreheads the sign of the _Yoni_, to shew that they were born by _Bhagavani_; and that they are consequently created beings, who represent elements, and create, preserve, and again destroy every thing for which the menstrua of their mother supplied the original matter.