The preceding summary from page 75, is taken from the account of Dr. Ward and other writers. We now return to our abridgment.

Of the Transmigration of Souls.-After death, the person is conveyed by the messengers of Yumu through the air to the place of judgment. After receiving his sentence, he wanders about the earth for twelve months, as an aerial being or ghost: and then takes a body suited to his future condition, whether he ascend to the gods, or suffer in a new body, or be hurled into some hell: this is the doctrine of several Poorunus.— Others maintain that immediately after death and judgment, the person suffers the pains of hell, and removes his sin by suffering; and then returns to the earth in some bodily form.

The faith of the Hindoos in the doctrine of the transmigration of souls often appears in their conversation; especially when either prosperous or adverse circumstances have arisen in a family. When a person in deep sorrow for the loss of a child, is addressed by another on the subject, the former perhaps utters her grief in some such words as these :'What have I done, that I am thus grievously afflicted ?When I examine my life from my childhood, I cannot see that I have done any harm. Why then does god thus afflict me? Why did he give me a child? Why did he take it away!'-She next vents her grief in a torrent of abuse on Yumu :- -Oh! Yumu! What did I do to thee? I am sure I never injured thee. Thou knowest that I have none else : I am in this world like a blind creature: this child was my staff, and thou hast taken him away. O thou wicked Yumu! --I will put a wisp of fire in thy face. I will flog thee with the broom. My breast is rent with grief.' Another female now joins her, and says, 'Oh! sister! What! is your child gone? Ah! Ah! Ah!-that vile Yumu-he is full of injustice. If I could see him, I would cut him into a thousand pieces. He has taken all mine; but he has left you one.Ah! if I were stone, I should split into pieces; but I am earth--only flesh and blood, and therefore I am sunk into nothing. But why do I thus complain? I am not singular ; every one's house is plundered.' Another person now comes in, and says, 'Why do you blame Yumu? What fault has he done? In former births you must have committed many crimes; otherwise I cannot see why you should suffer in this dreadful manner; you have done nothing but works of merit in this birth. You must have injured some one's child in a former birth, and now yours is taken from you. Yumu has done nothing wrong. He is justice itself. He never errs.

Nor ought you to think it extraordinary that a person dies.It is more extraordinary that a person desires to live. If you confine a bird in a cage, though you cherish him with the greatest care, if the door be open he flies away. But though there are nine openings in the body by which the soul may make its escape, and though the person be suffering the deepest distress, yet the soul is not willing to depart; this desire of life is more wonderful than death itself. When the soul has taken its flight, then, why should you think it such an extraordinary thing? You are suffering for the sins of many former births; which sins, like a shadow will pursue you, go where you will, and assume whatever shape you may, till they be expiated by suffering. If this were not so, why is it that a good man suffers, while a wicked man is raised to the pinnacle of prosperity? If men suffered only for the sins of this life, the good would have nothing but happiness, and the wicked nothing but sorrow.

When the Hindoos see any of the animals used cruelly, especially cows, they exclaim : Ah! how many sins must that creature have committed in a former birth! They say the same if they see a dog eating ordure. When they see a dog riding with his master in his palanqueen, they say, 'True thou art born a dog, but some good works have made thy fate tolerable.'

Judgment of Men after death.--At the extremity of the earth southwards, floating on the waters, is Sungyumunee, the residence of Yumu, the judge of the dead, and of his recorder Chitru-gooptu, and his messengers. Yumu has four arms, is

of a dark colour, with his eyes like the petal of the water lily: in his hands he holds a shell, a discus, a club, and a lotus; he rides on Gurooru; wears a golden poita, and pearl ear-rings; and has a crown on his head, and a garland of flowers round his neck. Chitru-gooptu, the recorder, and Yumu's attendants, appear.in the most pleasing forms.

Those who perform works of merit are led to Yumu's palace along the most excellent roads, in some parts of which the heavenly courtezans are seen dancing or singing; and gods, gundhurvus, &c. are heard chanting the praises of other gods; in others, showers of flowers are falling from heaven; in other parts are houses containing cooling water, and excellent food; pools of water covered with nymphaeas and trees, affording fragrance by their blossoms and shade by their leaves. The gods are seen to pass on horses or elephants, with white umbrellas carried over them; or in palanqueens or chariots, fanned with the chamuras of the gods: while the devurshees

are chanting their praises as they pass along. Some, by the glory issuing from their bodies, illume the ten quarters of the world.

power

Yumu receives the good with much affection, and, feasting them with excellent food, thus addresses them :—· Ye are truly meritorious in your deeds; ye are wise: by the of your merits ascend to an excellent heaven. He who, born in the world, performs meritorious actions, he is my father, brother and friend.'

The wicked have 688,000 miles to travel to the palace of Yumu, to receive judgment. In some places they pass over a pavement of fire; in others the earth in which their feet sink is burning hot; or they pass over burning sands, or over stones with sharp edges, or burning hot; sometimes showers of sharp instruments, and at others showers of burning cinders, or scalding water, or stones fall upon them; burning winds scorch their bodies; every now and then they fall into concealed wells full of darkness, or pass through narrow passages filled with stones, in which serpents lie concealed; sometimes the road is filled with thick darkness; at other times they pass through the branches of trees, the leaves of which are full of thorns; again they walk over broken pots, or over hard clods of earth, bones, putrifying flesh, thorns, or sharp spikes; they meet tygers, jackals, rhinoceroses, elephants, terrible giants, &c.; and in some parts they are scorched in the sun without obtaining the least shade. They travel naked; their hair is in disorder; their throat, lips, &c. are parched; they are covered with blood, or dirt; some wail and shriek as they pass along; others are weeping; others have horror depicted on their countenances: some are dragged along by leathern thongs tied round their necks, waists, or hands; others by cords passed through holes bored in their noses; others by the hair, the ears, the neck, or the heels; and others are carried, having their heads and legs tied together. On arriving at the palace, they behold Yumu clothed with terror, two hundred and forty miles in height; his eyes distended like a lake of water; of a purple colour, with rays of glory issuing from his body.; his voice is loud as the thunders at the dissolution of the universe; the hairs of his body are each as long as a palm tree; a flame of fire proceeds from his mouth; the noise of the drawing of his breath is greater than the roaring of a tempest; his teeth are exceedingly long, and his nails like the fan for winnowing corn. his right hand he holds an iron club; his garment is an animal's skin; and he rides on a terrific buffalo. Chitru-goop

In

What

tu also appears as a terrible monster, and makes a noise like a warrior when about to rush to battle. Sounds terrible as thunder are heard, ordering punishments to be inflicted on the offenders. At length Yumu orders the criminals into his presence, and thus addresses them :- Did you not know that I am placed above all, to award happiness to the good, and punishment to the wicked? Knowing this, have you lived in sin? have you never heard that there were different hells for the punishment of the wicked? Have you never given your minds to religion? To-day, with your own eyes, you shall see the punishment of the wicked.- From yoogu to yoogu stay in these hells ;-You have pleased yourselves in sinful practices; endure now the torments due to these sins. will weeping avail? Yumu next directs Chitru-gooptu to examine into the offences of the criminals, who now demand the names of the witnesses: let such, say they, appear, and give their evidence in our presence. Yumu smiling, though full of rage, commands Sooryu (1), Chundru (2), Puvunu (3), Ugnee (4), Akashu (5), Prithivee (6), Vuroonu (7), Tit❜hee (8), Didu, (9), Ratree (10), Pratu-kulu (11), Sundhya-kalu (12), and Dhurma (13), to appear against the prisoners, who, hearing the evidence, are struck dumb, and remain trembling and stupified with fear. Yumu, then gnashing his teeth, beats the prisoners with his iron club till they roar with anguish; after which he drives them to different hells.

Of future happiness.--The shastrus teach that there are four kinds of happiness after death: 1. That possessed in the heavens of the gods ;-2. That when the person is deified; -3. That which arises from dwelling in the presence of the gods; and, 4. In absorption. In the three first, the person is subject to future birth, but not in the last. The three first are obtained by works; the last by divine wisdom.

The descriptions which the Pooranus give of the heavens of the gods are truly in the eastern style; all things, even the beds of the gods are made of gold and precious stones. All the pleasures of these heavens are exactly what we should expect in a system formed by uninspired men like the paradise of Mahomet, they are houses of ill fame, rather than places of rewards for the pure in heart.' Here the vicious

(1) The Sun. (2) The Moon.
(4) Fire. (5) Ether. (6) Earth.

(8) a lunar day.

(9) Day. (10) Night.

(3) Wind.

(7) Water.
(11) Morning.

(12) Evening. (13) A representative of Yumu. All the elements, and the divisions of time, are thus called upon to

witness against the prisoner.

passions are personified, or rather deified :-The quarrels and licentious intrigues of the gods fill these places with perpetual uproar; while their importunities are described with the same literality and gross detail, as similar things are talked of among these idolaters on earth. It would be a flagrant insult to compare these heavens with the place which our Saviour went to prepare for his disciples; but the serious inquirer after truth will be struck with this additional proof that the Christian religion is worthy of all acceptation.'

The Hindoos profess to have a great reliance upon the merit of their works, though they do not depend upon any one ceremony to procure future happiness; one Hindoo travels to the south, another to the north, to obtain some salvationgiving charms: but, after all, he listens to any new nostrum with as much eagerness as though he had hitherto done nothing towards obtaining heaven. As a person's continuance in heaven depends on the quantity of his merit, this may be another reason why a Hindoo performs so many different works to obtain the same thing.

Of future punishment.-The Shree-bhaguvutu contains the following account of the punishment endured in different hells :-The persons guilty of adultery or fornication, the thief, and the stealer of children, are to be cast into the hell Tamisru, and continually famished and beaten. He who de

frauds others, is to be cast into a hell of darkness. The proud person, who also neglects the ceremonies of religion, is to be tormented by the animal Rooroo. The glutton, who has also been guilty of destroying animals, is to be thrown into a hell of boiling oil. He who disregards the vedu and Bramhuns, is to be punished in a hell of burning metal for 3,500,000 years. He who injures a man of superior order, is to be torn by swine. The unmerciful are to be tormented by snakes, flies, deer, birds, lice, wasps, &c. The Bramhuns, Brambunee, Brumhucharee, voishyu, a king, who drinks spirits, shall be thrown into pans of liquid fire. He who despises a religious devotee, shall be punished by sticking fast in mud, with his head downwards. He who kills a man, and offers him to the gods; and he who devours any animal, without having slain it in sacrifice, are to be fed on flesh and blood. He who betrays and afterwards destroys a person, is to be pierced with spears and arrows. The person who causes sorrow to others, is to be bitten by snakes with five heads. He who is inhospitable to guests, must have his eyes torn out by vultures and other ravenous birds. The covetous are to be fed with impure substances. He who cohabits with a woman of another