THE PĪPAL TREE.
A Bengali village now appears beneath a group of cocoa-nut trees, beyond which the Pīpal-tree (ficus religiosa) is seen, with its roots exposed, the earth having been washed from them during the rains by the rising of the river. This tree is particularly venerated by the Hindūs; they believe its sacred branches to be the residence of the gods, and will never cut a branch to the injury of the tree. In front, a Hindū is sitting at worship by the side of the river; a charpāī, on which probably a corpse has been brought to be burned, is near the spot, also a skull and some bones: skulls are continually seen on the banks of the river.
PANHUTTĪ.
The picturesque and singular group of Bengalī temples that now open on our view are at Panhuttī—a spot well known to the English as the Grove; it is about half way between Calcutta and Barrackpore.
The Budjerow which is coming down the stream is apparently tenanted by a European gentleman; his khidmutgar (a servant who waits at table) is in the forepart of the vessel, and the cook-boat is astern—the sails of the latter in the torn and worn-out state in which they are so continually seen.
THE WELL, AND PALM TREES.
The bamboo stage is erected for the purpose of watering the land. The river water is collected in a deep pool, between two brick walls, across which a small stage is fixed, on which a man stands, and his business is to empty the leathern skin which comes up full of water into the reservoir above, prepared for its reception. A long bamboo, with a large weight of earth attached to it at one end, is poised on a stage above, on which a native stands and causes the end towards the river to sink by the weight of his foot; when the skin below, which is attached to a thin bamboo from above, is filled with water, he removes his foot, which causes the water-bag to rise to the height of the reservoir, when the man below empties it and lets it fall again. In some parts, instead of a skin, a basket is used, which is rendered waterproof inside by a coating of clay and mud. Water is thus conveyed to a very great distance from the banks of a river. The fields in India are irrigated with as much care as is bestowed upon a garden, and three harvests are often obtained.
The Bengalī jantŭ for watering the land happily illustrates this passage of Scripture, “Where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs.” (Deut. xi. 10.)
The palm trees next to the well are remarkably beautiful; they are portraits. The one displaying the broad leaves is the fan-palm, from which the large pankhas are made—one leaf alone forms the pankha, or fan, of which three specimens are to be seen in the Museum.