Should not the gratitude,
then, which you owe to your heavenly Father, for your distinguished
mercies, constrain you to do all that you can to send this blessed book
to this dark land?
CHAPTER XI.
THE WORSHIP OF THE SERPENT.
My dear Children--If you have never heard much about the Hindoos, you
will be astonished to learn how numerous are the objects of their
worship. They worship many living creatures, such as the ape, the tiger,
the elephant the horse, the ox, the stag, the sheep, the hog, the dog,
the cat, the rat, the peacock, the eagle, the cock, the hawk, the
serpent, the chameleon, the lizard, the tortoise, fishes, and even
insects. Of these, some receive much more worship than others, such as
the cow, the ox, and the serpent Cobra Capella. I will speak at present
only of the worship of the serpent.
Of all the dangerous creatures found in India, there are none that
occasion so many deaths as serpents. The people are very much exposed to
their bite, especially at night, when they are walking. They tread upon
them, and, as they generally do not wear shoes, the snakes turn their
heads, and strike their fangs into those parts of the feet which are
nearest to the place where the pressure is made upon their bodies.
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