. The Indian empire: history, topography, geology, climate, population, chief cities and provinces; tributary and protected states; military power and resources; religion, education, crime; land tenures; staple products; government, finance, and commerce . to form insurmountal)le obstacles to any invasion of the holy place ;but religious enthusiasm on the one hand, and scientific research, stimulated bycuriosity, on the otlier, render the barrier inadequate for the purpose of resisting theefforts of man. The difficult nature of the access, however, prevents any great concourseof pilgrims, whos
. The Indian empire: history, topography, geology, climate, population, chief cities and provinces; tributary and protected states; military power and resources; religion, education, crime; land tenures; staple products; government, finance, and commerce . to form insurmountal)le obstacles to any invasion of the holy place ;but religious enthusiasm on the one hand, and scientific research, stimulated bycuriosity, on the otlier, render the barrier inadequate for the purpose of resisting theefforts of man. The difficult nature of the access, however, prevents any great concourseof pilgrims, whose less fervent, devotional requirements may be satisfied by resorting toaltars more easily attainable upon the lower stream of the hallowed river. The grandeur of the scene that opens upon the travellers as they at huf stand uponthe threshold of Gungootree, cannot be described by words. Rocks piled upon rocks inawful grandeur, their summits broken into points, and rising upon one another inindescribable confusion, enclose a glen of the wildest character; at the extremity ofwhich the mighty Ganges—beautiful in its every haunt, from its birthplace to its junctionwith the ocean—pours its infant waters over a bed of shingle, diversified by jutting. -?^^rvsm^^ THE INDIAN EMPIRE ILLUSTRATED. rocks, and eveu here sliadowed by the foliage of some fine old trees. The devotee who uudoubtingly believes that every step he has taken towards the SQurce of tlie holy riverwhich, from his childhood, he has l)eeii taught to look upon as a deity, will lead himtowards eternal beatitude—seldom terminates his pilgrimage at Guiigootree, becausethe true source of the stream is actually to be found much higher in the mountains, andamidst solitudes still less accessible to man. Stimulated by the fervour of relio-ious zealor goaded forward by the ever-craving requirements of science, these silent recessesliave, however, been invaded; and the true birthplace of the Ganges no longer remainsa mystery
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidindianempire, bookyear1858
