LECTURE ON INDIA.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 11 January 1901, Page 2

LECTURE ON INDIA.

The Rev J. do Galway 8.A., last evening in the Cobden School Room gave a most interesting lecture to a largo and appreciative audience. By the aid of limelight effects the lecturer described in detail the various modes of worship in India, Perhaps the most striking Ulustration of blind idolatory was where a native, while worshipping his God of stone, noticed some substance oozing out of the corner of its eyes. Fearing that the God was growing blind, he plucked his own eye out and placed it in the imago. Another remarkable picture was a temple in front of which was a pond of water. In this temple a number of Gods were kept, which the priest of the temple periodically brought out, placed them on a raft and gave them a sail on the waters in order that they might not go to sleep. These waters were also used for the cleansing of sin. Many thousands visited every year, and the more they washed and drank the fluid the greater the. blessing they expected to receive from ther" God. Various other pictures described the extreme torture the natives subject themselves that they might receive special blessings. Probably the most stirring of these.is a man gripped through the muscles of the back by steel hooks suspended from a long pole and swung round in the air in the dry season, in order that rain might come. The concluding diagrams depicted 1,600 missioners agmougst 287,000,000 heathen Indians. At the conclusion the Rey Mr York thanked the audience for their attendance and Mr Galway for his instruction, and the pronouncing of the Benediction closed a pleasant evening’s entertainment,