The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 170

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170

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

containing the sacrifices — goat’s milk, rice, flowers,
and other things supposed to secure a special bless-
ing from the gods. Near by was a sacred (?) stag-
nant pool of vile water in which the people cleansed
themselves for worship. We saw men having pins
an inch long put into their flesh. Some had as
many as 700 pins put in, and I never saw such
suffering in all my life. Their faces wore an
agonized expression, they fairly writhed with pain,
and the perspiration poured from their bodies.
A group of men stood around each of them, and
with every insertion of a pin they chanted Hindu

hoops round their bodies from which projecting
sharp spikes pierced them at every step.

We saw only the pins inserted. The spiking
was done inside the temple, where we were not
allowed to go, and when we caught a glimpse of
the filth of the temple floor, we certainly had no
desire to enter. But the groaning of the poor vic-
tims inside was enough for us.

All these performances are in fulfilment of some
vow made at a time of great trouble and with the
hope of securing the favor of the gods.

An Eye-witness, in Moody Monthly.

Procession of an Idol in India.

songs. Others had spikes fully six inches long
thrust through their cheeks and tongues. Their
tongues were swollen as they held them out of their
mouths by the long spikes. Still others had spikes
three feet long in their bodies, and supported a god
over their heads: One man who had spikes through
his face and pins all over his body was so wild with
pain that he fairly danced all the way. The most
horrible sight of all was a man who had Jong hooks
inserted in the flesh of his back, by which he pulled
a sacred cart. “I hope never again to see such an
expression of agony on any’ man’s face. He had
to be supported all the way along. And then there
Were those who walked on spiked’ shoes, or wore

Items of Missionary Interest.
: 7 _ (By the Editor.)

What an Alabama Official Has to Say. — The
assessor and tax collector of one of the “Black Belt”
counties of Alabama, when asked by one of our
missionaries whether he had much trouble in col-
lecting the taxes from our Initheran colored Chris-
tians, stated that they were about the only Negroes
of the county that were’not delinquent in the pay-
ment of their:taxes, and he further gave them high
praise’ for their ‘réliability.. It would be false
modesty on our’ part not’ to ‘appreciaté’ this praise
of our colored people, ; Br