Some burn a lamp in a temple.  They think that this is a very meritorious act.  Some roll on the ground after the god, as he is carried in a great car or chariot around the temple.  It is customary for the people to build very high cars or chariots, and cover them with very beautiful cloths.  They also tie the cocoa-nut blossom and plantain-tree within them, and attach great ropes to them.  When they are ready to drag these cars, or chariots, they bring their gods of gold or of brass from the temples, and place them on them.  Then one, two, three, six, nine hundred, and even a thousand persons, when the cars are very large, catch hold of these ropes and drag them around the temple.  While they are doing this, many of the heathen, to fulfil vows which they made when in sickness, and at other times of distress, throw themselves on the ground, and roll over from side to side, and frequently much injure themselves.

Some swing on great hooks, which are passed through the tender parts of their backs.  Sometimes they swing for half an hour; sometimes an hour.  The longer they can bear the torture of the swinging, the more acceptable they suppose it will be to their goddess.  It occasionally happens, that the flesh in which the hooks are fastened gives way, in which case the poor creature is dashed to the ground.  When this occurs, the people hold him in the greatest abhorrence.  They judge him to be a great criminal, and suppose that he has met a violent death in consequence of sins which he committed in a former birth.

Not long since, I attended one of these hook-swingings, not far from the city of Madura.  It took place on the morning of June 8th, 1848, just twenty-nine years after I first left America for India.  It should have taken place on the preceding afternoon; but one of the axle-trees of the car, which was to support the machine on which the man was to be elevated in the air, was broken.  Nothing, of course, could be done until it was repaired.  The carpenters and others worked with great diligence until about eleven o’clock at night, when every thing was prepared for the swinging.  I expected immediately after this to witness the ceremony.  It however did not take place until the morning.  While waiting for the man who was to be swung to make his appearance, I took a pencil and made a drawing of the machine to which he was to be fastened.  The picture on the first page of the book will give you some idea of it.

Yon have, perhaps, often seen a well-sweep.  The long beam in the picture is swung in the same manner as is the well-sweep, with a single exception.  In addition to its usual motion, it is made to turn horizontally.  The cuts which you may have seen, in two or three of my little books, differ much from the above; of course different machines are used at different times.  There are stationary swingings, as well as swingings of the kind to which I just alluded.