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PREFACE
My knowledge of India began twenty-one years ago, and
almost the half of this interval has been spent in wanderings
over that vast continent, from Cape Comorin in the South,
to Peshawar on our Northern frontier ; a
large portion of
the remainder has been occupied in European travel, dur-
ing which I always sought for, and noted in museums and
elsewhere, any objects or customs bearing upon Eastern
Symbolism. Since their original appearance in the Indian
Anliq2iary much has been added to these papers relative
to Folk-Lore and Folk-Customs in Europe.
One of the results of the present increased facilities of
locomotion has been a growth of new ideas in various
countries, and especially in some hitherto isolated districts ;
thereby many curious old customs and superstitions (of much
assistance to us in tracing; the connection between East and
West) are doomed to speedy extinction. No time is to be
lost, then, by travellers who would witness and record their
existence. It would seem, therefore, most desirable to
stimulate research in this direction, and by the publication of
a work like the present, to enable the individual traveller to
recognise any ancient customs or symbols he may meet with.
In the following pages I have to some extent brought
together the results of laborious researches made by various
students, but I hope also that some of the ideas and features
of my work will be found to be new ones. Their chief object