where the bank was." Hearing this, the travellers redoubled their cries. The young man with difficulty succeeded in calming them, and said to the sailors, "There is no cause whatever for anxiety; it is now dawn, and the sun is sure to rise within a few dandas;[1] the boat cannot possibly be wrecked within so short a time. Stop rowing for the present, and let the boat go wherever the current takes her. Afterwards, when the sun comes out, we will consider what to do."
The boatmen agreed to this course, and acted accordingly. For a long time they remained idle, while the pilgrims' hearts were in their mouths from fear. As there was not a breath of wind, they could not feel the movement of the waves; nevertheless, they all regarded death as certain. The men began noiselessly to repeat[2] the name of Durga,[3] while
- ↑ According to Bengali time, the day and night are divided into eight prahars of four hours each. The prahar is subdivided into dandas.
- ↑ The Bengali word is "jap." It means to repeat a religious formula over and over again.
- ↑ Durga, the wife of Shib or Mahadeb, otherwise known as Kali, Bhoirobi, &c
