"This place is generally peopled with Hindoos of 3 sorts, viz., Khattrees [Khatris], Brahmanes [Brahmins], and Banians [Banias] and resorted unto from far, drawn hither by their superstitious reverence to the river Ganges (which runs by it), As also to divers [sic] Pagodes, Dewraes [duera, temple] or churches. The chiefest is called Cassibessuua [Bisheshar] being of Mahadeu [Mahadev, Shiva]; I went into it, where in the middle, on a place elevated, is a stone in form like a Hatters block plain and unwrought … on which they that resort pour water of the river, flowers, rice, butter, which here (by reason of the heat) is most commonly liquid, whilst the Bramane reads or says something which the vulgar understands not. Over it hangs a canopy of silk and about it several lamps lighted. The meaning of that plain blunt form, as I was told by a plain blunt fellow, was that it represented the head of Mahadeus virile member. If so, some mystery may be conceived why little children are by their mothers brought to this saint to be cured. Perhaps conservation as well as generation is thereby implied. Other Dewraes they have with images which they much reverence, as of Gunesh with an elephant’s trunk instead of a nose, of Chutterbudge [Chaturbhuj] with 6 faces, 6 arms and hands. Also in most of their Dewraes, in the most private and chiefest place of all, is the image of a woman sitting cross-legged, adorned with jewels. This much reverenced from Agra Westward, but Mahadew for the most part here away. Also most commonly before the going in of their Dewraes, they have the image of a calf or young bullock [Nandi, the bull vehicle of Shiva]. Here in their great Pagodes were many like rooms apart, with their several images, of which there were many that lay up and down in sundry places, of a reasonable form, and the best cut that I have yet seen in India. Others that I have therefore met with all were for the most part misshapen."