AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1583-91. 



do wash themselves, & then use their ceremonies, & 

 marke themselves in their foreheds and faces, and cary 

 some with them, and so depart singing. Their daughters 

 be maried, at, or before the age of 10. yeres. The men 

 may have 7. wives. They be a kind of craftie people, 

 worse then the Jewes. When they salute one another, 

 they heave up their hands to their heads, and say Rame, 

 Rame. From Agra I came to Prage, where the river 



Ganges. Jemena entreth into the mightie river Ganges, and 



Jemena looseth his name. Ganges commeth out of the 



[II. i. 255.] Northwest, & runneth East into the gulfe of Bengala. 

 In those parts there are many Tigers and many partriges 

 & turtle-doves, and much other foule. Here be many 

 beggers in these countries which goe naked, and the 

 people make great account of them : they call them 

 Schesche. Here I sawe one which was a monster among 

 the rest. He would have nothing upon him, his beard 

 was very long, and with the haire of his head he covered 

 his privities. The nailes of some of his fingers were two 

 inches long, for he would cut nothing from him, neither 

 would he speake. He was accompanied with eight or 

 tenne, and they spake for him. When any man spake 

 to him, he would lay his hand upon his brest and bowe 

 himselfe, but would not speake. Hee would not speake 

 to the king. We went from Prage downe Ganges, 

 the which is here very broad. Here is great store of 

 fish of sundry sorts, & of wild foule, as of swannes, 

 geese, cranes, and many other things. The countrey is 

 very fruitfull and populous. The men for the most part 

 have their faces shaven, and their heads very long, ex- 

 cept some which bee all shaven save the crowne: and 

 some of them are as though a man should set a dish on 

 their heads, and shave them round, all but the crowne. 

 In this river of Ganges are many Hands. His water 

 is very sweete and pleasant, and the countrey adjoyning 



Bannaras. very fruitfull. From thence wee went to Bannaras which 

 is a great towne, and great store of cloth is made there 

 of cotton, and Shashes for the Moores. In this place 



476 



