STUDY VII. 67 



Empire, fituated in the fineft region of the Globe. 

 Their military is formed of the NobiHty, called 

 Nairs, who poffefs the fécond rank in the State. 

 The Bramins, in order to fupport themfelves by 

 force, as well as by guile, have admitted them to 

 a participation in fome of their privileges. Hear 

 what Walter Schouten fays, of the indifference ex- 

 prefled by the common People toward the Naïrs, 

 when any mifchief befals them. Afccr a bloody 

 encounter, in which the Dutch killed a confider- 

 able number of thofe who had taken the fide of 

 the Portugueze : " No outrage or infult," fays 

 he *, " was offered to any artifan, peafant, tid^er- 

 *' man, or other inhabitant of Malabar, not even 

 " in the rage of battle. They, in confequence, 

 " never thought of flight. A great many of them 

 *' were polled at different places, merely as fpec- 

 " tators of the nation ; and they appeared to take 

 '* no manner of intereft in the fate of the Naïrs." 



I have been an eye-witnefs of the fame apathy 

 in Nations, whofe Nobility forms a feparate clafs, 

 among others, in Poland. The Commonalty of 

 India fubjeâ: the Naïrs, as well as the Bramins, to 

 their Hiare of the mifeiies of opinion. The Naïrs 

 are incapacitated to contrait legitimate marriages. 

 Many of them, known by the name of Amocas, 



* Voyage to the Eaft-Indics, .vol. 1, page 367, 



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