i64 WESTERN H I N D O O S T A N. 



Cbrljiian. The ChriJlJans diftinguifhed themfelves by a golden 

 crofs worn over their foreheads ; but the Jezvs who were among 

 them were marked on their cheeks with a hot iron. 



Or Christians But what Weighs greatly with me concerning the truth of 



oMAs, ^^^ exiftence of the Indian.ChriJlians^ or Chrijlians of St. Thomas, 



as they are ufually called, is, that the knowlege of them had 



KNOWN IN Eng- reached England as early as the ixth century ; for we are cer- 



LAND IN 883. ^^.^^ j.^^^j. ^^^ great Alfred, in confequence of a vow, fent Sig- 

 helm II. in the year 883, Bifliop oi Sherbourn, firft to Rome, and 

 afterwards to India, with alms to the Chriflians of the town of 

 Saint 'fbom-as, now Meliapour, who returned with various rich 

 - gems, fome of which were to be feen in the church of Sberbourn 

 (according to William of Malmjhury, lib. ii. 248) even in his 

 days. I have not extent of faith to favour the legend of the 

 place of the martyrdom of the faint, which was fixed by pious 

 hiflorians to have been at St. Thomas on the Coromandel coaft ; 

 of which the reader will find an account in the following vo- 

 lume. 



Their Rites, The rites and cuftoms of thefe Chriflians differ in feveral 



refpeds from thofe of the church of Rome. In fome they ac- 

 cord, which makes me imagine there might have been fome 

 accidental communication of the nature of that I have men- 

 tioned above. Oforio, i. 212, gives an account of their ceremo- 

 nies. Speaking of the Chrijlians ^ of Cranganore, he thus goes 

 on — " The Chrijlians who refide here, are generally very poor, 

 " and their churches of a mean appearance. They keep the 

 " fabbath in the fame manner as we do, in hearing fermons, 

 " and performing other religious duties. Thehigh prieft, whom 

 -i- <' they 



