12 HISTORICAL REMARKS ON* 



«« Rajah, whilft the other party acts in concert with 

 <c the Hakim of Cochin; which is the general fyftem, 

 <c and only deviated from occasionally from particular 

 " caufes ; but as foon as thefe ceafe to operate, the 

 cc party naturally returns again to the ancient ufage. 

 Cf Thefe leaders are never guilty of backwardnefs or 

 « c failure in war, but will fix a day tp fight on, and 

 <e punctually adhere thereto; nor will they commit 

 £< treachery in the conduct of it. 



3d. " On the death of any principal or fuperior 

 c< perfon among them, fuch as father, mother, and 

 " elder brother, in the caft of Brahmens, ( whilst among 

 carpenters, and the lower casts, the fuperiors and 

 principal perfons are the mother and mother's 

 brother, or one's own elder brother, as among the 

 Nayrs,) when any one dies of the defcription of a 

 fuperior, as above mentioned, his furviving relative 

 " is to remain apart for a twelvemonth ; during which 

 tc time he is not to cohabit with his wife, or to eat 

 cf the flefh of animals, or to chew the beetle leaf, or 

 <c cut the hair of his head, or his nails : Nor can any 

 " deviation be admitted from this practice, which is 

 €i reckoned for the good of the defunct. 



4th. " It is certain that among the body of Nayrs, 

 " and their relatives, the right of fucceflion and in- 

 " heritancc vefts in the brother of thre mother, or goes 

 " otherwife to the filter's fon, or to fome of the ma- 

 <f ternal relations; for the fon is not to obtain the 

 li property, country, or fucceflion of the father ; which 

 <f cuftom hath for a long time prevailed ; and I (the 

 cc author) fay, that among the Mqflems of Cannanore 

 u they do not bequeath or give their heritage to their 

 Cf fons, which is alfo the rule with the inhabitants in 

 " that vicinity, notwithstanding that thefe faid per- 

 " fons, who do thus exclude their fons, be well read 

 f( in the Koran, and have imbibed its precepts, and 



" are 



