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I have one of these girdles of battle, admirably suited to the purpose. 

 In Pitts' Travels is an anecdote identifying the same kind of girdle 

 among other nations; when a slave to a respectable Mahomedan, 

 and journeying Avith his master on a pilgrimage to Mecca, the 

 latter was taken extremely ill, and thinking he should die, he took 

 off a girdle which was concealed under his sash, and gave it to 

 Pi Its, who had always been a great favourite; in it he found a 

 considerable quantity of gold, and his own letter of freedom. 



Among the followers of an oriental camp, at least of the Mah- 

 ratta camp to which we were attached, I must not omit the her- 

 maphrodites; there were a great number of them in the different 

 bazars, and I believe all in the capacity of cooks. In mentioning 

 these singular people, I am aware I tread on tender ground ; I 

 cannot solve doubts and difficulties, nor shall I enler into particu- 

 lars repecting them. There were a considerable number of human 

 beings called hermaphrodites in the camp, who were compelled, 

 by way of distinguishing them from other castes, to wear the habit 

 of a female, and the turban of a man. I was called into a private 

 tent, to a meeting between the surgeon-major and several medical 

 gentlemen of the army, to examine some of these people: my visit 

 was short, and the objects disgusting. Thevenot, an author of 

 great veracity, writes thus: " The first time I saw hermaphrodites 

 " was at Surat; it was easy to distinguish them: for seeing there 

 " is a great number in that town, I was informed beforehand, that 

 " for a mark to know them by, they were obliged, under pain of 

 " correction, to wear upon their heads a turban like men, though 

 " they go in the habit of women." 



There are doubtless many alterations and improvements of late 



