Chap. VIII. of Monfieur Tavernier.. 167 



They neither burn nor bury their dead, but carry the Corps without the Citv, 

 into a wallVl place, where are abundance of Stakes feven or eight Foot high , fix'd 

 in the ground , and tye the dead Corps to one of the Stakes , with his Face toward 

 the Eaft. They that accompany the Corps fall to their Prayers at a diftance, 'till 

 the Crows come ^ for thoie Ccmitaries draw the Crows to them. If the Crow chances 

 to fallen upon the right Eye of the deceas'd , then they believe the perfon to be 

 happy, and for joy they give large Alms , and make a Feaft in the field. But if the 

 Crow fixes upon the left Eye , then they take it for an ill Omen , return home fad , 

 without fpeaking to one another - 7 give no Alms , nor eat nor drink. 



Of their Adoration of Fire. 



THe Ganrs would not be thought to give Honour to Fire under the title of Ado- 

 ration. For they do not account themfelves Idolaters, laying that they acknow- 

 ledge but only one God , Creator of Heaven and Earth , whom they only adore. As 



ay 



they, one day the Kan of Kermau being defnous to fee the Fire , not daring to do 

 otherwife, they fhew'd it him. He it iecms expected to fee fome extraordinary 

 Brightnefs:, but when he law no more then what he might have ken in a Kitchin 

 or a chamber-fire, fell a fwearing and ipitting upon't as if he had been mad. Where- 

 upon the Sacred Fire being thus profan'd , flew away in the form of a white Pigeon. 

 The Priefts confidering then their misfortune, which had happenM through their own 

 indifcretion , fell to their Prayers with the People , and gave Alms*, upon which, -at 

 the fame time , and in the fame form the Sacred Fire return'd to its place : which 

 makes them fo fhy ro fhew it again. When they put any perfons to their Oaths, they 

 Swear them before this Fire ^ for they think no pertbn lb impious, as to fwear falle 

 before that Sacred Fire, which they take for the Witncfs of their Oath. Their 

 Priefts put them in dread of very great puniflimcnts, and threatn them that the hea- 

 venly Fire will foriake them , if they prove fo wicked as to fwear falfely before it. 



Of their Manners and Cujloms. 



THe Language of the Gauss is different from the Ferfians, as is their Character and 

 manner of WTiting. They love to feaft, and to eat and drink well, being very 

 profufe of their Wine and Strong-water. They never eat Hare?, becaufe they have 

 their monthlv Purgations , like Women : for the fame reafon they .never eat Mulber- 

 ries , believing that they partake of the nature of Women ami Hares. 



If, when they comb their Hair or their Beards,any one hair happ'ns to fall upon their 

 cloaths, thole cloaths muft be wafh'd in the ftale of a Cow or an Ox to purine them 

 again. If by chance they happ'nto touch any ordure or naftinefs, when they come 

 home they muft wafh themielves in the fame Urin. If oik- of their Priefts meet a dead 

 Corps in the High-way, and chances to fee it, he is oblig'd to wafh himielf in Cows- 

 PJls, which they hold to be a good Purification : an Opinion held in fome parts of 

 India alfo. I ask'd one of their Priefts how they came to underftand the virtue of this 

 Urin •, who anfwcr'd me , that a certain perfon who was contemporary with the firtt 

 Man, having his Arm bruis'd and very black, by reafon of fome accident that befel him 

 through the malice of the Devil, fell afleep in the fields, and as he lay, an Ox ftaling, 

 a drop of the Urin flew upon his Arm, and prefently hcal'd that part which it wet, and 

 reftor'd it to its former whitenefs : which the man perceiving when he wak'd , pre- 

 fently follow'd the Ox, and (laid by him 'till he ftal'd again , and then receiving the 

 Pifs upon the whole wound, was perfectly cur'd . They alio preferve it, and compound 

 it with a Water, which they caufe them to drink who have committed any Sin, after 

 they have been at Confelfion for it. They call that Water the Caz.Ps Water •, which 

 Urin ought to be preferv'd forty days, with an infufion of Willow-Bark, and certain 

 Herbs. W 7 hen any perfon is confeYs'd of his Sin , if it be a crying Sin, the party is 

 bound to ftay ten days in the Cast's Houfe, and not to eat or drink but what the 

 Pricft gives them. And in order to Abfolution, the Pricft (trips him naked, and 

 tyes a little Dos to his right great Toe, which he leads with him about theC^'s 



Houfc 



