1 6 6 ' Travels in India. Part. Jl 



Idolaters account themfclves happy, and their Houfes to be fill'd witji the 

 benedictions of Heaven, when they have any of thcfe Faquirs for their Gueits 

 which the more auftere they are, the more they honour : and it is' the glory f 

 the Troop to have one among them that does fbme coniiderable act of Pe- 

 nance. 



Thefe Crews of Faquirs many time joyn together to go in Pilgrimage to the 

 Principal Pagods, and publick Warnings, which they ufe upon certain days in the 

 year in the River Ganges, whereof they make the chiefeit account ; as alfo fa 

 that which feparates the Territories of the Tortugals of Goa from the Dominions 

 of the King of fjfapottr. Some of the molt aultere Faquirs live in little pitti- 

 ful Hots neer their Pagods, where they have once in four and twenty hours fome- 

 thing to eat beftow'd upon them for God's fake. The Tree whereof I have giv'n 

 the defcription, is of the fame fort as that which grows neer Gomron, which I have 

 defcrib'd in my Perjian Relations. The Franks call it the Bannians-Tree becaufc 

 in thofe places where thole Trees grow, the Idolaters always take up their quar- 

 ters, and drefs their victuals under them. They- have thofe Trees in great re- 

 verence, and oft-times build their Pagods either under or very neer them. That 

 which the Reader fees here defcrib'd, grows at Surat j in the trunk whereof 

 which is hollow, is the figure of a Monfter, representing the face of a deform'd 

 Woman, which they fay was the firft Woman, whofe name was Mamaniv* ; thi- 

 ther great numbers of Idolaters every day refbrt : neer to which there isVome 

 Bramin or other always appointed to be ready to (ay Prayers, and receive the 

 Alms of Rice, Millet, and other Grains which the charitable beftow upon them. 

 The Bramin marks the forhead of all, both Men and Women, that come to pray 

 in the Pagod, with a kind of Vermillion, wherewith he alfb befmears the Idol- 

 for being thus mark'd, they believe the evil Spirit cannot hurt them, as being then 

 under the protection of their God. 



Number I, is that part where the Bramins paint their Idols; fuch as Mama- 

 niva, Sita, Madedina, and others ; whereof they have a great number. 



Numb. 2, is the figure of Mamaniva, which is in the Pagod. 



JSIumb. 3, is another Pagod neer the former. There ftands a Cow at the door 

 and within ftands the figure of their God Ram. J 



Numb. 4, is another Pagod, into which the Faquirs, that do Penance, often re- 

 tire. 



Numb, j, is another Pagod dedicated to. Ram. 



Numb. 6, is a Hut into which a Faquir makes his retirement feveral times a 

 year, there being but one hole to let in the light. He ftays there according to the 

 height of his devotion, fometimes nine or ten days together, without either eat- 

 ing or drinking ; a thing which I could not haver believ'd, had I not feen it. My 

 curiofity carri'd me to fee one of thofe Penitents, with the Prefident of the DmcL 

 Company, who fer a Spy to watch night and day whether any body brought him 

 any victuals. But he could not difcover any relief the Faquir had, all the while 

 fitting upon his Bum like our Taylors, never changing his pofture above feven days 

 together, not being able to hold out any longer, by reafon that the heat and ftench 

 of the Lamp was ready to ftifle him. Their other forts of Penance out-doing 

 this, might be thought incredible, were there not fo many thoufand witnefles 

 thereof. 



Numb. 7, is the figure of another Penitentiary, over whofe head feveral years 

 have f aft 5 and yet he never flept day nor night. When he finds himfelf fleepy 

 he hangs the weight of the upper part of his body upon a double-rope that is 

 faften'd to one of the boughs of the Tree ; and by the continuance of this pofture, 

 ^rhich is very ftrange and painful, there falls a humour into their legs that fwells 

 *hem very much. 



Numb. 8, is the figure of two poftures of two doing Penance j who, as 

 long as they live, carry their arms above their heads in that manner; which cau- 

 les certain Carnofities'to breed in the joynts, that they can never bring them down 

 again. Their hair grows down to their wafts, and their nails are as long as their 

 fingers. Night and Day, Winter and Summer they go always ftark naked in the 

 lame pofture, expos'd to the heat and rain, and the ftinging of the Flies ; from 

 which they have not the ufe of their hands to rid themfelves. In other 



neceP 



