180 Travels in India. Part II 



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was nothing to be teen but the heads of the people. As for the Bramins, thev 

 ftay afhore to receive the richer fort, and thofe that give mo J ; to dry their 

 bodies, and to give them dry Linnen to their bellies. Afterwatds they caufc 

 them to fit down in a Chair, where the moft liberal of the Idolaters have pro- 

 vided Rice, Pulfe, Milk, Butter, Sugar, Meal, and Wood. Before the Chair the 

 JSramin makes a place very clean about five foot fquare ; then with Cow-dung 

 fteep'd in a kind of yellow Bafon, he rubs all the place, for fear any Emet fhould 

 come there to be burnt. For indeed they would never make ufe of Wood if 

 they could help it ; and when they do, they arc very careful that there be no 

 Worms or Infects- in it. In the place which they have thus cleans'd, they draw 

 feveral Figures, as Triangles, Ovals, Half-Ovals, &*. Then upon every Figure 

 they lay a little Cows-dung, with two or three fmall [ticks of Wood, upon 

 every one of which they lay a feveral fort of Grain ; after that pouring Butter 

 and fetting fire to each ; by the fmoak, which fifes, they judg of the plenty 

 of every fort of Grain that year. 



When the Mooii is at the full in March, they keep a folemn FeftivaTfor their 

 Idol, which is in form of a Serpent. This Feftival continues nine days } and 

 •when it comes, they do nothing but make Holiday all the while, as well men 

 as beaits, which they beautirie by making Circles about their eyes with Ver- 

 million, with which they alfo colour the Hums ; and if they have a particular 

 kindnefs for the beaft, they hang them with Leaves of gqilded Tin. Every 

 morhihg they worfhip the Idol, and the Maids dance about it for an hour, to 

 the noife of Fluits and Drums ; after which they eat and drink and are merry 

 till the evening, and then they worfhip and dance about their Idol again. 



Though the Idolaters never drink any ftrong drink at other times, yet at 

 this Feftival they drink Palm-wine, and ftrong water, which is made of the 

 fame in remote Villages ; for elie their Mahometan Governour would not fuffet 

 them to make Wine, nor to fell any which might be brought out of Perfia. 

 i\ Their ftrong Water is thus made : They take a great Earthen pot, well g'az'd 

 within, which they call Martavane ; into one of thefe Veffels, that holds three 

 hundred- Paris pints of Palma-w'mc, they put in fifty or iKty pound of brown 

 Sugar unrefin'd, which looks like yellow Wax; with about twenty pound of a 

 'great thick bark of a Thorn, not much unlike that which our Leather-dreflers 

 ufe. This bark fets the Palma-w'mc a bubling and working juft like our new 

 wines, for five or fix days together, till it becomes of a fweet Liquor, as 

 fowre as our Crabs. Then they diitill ir, and according to the tafte they would 

 give, they either put into a Cauldron full, a little Bag of Mace, or three or 

 four handfuls of Annife-feed. They can make it alfb as ftrong as they pleafe. 



Being at Agra in the year 1642, an Idolater, whofe name wzsWoldas, Broa- 

 ker to the Hollanders, about feventy years of age, receiving news that the 

 chief JSramin of the Pagod of Matura was dead, went to the Hollander and 

 defir'd him to even all accounts ; for faid he, the chief Prieft being dead, it 

 behoves me to dye, that I may ferve him in the other world. Thereupon 

 having ended his accounts, he took his Coach, with fome of his Kindred; 

 but having neither eaten nor drank from the time he receiv'd the news, he 

 dy'd by the way ; having famifh'd himfelf for grief. 



The Indian Idolaters have a cuftom, that when any perfon gives a thing, 

 they fnap their fingers, crying out, Gi-Narami, remember Narami, who was 

 a great Saint among them, for fear the Evil Spirit mould enter into the body 

 of him that gives. 



Being at Swat in the year 16^3, a Rafponte being demanded Cuftom for 

 three or four pieces of Calicut, boldly ask'd the Governour, whether a Soul- 

 dier that had ferv'd the King all his life- time, ought to pay Cuftom for two 

 or three pitiful pieces of Calicut, not worth four or five Roupies ; telling him 

 it was only to cloath his Wife and Children. The Governour netl'd at his 

 fawcinefs, call'd him Betbico, or Son of a Whore ; adding, that if he were Prince 

 he would make him pay his CuftOms. Whereupon the Souldier incens'd at the 

 affront, making as if he felt for Money to pay his dues, bearing up to the Go- 

 vernor, ftabM him in the belly, fo that he dy'd immediately. But the Soul- 

 dier was prefendy cut in pieces by the Governors Servants, 



Though' 



