BooOil ^R^ciTkA^ 7^7 



. Though the Idolaters are in utter darknefs~a7to the knowIed^TTthTtr^ ~~ 

 God, however the Law of Nature teaches them Morality in many thines When 

 they are married they are feldom falfe to their Wives. Adultery is verv rZ 

 among them. And as for Sodomy I never heard it mention'd. They marr/ther 

 Children between feven and eight years old, for fear they mould fall into that 

 vice j the Ceremonies whereof are thefe: The day before the Nuptials, the 

 Bridegroom, accompany'd by all .his Kindred, goes to the Houfe where the 

 Bride lives, with a great pair of Bracelets, two fingers thick, hollow within 

 and in two pieces, with a hinge in the middle to open them. According to the 

 quality of the Bride thofe Bracelets are of more or lefs value, fometimes of 

 Gold, fometimes of Silver, Tin, or Latten, the pooreft fort of all making ufe 

 of Lead The next day there is a great Feaft at the Bridegrooms Houfe, whe- 

 ther all the Kindred on both fides are invited, and about three a Clock in the 

 afternoon the Bride is brought thither. Then the chief of the BrdmiHs that 

 are there , of which there are always feveral, laying the head of the Bride 

 to the Bridegrooms, pronounces feveral words, fprinkiing their heads and bo- 

 dies all the while with water. Then they bring him upon Plates or Fig-leaves 

 feveral forts of Meats, Calicuts, and Stuffs,- and then the Bramin asks the 

 Bridegroom, whether fo long as God fhall make him able, bewiMIet his Wife 

 ihare with him, and whether he will endeavour to maintain her by his labour. 

 If he fays yes, they all fet themfelves down to tjm Feaft prepar'd for them; 

 where every one eats by himfelf. If the Bride % rich, and be acquainted' 

 among the Nobilitv, their Weddings are very pompous and expenlive. The 

 Bridegroom is mounted upon an Elephant, and the Bride rides in a Chariot j 

 the whole Company carrying Torches in their hands. They alio borrow of the 

 Governour and the Nobility of the place , as many Elephants and prancing 

 Horfes as they can get. And they walk fome part of the night with Fire- 

 works, which they throw about the Streets and Piazza's. But the greateft 

 expence to thofe that live three or four hundred Leagues from it, is to get the wa- 

 ter of Ganges ; for in regard they account that water facred, and drink it out 

 of devotion, it mult be brought them by the Bfamfks, and in Earthen Vefiels, 

 glaz'd within fide, which the chief Bramin of Ingrenate fills himfelf with the 

 -pureft Water of the River, and then feals up with bis own Seal. They never 

 drink this water till the end of the Feaft, and then they give their guefts three 

 or more glaffes apiece. This water coming fo far, and the cnlef Bramin de- 

 manding a Tribute for every pot, which contains a Pail-full, fometimes a wed- 

 ding comes to two or three thoufand Roupies. 



The eighth of April, being in a City of Bengala calPd Malde, the Idolaters 

 made a great Feaft, according to the particular Cuftom of that place ; they all 

 go out of the City, and faften Iron hooks to the boughs of feveral Trees, then 

 come a great number of poor people and hang themfelves, fome by the fides, 

 fome by the brawn of their backs, upon thofe hooks, till the weight of their 

 body tearing away the flefh, they fall of themfelves. 'Tis a wonderful thing to 

 fee that not fo much as one drop of blood fhould ifTue from the wounded flefh, 

 nor that any of the flefh fhould be left upon the hook ; befides, that in two 

 days they are perfectly eur'd by fuch Plaifters as their Bramins give them. 

 There are others who at that Feaft will lye upon a bed of nails, with the points 

 upward, the nails entring a good way into the flefh ; however while thefe peo- 

 ple are under this Pennance, their Friends come and prefent them with Money 

 and Linnen. When they have undergone their Penance, they take the prefents 

 and diftribtite them to the poor, without making any firther advantage of 

 them. I ask'd one, why they made that Feaft, and fuffer'd thofe fevere Pe- 

 nances $ who anfwer'd me, that it was in remembrance of the firft man, whom 

 they calfd Adam } as we do. 



In the year 1666, I faw another fort of Penance, as I crofs'd the Gauge s\ 

 upon the Bank of which River they had prepar'd a clean place, whare one of 

 the poor Idolaters was condetnn'd to reft upon the ground, touching it only 

 with his hands and feet $ which be was to do feveral times a day, and every 

 time to kits the earth three times before he rofe up again. He was to rife up 

 Upon his left foot, never touching the ground with his right all the whHe. And 



every 



