Travels in India. Part II. 



In fanuarj 1661, the Broaker belonging to the Ho //W-Company, whofe name 

 was Mondas-Parek., dy'd at Surat. He was a rich Man, and very charitable, giving 

 his Alms very liberally as Well to the Chniiians as to the Idolaters ; the Capu- 

 chins at Sur at living one part of the year i.pon the Rice, Butter and Pulfe which 

 he fent them. This Banian was not Tick above four or five days ; during all 

 which time, and for eight days more after he was dead, his Brothers diftributed 

 nine or ten-thoufand Roupies ; and in the burning of his body they mix'd Sandal- 

 wood, and Lignnm-Aloes, with the ordinary wood, believing that by that means 

 the Soul of their Brother tranfmigrating into another body, he would come to- 

 be fome great Lord in another Countrey. There are fome that are fuch fools 

 that they bury their treafure in their life-time, as it is the ufual cuftom of all the 

 rich Men in the Kingdom of si fen 5 to the end that if they mould be condemn'd 

 to the body of fome poor miferable perfon, they might have wherewithal to fupr 

 ply their neceiïities. I remember one day that I bought in JnÂ4 an Agate-Cup 

 half a foot high ; he that fold it me, aflur'd me that it had been buried under 

 ground above 40 years, and that he kept it to ferve his occafions after death ; 

 but that it was to him a thing indifferent whether he buried his Cup or his Mo- 

 ney. In my laft Voyage I bought of one of thefe Idolaters fixty-two Diamqnds^ 

 of about fix grains a-piece ; and while I was wondring to lee fo fair a parcel, he 

 told me I needed not to wonder ; for he had been fifty years getting them to- 

 gether, to ferve him after his death, but that having occafion for Money, he was 

 forc'd to part with them. This buried treafure flood the Raja Seva-Gi in great 

 ftead, when he took Arms againft the Great Mogul, and the King of Fijapour. 

 For that Raja having taken Callian Biondi, a fmall City in the Kingdom of Fifà- 

 four, by the advice of the Bramins^ who alfur'd him he mould find great ftore of 

 treafure buri'd, caus'd the greateft part thereof to be demolifiVd ; and found fo 

 much wealth, as to maintain his Army, which was above thirty-thoufànd Men. It 

 is impolïible to convince thefe poor Idolaters of their errors ; in regard they wi\\ 

 hear no reafon, but fubmit themfelves altogether to their old forms and cu- 

 ftoms. 



CHAP. VIII. 



Of the Cuftom among the IdoLiters to burn the Bodies of their Dead. 



TH E cuftom of burning the Bodies of the dead is very ancient among the 

 Gentiles j which Ceremony they moft commonly perform by the banks of 

 Rivers, where they warn the dead ; which is the laft purgation of them froni 

 their fins. Nay, their fuperltition is fo great fometimes, that they will carry the 

 fick perfon, death approaching, to the bank of fome River or Pond, and put his 

 feet in the water. As nature fails,they dip him deeper and deeper,till at length they 

 hold him expiring up to the chin in the River : to the end that at the fame time 

 that the Soul departs out of the Body, both Body and Soul may be cleans'd from 

 all defilement $ and then plunging the newly dead Body over head and ears, they 

 bring it out, and burn it in die place appointed j which is generally neer fome Pa- 

 god. There are fome perfons that make it their bufinefs to fetch Wood, and agree 

 what they fhall have for their pains. An Idolater being dead, all thofe of his 

 Cafte or Tribe afiemble together at the Houfè of the deceasU, and laying the 

 Body upon a Beer cover'd with clean fine Linnen according to his Quality and 

 Eftate, they follow the Beer, which is earri'd by fuch as are appointed for that 

 purpofe to the place where the Body is to be burn'd. As they go along they fing 

 certain Prayers to their God, pronouncing lèverai times the words Ram, Ram 3 

 while another going beforë the Beer, founds a little Bell, to advertize the living to 

 pray for the dead. r The Body being fet down by the bank of the River or Pond,, 

 they firft plunge it into' the water, and then they burn it. According to the qua- 

 lity of the deceas'd they alfo mingle with the ordinary wood Sandal-wood, and 



other 



