Book III. Travels in India. 



among the poor, referving only five or fix for himfelf. The Cloth he cut into 

 little pieces, and gave away, keeping only to himfelf enough to cover his own 

 nakednefs ; and having made this diftribution, he difappear'd of a fudden, and no 

 body knew what became of him, though diligent fearch was made after him. 



When a Chinefe lies at the point of death, all his Kindred and Friends gather 

 about him, and ask him whether he intends to go ; they tell him alfo, that if 

 he want any thing, he need but only ask and have, let it be Gold, Silver, or a 

 Woman. When they are dead they perform many Ceremonies at their Funerals 

 which confifts chiefly in artificial fires, wherein the Chmefis are the molt expert 

 in the world ; fo that he mult be a very poor man that has no fire-works at 

 his Funeral. Befides that, they put Money in a little Box, and bury it by the 

 deceas'd $ and leave good ftore of victuals upon the Grave, out of an opinion 

 that they rife and eat. Which the Souldiers of Batavia observing, us'd to fill 

 their Bellies at thele Graves every time thev 'valk'd their r ounds. But when 

 the Chinefes perceiv'd it, they poyfon'd the victuals to fj c the Dutchmen; feaft- 

 îng. The Townsmen of Batavia taking the Souldiers part^ accus'd the Cat- 

 nefes for poyfoning fèveral of th&Dutcb. But the Chine fis pleaded, that if the Sol- 

 diers had over-eat themfelves, orfurjeted then .'"Ives upon what was left for the 

 dead to eat, 'twas none of their fault ; for that they did not leave their victuals for 

 the Souldiers ; and befides that, among all the multitudes which they had bu- 

 ried; they never had heard the leaft complaint before of any one that ever came 

 by any harm by eating their food. Thus the bufinefs was hufh'd over j nor did 

 the Souldiers dare to pilfer any more. 



■ 1 - ~ i 1 ' * - 



CHAP. IX. 



Of the mofi celebrated Pagods of the Idolaters in India. 



TH E Indian Idolaters have a great number of Temples, fmall and great, 

 which they call Bagods, where they pray to their Gods, and make their 

 Offerings. But the poor people that live in the Woods and Mountains, and re- 

 mote from Towns, are contented only with fome ftone, whereon they make a 

 rude kind of Nole, and paint it with fome Vermilion colour, which lèrves all 

 the whole neighbourhood to worfhip. 



The four moft celebrated Pagods, are fagrenatej Banareus, Matitra, and Tri- 

 fètù 



fagrenate is one of the mouths of Ganges, whereupon is built the Great Pa- 

 god, where the Arch Bramin, or chief Prieft among the Idolaters keeps his 

 refidence. The great Idol that ftands upon the Altar in the innermoft part of 

 the Pagod, has two Diamonds for his Eyes, and another that hangs about his 

 heck, the leaft of thofe Diamonds weighing about forty Carats. About his 

 Arms he wears Bracelets fometimes of Pearls, and fometimes of Rubies -, and! 

 this magnificent Idol is call'd Refora. The Revenues of this Pagod are fuffi- 

 cient to feed fifteen or twenty thoulànd Pilgrims every day -, which is a num- 

 ber often ften there, that Pagod being the greateft place of devotion in all /«- 

 Sa, But you muft take notice, that no Goldfmith is fuffer'd to enter this Pagod; 

 becaufe that one qf them being lock'd in all night long, ftole a Diamond out 

 of one of the Idols eyes. As he was about to go out, when the Pagod was 

 open'd in the morning, he dy'd at the door 5 their God, as they affirm, re-! 

 venging his own facriledg. That which renders this Pagod. which is a large build- 

 ing, the moft confiderable in all India, is, .becaufe it is fituated upon the Gan~ 

 ges j the Idolaters believing that the waters of that River have a particular 

 quality to cleanfe them from their fins. That which makes it fo rich ( for it 

 maintains above twenty thoufànd Cows ) is the vaft Alms that are continually 

 beftow'd by fo incredible a multitude as comes from all parts. Which Alms 

 are not fo much at the difcretion of the Donor, as at the will of the chief 



Prieft/ 



