^4 Travels into I N D I E S. Part III. ^ 
all fort of îyleats prohibited or not prohibited ^ they eat others leavings 
without confidering what Religion or Cafte they are of : And that's 
the reafon why thofe who only fpcak Ferjian in the Indies , call them Ha- 
lalcour , (that's to fay) He that takes the liberty to eat what he pleafes ; or 
according to others, He that eats what he has honeftly got. And they who 
approve this laft Application , fay, that heretofore the H<î/^/<;o»r were cal- 
led Flaramcourycztcrs of prohibited Meats : (But that a King one day hearing 
his Courtiers Jearthem, becaufe of their nafty Trade , faid to them. Since 
thcfe People gain their Bread better than you, who are lazy lubbards, their 
Maramcour, or name of Haramcour ought to be given to you, and to them that oiHalalcour. ) 
And that they have retained that name. 
There is a Cafte of Gentiles,called Baraguy, who damn the yellow Colour • 
White and Red and Who in the Morning put white on their Fore-head , contrary to the cu- 
c Jours on the ^^^^^ Other Caftcs , who havc red put there by the Bramews. When 
ore lea . ^ Gentile is Painted with this Red, he bows his Head three times , and lifts 
his joyned hands thrice up to his Fore-head -, and then prefents the Rramen 
with Rice and a Cocos. 
All the Caftes or Tribes go to their Devotions at the fame time; but they 
adore what Idol they pleafe, without addreffing themfelves folely to him , 
to whom the Temple is dedicated , unlefs their Devotion invite them to do 
fo , in fo much that fome carry their Idols along with them , when they 
know that he whom they Worftiip is not there.None of thefe Gentiles mar- 
the alliance out of their own Tribe. A Bramen marries the Daughter ofanodier Bra- 
of the Gentiles, wcw, aRafpoute the Daughter of a Rafpoute, a Halalcour the Daughter of a 
Halalcour , a Painter of a Painter, and fo of the reft. 
The fubordma- The eighty four Tribes, obferve among themfelves an Order of Sub- 
tion of Tribes, ordination. The S^wwwj yield to the Cowrzwjif, the Courmè to the Rafpoutes 
or Catrys , and thefe (as all the reft' do) to the Bramens -, and fo the Bramens 
arc the chief and moft dignified of the Gentiles. And therefore it is, that a 
Bramen would think himfell prophaned, if he had eaten with a Gentile of a- 
nother Cafte than his own, though thofe of all other Caftes may eat in his 
Houfe. And lb it is with the other Tribes in relation to their inferiours. 
Bfahmam!. The Bramens^ who art properly the Brahmanes or Saies of the Ancient Ik- 
Gymnofoph'tfis. dians, and the Gynrnofephtjis otVorphjrrius^ are the Prielfs and Do6tors of the 
Heathen in India. Be/ides Théologie (which they profefs) they underftand 
Aftrology, Arithmetick and Medicine j but they who are adually Phyfi- 
cians , pay yearly a certain Tribute to their Cafte , becaufe Phy/ick ought 
not to be their ProfefTion. All thefe Gentiles have a refpedt for the Brametis\ 
and they believe them in all things , becaufe they have been always told 
nets, or Books that God ient the four Bets to them , which are the Books of their Religion, 
of Religion, and that they are the keepers of them. 
Philofophcrs. Several of thefe Do6lors apply themfelves to Philofophy , and love not 
to appear fo extravagant as the reft in ther Belief When a Chriftian fpeaks 
Ram, a God to them of their God Ram, whom the Gentiles Worfliip -, they maintain 
of theGentiles. ^^q^ that he is God, and only fay that he was a great King , whofe San61:ity 
and good Offices that he did to Men, have procured him a more particular 
Communion with God , than other Saints have -, and that fo they fliew 
him much more reverence : And if one fpeak to them of the Adoration 
of Idols , they anfwer, that they Worfhip them not -, that their intention 
The Adoration is always fixed upon God -, that they only honour them, becaufe they put 
•f Idols. them in mind of the Saint whom they represent -, that one muft not heed 
the ignorance of the Common People , who form to themfelves a thoufand 
idle fancies , their Imaginations being always ftuffed with Errors and Super- 
ftitions -, and that when one would be informed of a Religion , he ought to 
The Belief of confult thofc that are knowing in it. That it is true, the ignorant believe 
the underilan- that many great Men (under whofe ftiape God hath made himfelf known) 
«ling Indians, ^re Gods,' but that for their part, they believe no fuch thing ^ and that if 
God hath been plcafed to A6b fo, it was only to facilitate the Salvation of 
Men, and to condefcend to the capacity and humour of every Nation. 
Upon this Principle they believe that every Man may be faved in his 
Religion and Se£l, provided he e.x^dly follow the way which God hath fct 
before 
