Chap.I. 
The Idolatry^ &c. 
831 
Calecoulang^ Coch'm^Cranganor^Calccut^ Ca- 
nanor^ as alfo on the Coaft of Coromandel^ 
and the Ifle of Ceylon. According to Roge- 
nM5,the Brahmans are diftinguifh'd into lir 
Seds, viz.. Weiflnouwa5y Sciria^ Smaerta^ 
Schaenvaeka^ Pafenda and Tfcbe&ea j and 
the Benjans of Gufuratte into no lefs than 
63 : but in the forementioned parts, the 
Brahmans are divided into tour head 
Sedts. 
Sells nf The firfl: are the Cenrawack., who ufe 
tk Brah- neither Fire, nor Candles, nor cold Wa- 
mans. ^e^, for fear it fhould contain fome liv- 
ing Creatures ; they don't pafsthe Streets 
unlefs they be fwept before with a Broom, 
which they always carry with them, for 
fear of treading upon any thing that is 
living. They believe neither God nor 
Providence, but that all things are pro- 
duced by Chance. 
The fecond Sedl is called Samaraetk, 
they adually believe a God. 
The third 5//«o«, who call their God 
Ram. They have a Fait which begins in 
uiuguft^ and holds 40 days. 
The fourth Sedt is that of the Goegii, 
who have no Habitations of their own, 
but fleep in the Night-time intheChur-. 
ches *, they walk generally naked, hav- 
ing only a Cloth to cover their Privities, 
and befmear themfelves all over with A- 
llies. They believe a God (whom they 
call Sruyn) the Creator of the Univerfe, 
who is in every thing, whether Man or 
Beaft (tho he can't be feen by the Crea- 
ture) gives Light to Sun and Moon, and 
annihilates what and when he pleafes. 
They fay, that fuch as die in their Faith, 
go direftly to their God Bruyn : they do 
not burn, but bury their dead. Whoe- 
ver embraces their Se£t, is obliged to 
take near a Pound of Cowdung every 
day among his ordinary Food, for fix 
Months fuccefiively, the Cow being ac- 
counted facred, and her Dung the pu- 
rcft thing among them. They are very 
fuperftitious : a Cart, Buffler or Afs 
without a Load, a Dog empty mouth'd, 
aHegoat, Ape, a Goldfmith, Carpenter, 
Barber, Taylor, Smith, Cottonweaver, 
a Widow, a Burial, or fome body going 
to a Burial, are altogether ill Omens to 
them •, as an Elephant, Camel, an Horfe 
without a Burden, a Cow, an Ox and 
Buffler laden with Water, pretends good 
Luck in their Opinion. Some acknow- 
^fcRoge- ledg one Fiy^noM for their fupreme God, 
rius,Texe- but the moft one Ixora •, we will firft 
ira,Caroh- tj-gat of Ixora., and afterwards of ^/?- 
no, olin J ^ 
vanTwift noumQ B^amma. 
^l: ' The Brahmans have a very odd Opini- 
on of the Creation of the World (of 
which more hereafter) They fay thato^J^i 
this World will diminifh by degrees, till ^^^^^i^f-^ 
it comes to a Drop of Water, v/hich iso'fh^jC^' 
the Ixorctta or Divinity it felf : After the Bnh- 
thatit fliall encreafe again, when Ixoretta mans con- 
crying out aloud, Quen., quen, will make 11^^^"'^ ^f^^: 
turn again into a fingledropof Dew i ^//''pJ-'S! 
this will make it revive again, firfl into a 
Muftard-Seed Corn, then turn to a 
Pearl, and laflly into an Egg, containing 
the five Elements. This Egg they fay 
is to have feven diftindt Shells or Partiti- 
ons like an Onion, whence will break 
forth the Fire and Air upwards, and the 
others downwards ^ and, the Egg being 
thereby broken into two pieces, the upper 
part produced the Heavens, as the under 
part did the Earthy and becaufe the 
Egg had feven Shells, which by the Divi- 
fion thereof made 14 half ones, the fe- 
ven uppermoft Parts furnilhed the mat- 
ter for feven Heavens, as the feven un- 
dermoft did for as many Worlds , An 
unpardonable Contradidion, when they 
themfelves acknowledg their Bramma, 
and implore him as the Creator of Heavens 
and Earth', and how incongruous is it, 
to make the Ixoretta or Divinity fubjed 
todecreafe ? 
They further add, that at the opening 
of the beforcfaid Egg, there appear'd a 
Thred drawn all along the middle, which 
join'd the 14 upper and under Worlds ; 
Ixoretta then taking his Place in the 
higheft Sphere of the Heavens, there a- 
rofe at the fame time a Mountain on the 
Earth, named Calaja^ on the top of 
which ftood a Triangular SubftanceCTr^- 
cona Sacra) which produced a round Sub- 
ftance, called ^ivelinga., i. e. the Mem- ^^'f^ 
bers of Generation of both Sexes:, which ^^''"S* 
Quivelinga they fay, is Ixoretta or the 
Divinity : for finding that all living 
Creatures were procreated by the carnal 
Copulation of Men and Women, they 
reverenced this Quivelinga.^ as the Ori- 
ginal of all created things, and adorned 
him' in their Temples with the belt 
fweet Herbs and Flowers. They have a 
certain religious Order called Jogiis^ who 
wear the Figure of this Quivelinga, ei- 
ther of Wood or Copper, about the Neck, 
and offer him daily the belt of their Vic- 
tuals. Rogerius fpeaks to the fame pur- 
pofe of the Lingam, i. e. Membrum vi- 
rile in Muliebri, as the Ixora or JEfward 
is reprefented in their Pagodes. 
St. ^ujlin * tells us fomething like '^L.7.c.2i, 
this of the Priapus, which ufed to be 
carried in ProcefTion in Honour of Bac- 
chus, thro the Cities of Italy, and that 
the Matrons yfed to crown bis Membrum 
virifK 
te Dei, 
