900 
The Idolatry of 
Part II, 
Cs^'"^^ following day, the new married Coupk 
Baldaus. ^.^j^g ^ pj^^^e Cloth, cut at one end, 
wherewith they go a filhing in a River ^ 
the firft Fi(h they take, they touch on 
the Head with a great deal of Reverence, 
and according as they take more or lefs 
Fifiies, they (hall have few or more 
Children i if they catch nothing, the 
Woman is to prove barren. 
As the chief reafon why they marry 
fo young among the Brahmans^ is their 
Fondnefsof a Maidenhead, fo on the o- 
ther hand nothing is more defpicable a- 
mong them than a Maiden come to a 
full Age, which has introduced the Cuf- 
tom of begging Portions for Maidens 
that they may be married in time. 
The Indian Kings that are not Brah- 
tnans never marry, but only keep certain 
MiltrefTes, whofe Children don't inhe- 
rit, nay can't as much as challenge the 
lealt Prerogative, in refpedt of their 
Nobility, fo that here obtains the Axi- 
om, Fnitius fequituwentrem. The Kings 
Sifters are generally marry'd to fome o- 
ther Sovereign Princes, who muft faft 1 5 
days before Marriage. The Nalros have 
Jikewife no fettled Marriages, whence 
their Wives are ftiled Parafceri^ i. e. 
Women for many. The Brahmans take 
as much care to couple a Bull and a Cow 
together, as other People do in marry- 
ing their Children. 
Thefe Pagans perform their folemn 
Oaths near a Pagode^ and the Brahmans 
of Coromandtl in thePrefence of a Priell, 
near a holy Fire, juft as the Romans ufe 
to do in the Prefence of their Prieils, 
the Athenians before the Altar, and the 
Orcadians during the Sacrifice. Thefe 
Pagans being ready to take an Oath near 
the Pa^ode, they put three Fingers of the 
Right Hand, viz.. the T/jMwt, thenex^, 
and the Middle Finger^ into an Earthen 
Veflel fiird with melted Buttery this 
done, they put a Leaf into the fame 
Butter, which they tie clofe round their 
three Fingers : after three days the faid 
Leaf is taken off in the Prefence of the 
King or Prince of the Country^ if his 
Fingers are not burnt, his Adverfary fuf- 
fers Punifhment, but if he proves hurt, 
he is fure to be punilh'd. 
They have another way of taking an 
Oath, no lefs dangerous than the former^ 
he that takes the Oath is oblig'd to fwim 
crofs the River betwixt Cochin and Cran- 
ganor^ which is full of Crocodiles ; and 
if he that has taken the Oath efcapes 
without hurt, he is fuppofed to have ta- 
ken a juft Oath. 
In Canara they have another way, for 
Their man- 
ItiY of ta.\- 
Iv.g an 
Oath, 
they put fome Adders and a Lemon into 
an Earthen VelTel •, and if he that take^ 
the Oath, takes the Citron out of the 
VelTel, without receiving any harm, he 
has truly fworn. The Inhabitants of 
Formofa when they take an Oath, break 
only a Straw to pieces. 
Whenever any body falls lick, the Pa- ^^'hatcc- 
tient need not fear to be difturb'd with '^^^"'"'^ 
much Phyfick, Bleeding, Clyfters, andJ/4J{^ 
fuchlike, their chief Remedy confifting De^i/w 
in Fafting, fometimes more than is con- "S/Cit. 
venient. They alfo fend forth continual 
Prayers, to obtain a happy Tranfmigra- 
tion of the Soul, and exhort the Patient 
to rehearfe continually the Name of God, 
and when his Strength fails, his Friends 
repeat the fame in his Prefence j becaufe 
the Brahmans are of opinion, that he 
who di^s with the Name of God in his 
Mouth, goes diredlly to the Paradife : 
For the fame reafon they alfo diftribute 
Alms to the Poor. If they give the Pa- 
tient any Medicines, they are generally 
Laxatives of frefli Herbs, a little Milk 
Canfic (or Rice and Water boil'd to- 
gether) a little Saffron, Ginger, or 
Leeks. 
When the Patient is near expiring, 
they reiterate their Prayers, befprinkling 
them with Holy Water of the River 
Ganges ^ for they fay, that the infernal 
Judg fends his Servants to torment them 
at that time, and that they fend forth 
their Prayers to rijlnum, to fend one of 
his Servants to deliver the dying Perfon 
out of their Clutches. 
After their Deceafe they walh the 
Corps, afterwards (have his Beard, ftop 
his Mouth with Betel and Lime, wrap 
him in a Shrowd, and laft of all clofe 
his Eyes. Of the burning of their Dead 
we have fpoken before, in the Defcripti- 
on of the Funeral Ceremony of the Prince 
of Ceylon^ and Rogeriits * has given a l.i.c.x». 
moreamplc account of the whole matter. 
Some of thefe Pagans bury their Dead 
near their Habitations, and without the 
Cities (like the Athenians and Romans) 
and cover them with great Stones, for 
fear the Jackalls and other Wild Beafts, 
fhould dig them up and devour them. 
They faft and ihave their Heads for 
their deceas'd Friends and if they be of 
Royal Extradion, all the Subjedts are ob- 
liged to hav£ their ^^eads fiiav'd. InMa- 
labar the next Relations don't ftir out of 
Doors for 15 days, fleep only on Mats 
upon the Ground, and don't affift at the 
ufual Sacrifices. When I mention Faft- 
ing, I mean that they only eat a little 
Rice at Noon. After 7 c^ays they fend 
for 
