Ghap. II. of Marc 
Wood of this Tree thrown into the "Water finks like Iron, 
of which they make Lancets, but fhort, for if long, they 
would be too heavy to bear. Thefe they fharpen, and 
burn at the Tops, with which fo prepared, they will pierce 
thro’ Armour fooner than if they were made of Iron. About 
one hundred and fifty Miles from Lambri , failing North- 
wards, are two Elands, one called Nocueran , in which the 
Inhabitants live like Beads, go all naked, both Men and 
Women, and worlhip Idols, have excellent Trees, Cloves, 
Sanders white and red, Indian Nuts, Brafil, and other 
Spices ; the other Angaman , favage as the former, and 
where I was told they had Dogs Heads and Teeth. 
' 24. Sailing hence one thoufand Miles to the Weft, 
and a little to the North-weft, is Zelan, two thoufand 
and four hundred Miles in Circuit, and anciently 
three thoufand and fix hundred Miles, as is feen in the 
Maps of the Mariners of tliofe Places 5 but the North 
Winds have made a great Part of it Sea. It is the fineft 
Ifiand in the World ; the King is called Sendernaz . The 
Men and Women are Idolaters, go naked, fave that they 
cover their Privities with a Cloth, have no Corn, but Rice 
and Oil of Sef amino , Milk, Flefh, Wine of Trees, abun- 
dance of Brafil, the belt Rubies in the World, Saphires, 
Topazes, Amathifb, and other Gems : The King is faid to 
have the very fineft Ruby that was ever feen, as long as ones 
Hand, and as big asaMan’s Arm, without Spot, fhining like 
a Fire, not to be bought for Money, Cublai-Khan fent and 
offered the Value of a City for it •, but the King anfwered, 
he would not give it for the Treafure of the World, nor 
part with it, becaufe it had been his Anceftors. The Men are 
unfit for Soldiers, and hire others when they have Occafion. 
From Zelan , failing fixty Miles to the Weft, lies the great 
Province of Malabar , which is not an Ifiand, but firm Con- 
tinent, called India the Greater , the richeft Province in the 
World : There are in it four Kings, the chief of which is 
Binder Candi , in whofe Kingdom they fifh for Pearls, viz. 
betwixt Malabar and Zeilan , in a Bay where the Sea is not 
above ten or twelve Fathom ; in which Divers defcend, 
and in Bags or Nets tied to their Bodies, bring up the 
Oifters, in which are the Pearls : And becaufe there are 
fome great Fifti which kill the Fifhermen, they hire certain 
Bramins to charm them, and thefe have the twentieth, the 
King the tenth. Thefe Oifters are found through the 
whole Month of April and till the Middle of May, and 
not at any time elfe. In September they find them in a 
Place above three hundred Miles off, and till the midft of 
OSlober. The Khan goes as naked as the reft, fave that 
he wears fome honourable Enfigns, as a Collar of precious 
Stones about his Neck, and a Thread of Silk to his Breaft, 
with one hundred and four fair Pearls ftrung thereon to 
count his Prayers by, of which he mult daily fay fo many 
to his Idols. A fort of Bracelets he weareth on three Places 
on his Arms, and likewife on his Legs, on his Fingers, and 
on his Toes. The Prayers which he fays are Pacauca , 
Pacauca , Pacauca, one hundred and four times. This King 
hath one thoufand Concubines, and if any pleafe him, he 
takes her as once he did from his Brother, whence Wars had 
followed ; but the Mother threatning to cut off her Breafts, 
which had nouriihed them, if they proceeded, the Quarrel 
was compofed. He hath many Horfemen for his Guard, 
which always accompany him, who when the King dies, 
throw themfelves voluntarily into the Fire, when he is 
burned, to do him Service in the next World. 
This Prince and his Brethren, the Kings of Malabar , 
buy their Horfes from Ormus, and other Parts, the Country 
breeds none ; and if it fometimes falls out that it does, yet 
are they there bred ill-favour’d and naught. Condemned 
Perfons will offer themfelves to die in Llonour of fuch 
an Idol, which is performed with twelve Knives, and twelve 
Wounds in divers Parts of the Body, at every Blow, fay- 
ing, I kill my f elf in Honour of that Idol ; and the laft he 
thrufts in his Heart, and is then burned by his Kindred. 
The Wives alfo call themfelves into the Fire with their 
Hufbands, difrepute following thofe who refufe it. They 
worlhip Idols, and moftof them adore Cows, and would 
not eat fo holy Flelh as Beef, for all the World. There 
are fome called Gaui , who eat fuch Oxen as die of 
themfelves, but may not kill them, and dawb over their 
Houfes with Ox-dung. Thefe Gaui are of the Pofterity 
Numb. 42. 
of thofe which flew $L Thomas , and Cannot enter the 
Place where His Body is. They fit on Carpets on the 
Ground in this Kingdom, : They have no Corn but Rice f 
are not a martial People, kill no Shafts* but when they will 
eat any get the Saracens to do it* or other People ; Wafii 
twice a-day. Morning and, Evening? both Men and Wo- 
men, and will not otherwife eat, _ which they who obferve 
not are accounted Hqreticks. They touch not their Meat 
with their Left-hand, but ufe that Hand only to wipe* and 
for other unclean Ufes. They drink each in his own Pot* 
and will not touch another Man’s Pot, nor fuffer their own 
to touch their Mouth, but hold it over, and pouf it in. 
To Strangers who have no Pot they pour drink into .his 
Elands, and oblige him to drink with them, juftice is fe- 
verely administered for Crimes, and a Creditor may in fome 
Cafes encompafs his Debtor with a Circle, which he 
dares not pals till he hath paid the Debt, or given Secu- 
rity ; if he does, he is to be put to Death*, and Mafte.r 
Marco once law the King himfelf on Horfe-back thus 
encircled by a Merchant, whom he had Jong delayed 
and put off, neither would the King go out of the Cir- 
cle which the Merchant had drawn, till he had latisfied 
him, the People applauding the King’s Juftice, They 
are very fcrupulous of drinking Wine made of the Grape* 
and they which do it are not thought worthy, or honeft 
Men, or admitted to be Witneffes, a Thing denied alfo 
to him who fails by Sea, for they lay fuch Men are 
defperate. They think Leachery no Sin. It is very hot* 
and they have.no Rain but in June , July, and Augujl 5 
without which refrefibing of the Air they could not live. 
They have many Phyfiognomers and Soothfayers, which 
obferve Bealls and Birds, and have an unlucky Hour every 
Day in the Week, called Choiach, as on Monday, betwixt 
two and three, on Tuefday the thrid Hour, and on Wed-* 
nefday the ninth, &c. through all the Year, fet down in 
their Books. They curioufiy obferve Nativities. At thir- 
teen Years old, they put their Boys to get their own Liv- 
ings, who run up and down to buy and fell, having a 
fmall Stock given them to begin, and in Pearl Seafon they 
buy a few Pearls, and fell them again to the Merchants, 
which cannot well endure the Sun, for little Gain •» what 
they get they bring to their Morthers to drefs for them, 
for they may not eat at their Fathers Coft. They have 
Idols, male and female, to whom they offer their Daugh- 
ters, who when the Monks- or Priefts appoint, ling and 
dance to the Idols, and very often fet Viduals before 
them, faying that they eat, leaving it the Space of a Meal, 
finging all the while, and then they fall to eating in ear- 
ned: ; after which they return home. The Caufe of thefe 
Sacrifices is the houfhold Quarrels betwixt the God and 
Godefs, which, if they fhould appeafe, they rhould iofe 
their Blefting. The great Men have Litters, made of 
large Canes, which they fallen artificially to fome up- 
per Place to prevent Tarantulas biting, and alfo Fleas and 
other Vermin, and for frefh Air. 
The Place of St. Thomas's, Sepulchre is a fmall City, not 
much frequented by Merchants, but very much by Chri- 
ftians and Saracens for Devotion. The Saracens hold 
him a great Prophet, and call him Ananias, that is, a ho- 
ly Man. The Chriftians take of the Earth where he was 
(lain, which is red, and carry it with them with great Re- 
verence, and give it, mix’d with Water, to the Sick. 
A.D. 1288, a great Prince, having more Rice than 
Room to lay it in, made bold with St. Thomas’s Church, 
in the Room where Pilgrims were received j but by a 
Vifion of St. Thomas in the Night, was fo terrified that he 
quickly left the Place. The Inhabitants 1 are black, not fo 
born, but became fo by often anointing themfelves with 
jeffamine Oil, to obtain that Beauty. They paint the 
Devil white, and their Idols black. The Cow- worlhip- 
pers carry with them to Battle, fome of the Hair of a 
wild Ox, as a Prefervation againft Dangers, and therefore 
fuch Hairs are fold at a high Price. 
25. Murffili, or Monful, is northward from Malabar 
five hundred Miles; the Inhabitants are Idolaters. They 
have Diamonds in their Hills, which they fearch for after 
great Rains. Weft ward from St. Thomas is Lac, whence 
the Bramins have^ their Original, who are the honefteft 
Merchants in the World, and will not lye for’ any thing, 
5 y T and 
