to the EAST 
Chap II. 
-INDIES. 
Upon other OCcafions they take five or fix large Pieces 
of Wood, and having ranged them all in a Line, raife 
Planks on them of the fame Wood, to fit upon, and fo 
pafs from one Ifland to another : And it is by this Contri- 
vance they generally manage their Fifhery. In the Ca- 
nals that run between the Attollons one Man can work 
thefe Inftruments of Navigation, though they are not pro- 
per for the Sea 3 for they know how to trim their Deal- 
feats fo well, that there is no fear of overfetting 3 and if 
that happens, their Plank will always fwim : All the Dan- 
ger lies in disjoining the Pieces ; and this fort of Float is 
called Candou patis, from the Wood of which it confifts. 
The Candou- tree has yet another ftrange Property, name- 
ely, that when one Piece of it is ftruck againft another they 
will extraift Fire 3 and this ferves them in the Place of 
Tinder-boxes. 
i g. Our Method directs- us, in the next Place, to Ipeak 
of their Language, which lies in two Channels 3 the 
firft is the Maldivan , properly fo called, which is very 
copious *, the fecond is the Arabick , of the fame Ufe as 
'Latin in a Popifh Country, being the Language of their 
devout Addrefifes. I pafs over the Cambay a , Guzaretta , 
and Portugueze Tongues, which are derived from their 
Commerce, and fhall only take Notice that, in the Southern 
Parts they fpeak a coarfe unpolite Language, which, after 
all, is the common Tongue of thefe Iflands. Their Reli- 
gion and Ceremonies come next to be confidered. All 
the Inhabitants are Mohammedans , and the greateft Part of 
the Foreigners, viz. Arabians , Malabar s, and Sumatrans , 
are the fame. Their Temples, or Mofchs, are built of 
good Stone, well cemented, and have a thick Wall. 
They Hand in the Middle of a fquare walled Inclofure, 
where they bury their Dead, except thofe who defire a 
feparate Sepulchre. Their Temples are fquare, and face 
the Weft, as pointing to Mohammed 9 s Tomb. They have 
three Doors, each of which is faced by a broad Wall with 
Steps, the Bottom and Sides of which are lined with po- 
liftied and fiat Stones, the Floor of the Temple being co- 
vered with Mats and Tapeftry 3 whereas the Church-Yard 
is nothing but Sand. Their Temples are kept fo clean, 
that if they want to fpit or blow their Nofe, they muft ei- 
ther do it in their Handkerchief or got out of Doors. 
The Roof or Ceiling of the Temples is of Wood, ad- 
mirably well polifiied, and the Walls are wainfcoted, both 
of them being firmly joined without Nails, Pegs, or any 
other vifible Artifice. Upon the Walls of the Temples we 
met with large Tables of Stone, or of Wood, with Ara- 
bick Infcriptions. They have a particular Place for the 
King and his Court, and Galleries for the Guards, and 
feparate Apartments for certain Dignities, Qualities, and 
Ages, infomuch that any Perfon who takes up an impro- 
per Place, is fined accordingly. They conftantly burn 
Lamps, for which End certain low Trees are confecrated. 
Some of the Iflands have nine or ten Temples 3 but that 
in which they folemnize a general Feftival is built and lup- 
ported at the common Charge, under the Name of Ou coura 
Me f quite : Each Mofche has its Prieft called Moudin, and 
each Ifland that has forty Perfons above the 15th Year of 
their King’s Age is dignified with a Catibe or Curate, who 
aflifts as Principal at all publick Exercifes, and governs the 
Inferior Priefts. He pronounces the publick Prayers, and 
by Sermons and Exhortations explains and recommends the 
Law of Mohammed 3 under him the Moudins teach Chil- 
dren to read and write their Mother Tongue, and that of 
Arabia , for which Service their Parents give them a Re- 
ward. Every Day in the Week all above fifteen Years of 
Age repair, before Break of Day, to the Temple, and de- 
clare their Creed, viz. That the World is fiat, and not 
round, that ’tis furrounded with a Wall of Brafs, which 
prevents it being drowned in the Waters that encompals it : 
That the Devil, the general Enemy of Mankind, endea- 
vours every Night to break through and undermine this 
Wall, and that he is not much fhort of compaffing his 
End when the Day-light arrives. Upon this Belief they 
all join in Prayer, at the Break of Day, to prevent the De- 
ftrublion of the World, which, as they believe, would 
otherwife enfue. 
They repair to the Temple four Times a Day befides, 
viz, at Noon, at Three o’Clock in the Afternoon, at 
Sun-fet, and at Ten o’Clock at Night, remaining each Time 
half an Hour. Thofe that have no mind to go to Church 
may fay their Prayers at home, or none at all if they pleafe 3 
but if it be known that any Perfon neglects their Duty of 
Prayer altogether, no body will eat or converfe with him 3 
from whence it comes to pafs, that almoft all of them, whe- 
ther Tradefmen or others, fpend a great Part of their Time 
in publick Service. They make ufe of Beads as well as the 
Papifts 3 but they have no Crofifes. Before they enter the 
Temple they wafh their Feet, Hands, Ears, Mouth and 
Eyes, obferving at the fame time certain Ceremonies, and 
pronouncing Prayers fuitable to the Sin they repent oft 
They are fo fcrupulous, that no Temptation in the World 
can oblige them to forbear this folemn way of wafhing, 
upon the Apprehenfion that it certainly purges them of all 
Sin and Polution. The greateft Indecency of their Wcr- 
fhip is, that they wafh and bathe publickly and promifeo 
oufly, and offer their penitential Prayers with a loud Voice, 
and fo difcover to all the World all the fecret Tran factions 
of their Lives. At this rate all the fecret Adventures of 
Man and Wife are laid open to the World by the publick 
Prayers of both Parties 3 for the Women pray aloud as well 
as the Men, only they do it in their Houles, in regard that 
they never go to Church. 
14. The Male Children are circumcifed when they arc 
feven Years of Age, and upon that Occafion the Parents 
and Relations divert themfelves with Maffick and publick 
Feafting fourteen Days. They have particular Operators 
for Circumcifions, who apply themfelves to nothing elfe, 
and the Ceremony is after this manner : For fix or feven 
Hours before the Circumcifion the Child is bathed in the 
Sea, in order to make the Yard fhrink, and to render the 
Skin foft and tender. When the Hour comes the Child is 
brought to a Lodge built on purpofe, and held by two or 
three Moudin.sor Priefts, who in the mean time chan tVerfes 
and Prayers fuitable to the Occafion. Then the Operator 
having drawn over the Pepuce, and tied it with a String, 
cuts it with a Razor 3 after which he heals it in fifteen 
Days 3 before Circumcifion they alledge that the Child is 
innocent, and cannot fin, and for the fame Reafon they do 
not cover the Privities of the uncircumcifed Children. As 
for the Girls, their Circumcifion confifts in drawing two or 
three Drops of Blood, when they are two Years of A^e ; 
but ’tis attended with no Solemnity. When the Children 
are grown up, they pay a profound Deference to the Ope- 
rator that circumcifed them, and call him Mafter. 
They celebrate feveral Feftivals in theCourfe of the Year* 
particularly every Friday with them is a Day of Feafting* 
at which all the Males above fifteen Years of Age are pre- 
fent, but no Females. On the preceding Eve they pray in 
their Houfes, feme for their Health, others for the dead, 
and for that end fend for the Priefts to their Houfes, where 
an Entertainment is provided, and as the Priefts have no 
Stomach for eating 3 they choofe rather to abfent, for if 
they come they muft eat, though againft their Appetite. On 
Friday Morning the publick Crier goes round the Ifland, 
with a fort of Bell in his Hand, and a Hammer of Wood 
to beat it withal : Lie is alfifted by three Trumpeters, who 
found often to give the People notice of their Duty. Upon 
this Warning the People throw afide all Work for that 
Day, and after wafhing and bathing, and putting on their 
beft Cloaths, repair to the Temple. In the mean time the 
King’s Muficians play before his Palace on divers Inftru- 
ments, and foon after the King’s four Priefts, who are Men 
of Quality and Learning, and never affift but at publick 
Solemnities, afcend an high Stone Edifice adjoining to the 
1 emple, where they clap their Hands upon their Ears, and 
with a loud and fearful Voice cry thrice, Alla , Alla y Aque- 
bar ! i. e. Great God, and then they add fomething of Mo- 
hammed. This done y they repair to the King’s Palace, and 
pronounce the fame Words after the fame manner. Upon 
which, ii the King has a Mjnd to be feen, as he commonly 
is, he fends a Caipet of Silk to be ipread on the Place where 
he means to fit. Then the Moudins do the like at the 
Catibe’s Houfe, and he comes and waits upon the King, 
who walks in great Magnificence to the Temple, his Head 
being covered with a white Veil above a great Turban, fo 
that he cannot fee, but is led by one of the Moudins. The 
King comes laft to the Church, and immediately fays his 
Prayers 3 
