Chap. II. through fevered Countries of the I N D I E S. 
lari y the firft and twentieth Day of the Moon. Each of 
their Months confuting of thirty Days, they add five 
Days to the iaft Month to make up the Year three hundred 
and fixty-ftve Days. Their Teachers are not diftinguifhed 
from the reft by their Habit, which they have in common 
with the Parfis , and the other Inhabitants of the Country 
being known only by a certain twilled Girdle of Wool, or 
Camefs Hair, which comes twice round the Waifl, and 
ties with two Knots behind ; this being* the certain Badge 
of their Religion, and fo effential to them, that he who 
lofes it mufl not either eat or drink, or flir from the Place 
where he is before he has bought another from the Prieft. 
The Women alfo are allowed to wear them after the twelfth 
Year of Age. They live very meanly in little dark Ploufes, 
poorly furnifhed, and affedl much to live near one another. 
They have the Liberty of choofing two of the ’moft con- 
fiderable Perfons of the Nation for their Judges. Fire is 
fo facred a thing among them, that they would not extin- 
guifh it with Water, though the Houfe were in Flames, 
looking upon it as the moll lively Reprefentation can be 
made of the Divine Light ; for which Reafon it is, that 
they will rather fmother their Fire with Earth, nothing 
being more irkfome to them than to fee their Fire extin- 
guifhed at any time. They early engage their Children in 
Wedlock ; but the Marriage is feldom confummated till 
the fifteenth or fixteenth Years of their Age, and in the 
mean time they are committed to the Care of their reipec- 
tive Parents. As they look upon Adultery and Fornica- 
tion as the moil heinous Crimes in Nature, fo they allow 
their Widows to marry a fecond time to prevent them. 
They are very particular in their Burials ; for fo foon as 
the Patient is given over, they lay him upon a little. Bed of 
green Turf, where he yields up the Ghoft, which no 
iboner happens, than five or fix Grave-makers come, take 
him from the Bank of Turfs, put a Shroud about him, and 
lay him upon an Iron Grate made like a Bier, and fo carry 
him to their Burying-place, a League without the City, 
which is divided by a Wall into three Parts, viz. one for 
the Men, the fecond for the Women, and the third for the 
Children. Over their Graves are laid Iron Bars like Grates, 
upon which they leave the Corps till the Birds have eaten 
all the Flefh, and the Bones drop into the Grave under- 
neath. The Friends accompany the Corps till they come 
within five hundred Paces of the Grave, where they flay, 
and make moft doleful Cries., till the Grave- makers have 
laid it upon the Grate. A Month or fix Weeks after the 
Burial they carry the Turfs upon which he died, as things 
poluted, to the Burying-place, and every Month entertain 
the neareft Friends with a Collation, in Memory of the 
deceafed. 
If any one happens to touch a dead Carcafs, or the 
Bones of a dead Bead, they are defiled, and mult under- 
go a Pennance of nine Days. They reckon thofe damned 
whole Bones happen to fall into the Water. They are for- 
bidden to eat, of any living Creature ; yet in Time of 
War, they will make now and then bold with a Sheep, 
Goat, fome tame Fowl, or Fifh, and eat it ; but never 
kill any Camels, Elephants, Horfes, or Flares ; and as to 
the Ox, and Cow, they are fo far from killing them, that 
they have a Proverb, that they would rather feed upon 
the Flefh of their Fathers and Mothers, than upon an Ox, 
or a Cow. Though they are not forbid the Ufe of Wine 
and leddy, their Law enjoins them a fevere Pennance for 
Drunkennefs, and upon that Score, the drinking of Aqua 
Vita. They are but middle-fized, but of a much clearer 
Complexion than the Natives of the Country, and efpeci- 
ally their Women, who, in this Point, much exceed the 
Mohammedan Indofians. The Men have great Beards, 
but fomewhat round ; fome cut their Hair, others wear it 
without cutting ; the firft leave only a Lock of an Inch in 
Compafs, on the Crowns of their Heads. They are very 
induftrious, and an over-reaching Generation \ and were it 
not for their avaricious Temper, would be milch better 
natured than moft of the Mohammedans are. They have 
two other forts of Pagans in Guzarat , viz. the Hindoos and 
Jentives j the firft are defcended from the Province of 
Mult ban, and the Parts about Afiimean. They are fo far 
from being Banjans , that they wont admit them to be 
prelent at their Meals, which they eat within a Ring, and 
Numb. £2 0 
*rf 
they eat of all forts of Bealls, except the Gx and Cowh 
They apply themfelves for the moll Part to the Wars, 
The Jenthes deduce their Origin out of the Kingdom of 
Golconda , being a fort of poor ignorant Wretches, who 
pin their whole Faith upon the Sleeves of their Bramans. 
Their Belief is, that originally there was but one God; 
but as in Procefs of Time Men deferved well of him by 
their great Actions, he communicated to the beft of them 
fofne Share of his Power : Thefe are their chief Saints 
whom they worfhip in their Temples. 
There is another fort of People here called Theers , be- 
ing neither Mohammedans or Pagans, living without any 
Religion ; their Employment being the cleanfing of Wells* 
Sinks, Common-fewers, and the fleaing of dead Beafts, 
whofe Flefh they eat. They are alfo frequently employed 
as Executioners, which is the reafon they are avoided by 
all other Indians , for fear of being defiled by them, and 
are not permitted to live any where but in the Suburbs. 
As the Religion of the Mohammedan Indofians , fome few 
Points excepted, approaches very near to that of the Turks and 
Perfians , we will not enlarge here upon that Head, but 
will proceed to give you fome Account of the manner of 
Life of thefe Mohammedan Indians , forafmuch as the 
fame is very different both from the Turks and Perfians. 
To begin with their Marriage Ceremonies, they are per- 
formed thus; On the Day appointed for the Wedding* 
the Bridegroom mounted on a Horfe, whofe Main and 
Crupper are adorned with Flowers, and a Net over his 
Flead, rides frOm his Houfe accompanied by his Friends 
and Kindred, with a Concert of Mufick before him, and cer- 
tain Fellows are appointed to call Squibs and Crackers to the 
Bride’s Houfe, where having given her the Diverfion of Mu- 
fick, and Fire-works for half an Hour, he difmounts, and 
fits himfelf down in the Floufe upon Tapeftry, laid upon 
the Floor for that Purpofe ; foon after the Bride, with her 
Friend the M.olla and Kadi, or Judge or the Place, come in» 
The Molla having read certain Paffages out of the Alcho- 
ran, and taken the Bridegroom’s Oath, that in cafe of 
Divorce, he will make Provifion for his Wife, he gives 
them his Bleffing and departs. The reft of the Company 
who ftay behind, are entertained with Beetle and Pills of 
Amphion, or Opium, which they ufe inftead of Wine* 
and produce very near the fame Effect. If the Bride 
proves an undefiled Virgin by the Marks upon the Sheets* 
the Friends affemble for five or fix, and fometimes eight 
or ten Days after : But if the Paffage be found not fo 
well guarded as it fhould be, the Bridegroom takes his 
Leave of her, and returns her to her Friends. On the 
other hand, if the Bridegroom finds her fo flrait laced, as 
that he cannot enjoy her in three or four Days, and 
confequently is fufpefted of want of Ability, one of the 
neareft Kinfwomen to the Bride fends him a Diftaff, with 
this Meffage, that not being made for Man’s Work, fhe 
has thought fit to furnifh him with fome Womens Bufi- 
nefs. . The Marriages of the Indian Mohammedans are not 
fo ftrift as thofe of the other Mohammedans, who can’t be 
divorced unlefs both Parties be heard, and Sentence pro- 
nounced by a Judge. But here they may be divorced with 
lefs Ceremony, upon a bare Averfion, or Diftafte, with 
this I rovifo, however, that purinant to what they pro- 
mile at the IVIarriage, the IVIen are obliged to provide 
for the Suftenance of their Wives, who, therefore have no 
other Downes here, but as for the Jewels they brin 0- a- 
long with them, they cannot reclaim any thing of "that 
Nature. The Women of any Quality ftir but feldom 
abroad, and that either in a clofe Coach, or Indian Lit- 
ter ; and if they happen to ride on Horfeback, their Face 
is covered with a Scarf, none but the meaner fort, or 
common Proftitutes, being to be feen on Foot, and with their 
faces bare, in the Streets* The Indian Women have generally 
a very eafy Deliverance, it being a great Rarity to hear of 
a Woman that is above two or three Hours in Labour. 
Their Children they educate with extraordinary Care in 
Schools, where they are taught to read and write ; and 
fuch as are not able to do it, they fend either into the Wars, 
or into the Service of great Perfons, where their Allow- 
ance is fo fiender, that they lead but an unhappy Life. 
It is generally oblerved, that the Indian Children have s 
very tender regard for their Parents, to fuch a Degree, 
5 K shat 
