77° The Remarks, &c. of John Albert de MandeMloe Book I. 
that they would ftarve themfelves to preferve them. Moft; 
Perfons of Note are very careful to build themfelves Hou- 
fes in very handfome Gardens, which ferve them and their 
Families for Sepulchres ; thefe Houfes have many fmall 
Windows on all Sides. They ufe the following Ceremo- 
nies at their Burials ; immediately after the Deceafe of the 
Patient, the Kindred with great Lamentations come to afk 
him what made him die-, whether he wanted fuch and 
fuch Conveniencies, which they name to him. This done, 
whilft the Corps is wafhed and put into a Coffin, the 
Friends divert their Sorrow by making good Cheer. Three 
or four Mollas regain conftantly near the Body (which is 
wrapped in a perfumed Sheet) to pray for the Soul, till it 
be carried to the Burial-place, whither the Coffin with the 
Corps covered with Calicoe, Velvet, or fome other preci- 
ous Stuff, is carried by ten or twelve Men, the Molds 
ringing all che while their Hymns, and the Kindred ac- 
companying it to the Grave. Here the Body is laid down 
upon the Right-fide, with the Face to the Weft, the Feet 
to the South, and Head to the North, the Coffin being 
covered with a Board, for fear the Earth ffiould defile the 
Corps. It is let down fmoothly into the Grave, whilft the 
Kindred mutter out certain Prayer*, and fo return to the 
Houle of the Deceafed, where the fame Mollas continue 
their Prayers for feveral Days after, during which Time, 
not a Spark of Fire muft be feen in the Houfe. They 
ftile themfelves Mujjulmans , or true Believers, looking up- 
on all other Religions as Hereticks and damnable ; but as 
they have a fingular Averfion to Images, fo they ffiew 
more Hatred to the Roman Caiholicks than Prolejlants , 
on the fcore of their Images. 
They are generally of a good Stature, without any 
natural Defects. They have all lank, black Hair, tho’ 
thofe they call Mogollies have a clearer Complexion than 
the reft. They don’t admire flaxen Hair, but hate red- 
haired People, out of an Opinion they have, that they are 
leprous, a Diftemper very common here ; one reafon of 
which is, that the Pox being feldom cured as it ought to 
-be, by Degrees affebts the Blood afreffi, and turns to a 
Leprofy, The Mollas let their Beards grow, but all the 
reft flhave their Beards as well as their Heads, leaving on- 
ly a Lock on the Crown, by which, they fay, Mohammed 
is to pull them up to Heaven. There is no Diftinbtion 
in the Drefs of Men and Women. They make their Gar- 
ments of Calicoe, Silk, or Brocade, according to the Abi- 
lities of thofe that wear them. They lie clofe to their 
Bodies above their Waift, like ours, but grow wider and 
wider downwards to the Small of their Leg, where abouts 
their Breeches, which reach to their Shoes, are gathered by 
a String into many Plaits. Their Shoes are of Sjanijh 
Leather, Silk, or Brocade, with very low Quarters, be- 
caufe they have frequent Occafion to pull them off when 
they go into Rooms, where the Floors are covered with 
rich Tapeftry. Their Head-drefs comes nearer to that of 
the Turks rhan the Perjlans , being commonly of thin Ca- 
licoe, or Silk, interwoven with gold and filver Thread. 
They lay it by when they go to Bed. They have over 
their Garments a kind of Cloak to defend themfelves a- 
gainft the Injuries of the Seafon. Their Garments are 
tied round their Waift with a filk Girdle wrought with 
Gold, and over this they have a kind of a Safli of fine 
Calicoe. In thefe, Perfons of Quality wear their Daggers, 
the Handle and Sheath of which are generally of Gold, 
and fet with precious Stones. 
Their Houfes are but (lightly built, the Walls being 
nothing but Plaifter-work made of a Mixture of Free- 
ftone powdered, fome Lime, Gum and Sugar, which be- 
ing very white and fmooth, makes no difagreeable Shew 
at a Diftance. They are alfo indifferently furnifhed, elpe- 
cially the Kitchens, where, befides a few Diffies and 
Stoves, you fee very few other Utenfils ; tho* for the reft, 
the Houfes of Perfons of Quality are very large, and di- 
vided into convenient Halls, Apartments, Chambers and 
Clofe ts j in the two laft of which the Women take great 
Delight to fet them out with their gold and filver Plate. 
When they are to receive Vifits, they place themfelves in 
the Halt, upon Pieces of Tapeftry. They falute each 
other at their firft coming in with their Salam, and an In- 
clination of the Head, and if the Perfon be of greater 
Quality, they put their Right-hand to their Heads, to 
lhew their Readinefs to fubmit to them. If they are of 
an equal Condition, no further Ceremony is obferved, but 
a mutual Inclination with their Bodies. Sometimes they 
touch one another’s Locks, adding thefe Wfords, Grab 
ane meas, be it to you according to the Prayers of the 
Poor. He who receives the Vifit, never ftirs from his 
Place, the Vifitors being fet on his Right and Left-hand. 
Their Vifits are made with a great deal of Refervednefs, 
no fuch thing as the leaft loud Difcourfe being to be heard, 
or any Geftures made with their Hands, or Heads. If 
they whifper to any body, they are fure to hold to their 
Mouths a Napkin, or fome fuch thing, for fear of offend- 
ing with their Breath him to whom they Ipeak. 
Their greateft Expence is in Cloaths, Eating, and Wo 
men ; for as by the Mohammedan Law, they are all allow- 
ed to purfue their fenfual Pleafures- to the utmoft, as far 
as may be done without Detriment to their Neighbours, 
they indulge themfelves in this Point to the Extent of 
their Power. They keep a numerous Retinue of Servants, 
each of which hath his Bufinefs affigned him. Their 
Footmen have great Plumes of Feathers on their Heads, 
and two little Bells on their Breafts, and are fo hardy, that 
they will travel fifteen or fixteen Leagues a Day, without 
much Difficulty. They have all their board Wages, and 
fome Vails, but both are fo final 1 , that they can fcarce 
keep themfelves from ftarving. The many Women the 
Mohammedans marry, are very chargeable to them, toge- 
ther with their Eunuchs, for they are very extravagant in 
their Cloathing, Jewels, and Furniture; the chief Amends 
they have for this is, that each Woman endeavours by all 
imaginable Art to gain her Hufband’s Affebtion and En- 
joyment before the reft, there being nothing to be contriv- 
ed, but what they will make ufe of to excite him to Vo- 
luptuoufnefs, The common handicraft People are but in a 
very poor Condition here, for as every Piece of Work 
paffes through feveral Hands before it is finiffied, they can 
fcarce get Six-pence a Day, and the worft is, that the 
Children muft be bound to no other Trade than that of 
their Fathers. 
Hence it is that they are forced to live upon Bean-flour 
and a little Rice boiled in Water, in the Nature of a Hafty- 
pudding, into which they put a little melted Butter, 
and their poor Houfes are fuitable to their Way of Living. 
Merchants live here in Plenty enough, and would be fuf- 
ficiently happy, were it not for the Danger they lie under 
of being fleeced by the covetous Governors of the Places 
in which they live, under fome Pretence or other, as foon 
as they begin to difeover their Wealth : So that the only 
Way to keep any thing, is to appear to have nothing. 
21. Though all the Mohammedans in the Indies profeft 
the fame Religion, yet are they diftinguiffied into diverfe 
Sebts, fuch as the Patans , Moguls , and Indojtans , befides 
feveral others, which, as well as their feveral Tempers, 
arifes more from the different Difpofuions of thofe Coun- 
tries from whence they came, than from any religious Ac- 
count. Thus the Patans , or Padars , are a moft daring, 
cruel, and barbarous Generation, who without any Confide- 
ration, will thruft themfelves into hazardous Enterprizes. 
The Moguls , or Mogulies , on the other Hand, deduce 
their Origin from the Natives of Great Tart ary, are com- 
plaifant and difereet, which gains them great Relpebt 
among the other Mohammedans. The Indojtans , or In- 
dujians, are fomewhat barbarous, and though covetous, 
yet are not crafty enough to deceive without being found 
out. They are the true ancient Inhabitants of Guzarat , 
and may be eafily diftinguiffied from the reft by their 
Complexion, which is much more inclining to black than 
the two former. 
There is another fort of People in the Province of Haca- 
Khan, who, as they are very hardy and bold, fo they are 
employed chiefly in carrying Merchandizes ; they are call- 
ed Blottions , their chief Employment being to let out Ca- 
mels, and to conduct the Caravans, which they do with 
fo much Fidelity, that they would rather facrifice them- 
felves, than fuffer any thing to be loft. All over the Mo- 
gul’s Country, as well as in this Province, no fuch thing 
is to be feen as publick Inns, except that in the Cities, and 
fome Villages, are erected certain publick Buildings out of 
Charity 
