MARRIAGE AND FUNERAL CEREMONIES AT ARRACAN. 
147 
meral wives ; they may likewise keep concu- 
bines, and public dancers*. 
When any fall sick, the physician is sent 
for ; but the RauUn, or priest, is the person on 
whom they most depend for a cure. They first 
blow their breath on them, repeating certain 
prayers; and if this does not do, they tell the 
patient that he must offer a sacrifice to Chaor 
£aos, that is the'god of the four winds, who, 
they say, is the author of all distempers. This 
sacrifice, called Kalouko, consists of fowls, 
hogs, and other animals ; and must be repeat- 
ed four times, to every wind distinctly, in case 
he does not recover time enough to prevent 
the expence. On these sacrifices the priests 
feast themselves. But if, after this, the dis- 
temper proves obstinate, then the wife, or 
nearest relation, must make a vow to perform 
another piece of priestcraft, called a Talagno 
To this purpose a chamber must be hanged 
with rich tapestry, and an idol placed upon an 
altar raised at one end of it ; when all things 
are made ready, on the day appointed, the 
priests, with the sick person’s relations, repair 
thither, and are feasted for eight days toge- 
ther. 
To complete the farce, the person who 
makes the vow is obliged to dance as long as 
he is able to stand ; and when his legs will 
support him no longer, he must take hold of a 
piece of cloth fastened to a beam, and conti- 
nue dancing till he has quite exhausted his 
spirits, and drops down on the spot. Then the 
music is redoubled, and the spectators, who 
are as great fools as the vow-maker, envy his 
happiness ; supposing him all the while he 
lies in this condition to converse with the Idol, 
This exercise he is obliged to repeat every day 
as long as the feasting lasts ; but if he has not 
strength to go through it, some near relation is 
to dance in his place. In case, after the 
Talagno is completed, the patient happens to 
recover, he is carried to the pagoda, where he 
is anointed with perfumed ofis from head to 
foot : but if, on the contrary, be dies, the priest 
tells his relations, that the sacrifices were well 
accepted by the gods ; and that the reason 
why they did not grant him a longer life was, 
because they designed him a greater favour, by 
taking him to themselves. 
Their funerals are no less superstitious, and, 
consequently ridiculous: for the corpse being 
brought into the middle of the house, the 
walks round it, and says over it cer- 
tain prayers, whilst others perfume the place 
with incense ; and the family beat upon a 
broad piece of brass, keeping strict watch at 
the same time, lest a blach cat should pass 
over him : for in that case be would be con- 
strained to return to life again with ignominy, 
and be deprived of bliss. Before the body is 
carried out of the house, they invite to a ban- 
quet a sort of people called Gr«ii, whose refu- 
sal causes dreadful lamentation among his re- 
lations ; as taking it for an infallible sign that 
his soul is condemned to the house of smoke, so 
they call hell.. The coffin is adorned accord- 
ing to the ability of the people ; and, as they 
hold the metempsychosis, they paint on it the 
figures of horses, elephants, eagles, cows, li- 
ons, and the like noble animals, as it were to 
direct the departed soul to the best lodging ; 
unless, out of humility, the deceased had or- 
dered rats, frogs, and the most contemptible 
creatures, to be drawn in their stead, as more 
suitable receptacles for his polluted soul. Af- 
ter this, the body is carried into the field, and 
burnt to ashes. The Raalia kindles the fire, 
which the relations attend, clad in white ; 
which is their mourning colour, only they 
wear a black band round their head*. 
At their funerals they have always hired 
mourners, who attend sometimes all night as 
well as day, and pretend much sorrow. They 
who cannot afford wood to burn the corpse, 
for it is very dear in this country, carry it to 
the river at low water, and leave it for the 
next tide to carry it off : but as the dead car- 
cases often remain in the river, either sunk or 
floating, it gives an ill taste to the water. This 
also fills the country with ravens, kites, and 
other birds of prey, which not only feed on, 
these corpses, but attack the buffaloes, and 
other horned cattle ; fixing on their backs, and 
tearing off the flesh to the very bones, in spite 
of all their efforts to shake them off. The na- 
tives not only carry the dead bodies to rivers, 
but also expose the living in the^same manner, 
when afflicted with grievous diseases, which 
they judge to be incurable ; so that if the water 
does not carry them clear away, they are snr® 
to be drowned. This they call humanity, cha- 
rity, and compassion for the sick person; 
who, by this means, they say, is delivered 
from a most miserable state here, and sent to 
enjoy great happiness in heaven-f . 
The people of Arrakan trade very little by 
sea. All their navigation extends no farther 
than Bengal and Pegu ; whither, upon occa- 
sion, they send their Teliyasses of war. For 
they neither covet subduing the possessions of 
other nations, nor of sending colonies into 
other parts ; much less do they delight in 
foreign commerce. What trade they have is 
brought home to them by the merchants of 
distant countries^. As the country produces 
timber for building, some lead, tin, sticklack, 
and elephants teeth, there are some of the 
Great MogoVs subjects who trade hither ; and 
sometimes they meet with bargains of dia- 
monds, rubies, other precious stones, and 
gold Rupis; which says our author, are to be 
supposed some of Soltan Sujah’s treasure, pil- 
fered by the avaritious priests§ : of which 
more will be spoken hereafter. 
Whatever foreign commerce there is in 
Arrakan, it is carried on by the Mohamme~ 
ddns, who are settled here in great numbers; 
particularly zlBandel. Some trade in elephants 
which they send to Orisha (or Orixa), the 
coast of Choromandal iGolkonda and Persia , 
in return for which, and other goods, they 
carry back calicoes, silks, spiceries, and the 
like. Very few are natives of Arrakan; but 
* Ovingt. ubi siiprp. 570, & seqq. 
•f Sellout, ubi supr, p. 337. 
i Ibid. p. 228. 
\ Hauiilt. ubi supr. p. sa. 
+ Schouten,p. S39, & scq. 
