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peculiar tenets of their religion, inspire meekness, temperance, 
and listlessness: they abstain from intoxicating liquors, are seldom 
guilty of debaucheries, and not subject to many of those passions 
which enslave the civilized Europeans. 
Strangers to patriotism, and the blessings of liberty, the Mala- 
bars, as well as the northern Hindoos, are governed by fear; loyalty 
and affection form no part of their political system: amongst such 
a people, ambition has no scope: every man is confined to his 
own caste, follows the profession of his ancestors, is married in 
childhood to his equal, and never rises higher than the limited 
sphere in which he was born: there may be exceptions, but they 
are very uncommon. One indeed of an extraordinary nature, 
occurred during my residence in Travencore: the reigning sove- 
reign, who was of an inferior caste of Brahmins, advanced himself 
into a higher, by purifications, gifts, and ceremonies; part of which 
consisted in his majesty passing through the body of a cow, of the 
size of life, and made of pure gold : this was the last stage of puri- 
fication; and when performed, the cow was divided among the 
Brahmins.* It is said, that Ragonath Row, the Mahratta paishwa, 
' Ortne ascribes a different cause for the king of Travencore’s regeneration to that given to 
me by his subjects, who, perhaps, were withheld by fear from assigning the true reason. “ The 
king of Travencore has conquered, or carried war into all the countries which lay round his do- 
minions, and lives in the continual exercise of his arms. To atone for the blood which he has 
spilt, the brahmins persuaded him that it was necessary he should be born anew: this ceremony 
consisted in putting the prince into the body of a golden cow of immense value; where, after 
he had laid the time prescribed, he came out regenerated, and freed from all the crimes of his 
former life. The cow was afterwards cut up, and divided amongst the Seers who had invented 
this extraordinary method for the remission of his sins.” 
