‘ 
G2 
Menezes refolved to-vift ih perfon tlie 
Rialabar .Chriftians, who had: elected a 
priett of their own of the name of George. 
"Phe appearance of a man of his birth, 
seank, wealth, and power, as primate of 
Endia was decifive. He affembled moft 
of the: Syrian priefts, and four ‘elders 
¢gcom each village, and after fome fhow 
of. difputation, he proceeded to distate 
the law to them, and to appearance the 
Neftorians of Malabar were united to 
the Roman church. ' 
This resunion of the St. Thomé Chrif- 
tians to the See of Rome was, however, 
neither general, ner dincerely lafting : for, 
a fhort time after they found their way 
so the mountains of Travancore, where ~ 
they revived the old doctrines and rites, 
and ever fice they have kept up their 
communication with the Jaccbires and 
Neftorians of Syria. At .prefent there 
are thirty-two churches of this defeription 
remaining, which are called Schifmatic 
Syrians by the Portuguefe and Roman 
clergy. They have a bifhop, one Mat 
‘Fhomé, who refides at Narnatte. About 
$4 of the old St. Thomé churches remain 
united to the Roman Catholic religion, 
and are governed by the archbifhop of 
€Cranganore, or as he ftyles himfelf,-the 
archbifhop of the .Malabar Chrifians, of 
‘the mountains. Since the death of the 
lat archbifhop, the governor of Goa, 
who had formerly the nomination, ap- 
pointed a Vicar General; he is a na- 
tive of Malabar, of Syrian extraction, 
ef the name of Thomé Enamakel. The 
united St. Thomé Chrtltians retain only 
the peculiarity of the Chaldean language 
being fill ufed in their churches, for 
qhich they are furnithed with the necef- 
fary books. 
The St. Thomé or Syrian Chrifians 
never claimed the particular protection 
ef either the Portuguele or Dutch, but 
confidered themf:lves as fubje&ts of the 
diferent Rajahs in, whofe difritts they 
fived; and as leng as the old Hindoo 
fyttem lefted, and the former divifion of 
che country, under a variety of petty 
Rajahs, was preferved, they appear to 
have enjoyed the fame degree of treedom, 
eafe, and confideration as the Nairs. 
But when the Rajahs of Travancore and 
Cochin had fubjeé&ted to ‘them‘elves all 
the petty 
blifhed a moit eppreffive defpotifm, in 
the reom cf the former miid Jimited » 
Gligarchy,, and we cannot be furprized 
1o behold the prefent ~wretched fituation 
of thofe formerly fo flowrifhing Syrian . 
villages, fince we fee the Bramins. and 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
.ledge of the prophet. 
Rajahs and chiefs, they efa- . 
- ‘ 
[Feb. , 
Nairs ftript of moft of their old preroga- 
tives, and fubject to almoft the fame 
oppreflions and extortions. - 
Captain David Richardfon has prefented 
to the fame fociety an account of the 
Bazeegurs, a feét commonly denominated 
Nuts, who are ftrictly fpeaking» players 
or aéors, from their Perfian name of 
Razee-gur, which may be literally ren- 
dered a juggler; but the appellation of 
Nut extends to feveral tribes, and pro. 
perly belongs to many more; each party 
having branched out and formed itfelf 
into a ditin& fect, agreeably to the habits 
of life,or modes of fubfiittence which 
neceility and local g¢ircumitances may 
have induced them to adopt, as their own 
peculiar calling or art. 
The Bazeegurs are fub-divided into 
feven cafts, but the difference feems only 
in name, for they live together and inter- 
marry as one people, They profefs to 
be Moosfulmaus, but have little know- 
They acknow- 
ledge a God, and in all their hopes and. 
fears addrefg him, except when fuch ad- 
drefs might be fuppofed to interfere in’ 
Tanjyn's depariment, a famous mufician 
whom they confider as a fort ef tutelary 
deity; confequently they look up to him 
for fuccefs and fatety in all their profef. 
fional exploits. Thefe conift of playing 
on various infruments, finging, dancing, 
tumbling, &c. The two latter accom- 
plifhments are peculiar to the women of 
this &@. The notions of religion and a 
future ffate among this ¥agrant race, are 
principally derived from their fongs 
which are fimple and beautiful. ‘They 
are commonly the production of Kudeer, 
a poet of great fame. Qn every occa- 
fion of doubt, they have a quotation 
ready from their tavourite bard; and in 
anfwer to any queties refpeciing the flate 
of the foul after death, the following 
ftanza is repeated : ae iy 
Nor foul nor love divine cas die, 
Although our frame mutt perifh here, 
S:ill longing hope points tothe fky 5 _ 
Thus sings the poet Das Kubcer. 
They conceive one fpirit pervades. all 
nature, and that their foul being a par- 
ticle of that uniyerfal {pirit, will of 
courfe rejoin it, when releaftd from its 
corporeal fhackels. ; 
At all their feafts, men, women, and 
children drink to excefs. Liquor with 
them is the fummum bonum of life; every 
crime may be expiated by plentiful liba- 
tions of ftrong drink, and, in fome cafes 
to the ordinary fine, is added this a 
; lar 
