'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎52] (73/448)

amy am %eligion, EaH-lmiia.
:!i i
rates her felf at that time her Husbands body is burned. They affedl no fecond Mar.
riaees, the Rmeaa and iVyfes excepted. Now the reafon why they burn their dead, is
either in imitation of thofe recorded by the Prophet Jmos 6.10. ormway of pity, left
the Enemy fliould offer it fome villanyor if buried it would ftmfc, and fo putnfie the
Grafs and make Kine unhealthy i belides, out of their Carcafes wouid iflue Worms, who
(for ought they know) may ftarve when the dead body is confumed, and that Ihould prove
a xVe^w^are of 82 Cafts or Tribes •, the Fertaes are of a higher degree but fewer
in number; their Habit is a Girdle of an Antelops skin tyed about ±eir middle, a thong
of the fame hide reaching from the neck to the left arm, being elfewhere naked fome
of them wear a three-fold thread, reaching from the right Ihoulder to the left arm,
others three fmall ftrings of Silk upon their flefh as low as their waift, which ferves as a
badge of their Profeffion, and either in memory of the three Sons of the fecond Crea
tion or of P*ra Bramma and his three Sons, by them adored ; upon their head they
wreath fome fine white Callico, in which their hair is neatly plaited •, in their Ears they
wear Gold Rings, fometimes fet with Stones of price: they marry but once, fail ftridly,
drink moderately, wafh frequently, and by the other Seds are highly reverenced.
The emeries atfume a greater liberty ^ for being men of War they fcruple not to flied
blood, eat flefli, and to appear libidinous 5 they are for the moft part called Rajaes or
great men^ have fix and thirty Cafts, from fome of which none of them but is de-
fcended : Of thefe are the Tribes of Dodquchaes, fome being Chaw ah, fome Solenkees,
fome Famlaes, fome FieUtters&nd fome par amors : Of long times they have been Owners
of Indofmh the lalt of which by Jladin a P.otan King of Delly, had wrefted from him
G hzjjiym fince when, moft of the remainder is taken away' from them by the lifue of
-Tamerlane : At this day they call themfelves Rafyootes (or Sons of Kings) and live law-
lefs to the Moors j the chief of which, at this day, are Rana Radgee Mardout, Radga
Surmul-gee-, Rata BermftaWy Mahohet-chan-, Radta Barmidgee, Radge a Rammgar, Radgea
Jooh\Jefjinghy T^ettcrfmg, and Manfmgk And thefe being for the greateft part
mountaineers are rude and of a more warlike dilpofition than thofe civilized Indians
that live in Cities, and inhabit the Champain Countries*^ and thence it is that they va
lue neither the Rotans nor the Bullochesy which be the fighting men among Mahometans. ^
The Shudderyes or Bannyans are Merchants, and (contrary to their name, which fignk
fies harmlefs) are the moft crafty people throughout India. Full of phlegmatick fear
they be and fuperftition: They are indeed merciful, grieving to fee other people fo
hard-hearted as to feed uponFifh, Flelh, Raddifh, Onions, Garlick, and fuch things as
either have life or refemblance of blood. They for their parts will not kill fo much as
a Loufe, a Flea," aKakaroch, or the like, Non ufm erat oarnium ante diluvium > faith Co-
mefior ; but contrariwife buy their liberty of fuch Sailors, and others, as of neceffity
muft crulh them: yea, they have Hofpitals for old, lame, fick orftarved Creatures,
Birds, Beafts, Cats, Rats, or the like*, and have no worfe men to overfee them than the
Rnfielansy the belt refpeded forts of Bramins. Thefe are of Pythagoras his dodrina-
ting, believing the Metempfychofis or tranfanimation or paifage of Souls into Beafts :
As for example j the Souls of Drunkards or Epicures into Swine ^ the luftful and ince-
ftuous into Goats and Dogs*, the Dilfemblers into Apes, Crocodiles, and Foxes; the
lazy into Bears; the wrathful into Tygers*, the proud into Lions-, the blood-thirfty in
to Wolves, Ounces, Snakes *, the perjur'd into Toads, and the like: but the Souls of
good men, abftemious, pitiful, and courteous, into Kine, BufFalaes, Sheep, Storks, Doves,
Turtles, &c. An opinion memoriz'd by Ovid, 15. Metamorph.
Heu quantum fcelus eft in vifcere vifecra condi,
Congeftoq*, avidum pingucfcere corpore corpus,
Altcriufque animantem animantis vivere Icto i
Parcite (vaticinior) cognatas casde nefanda
Exturbare Ariimasj nec fanguine fanguis
alatur, *
Flejh fed with flejh, oh what impety !
Thy greedy corps with corps to fat thereby !
One living thing to live by others death :
Oh [pare ! I warn you, to diffiurb the breath
Of Kinfmen by foul /laughter *, for your blood
With others blood to feed, is no ways good.
And in juftification of this.opinion they have the beft learned amongft the Heathens, no
iefs than Plato himfelf for their mftrudor; who to perfwade men that the Soul was im
mortal, and that there was poena and premium after this life, feigns the Metempfycho s of
the fouls of men into Bees and Ants, if good; into Wolves and Dogs, if badj &c. which
neverthelefs he profeffes he neither believes for truth himfelf, nor takes for any other
than a Fidion. ♦ ^
* Thq