'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.' [‎374] (397/448)

A notableImpojlure.
referabiance : for where the Country is moll inhabited and garnifht with greateft variety
of Trees and Corn, as 'twixt Edoo and SuriHga there are ereded moft Fotiques, and
there the people are thegreateft Idolaters. In June and July they feldom fail of p'rodi
gious ftormss called Tuffons or Hurricanes that for 24 hours thunder in the Air, and Tor"
natho-like in that time veer round about all points of the Compafs ^ dreadful to thofe on
Land, but moft to Sea-men and Merchants, who for lucre value nothing in comparifon
feeing they fmile at danger, trample upoq hazard with difdain, force their paffage through
fcalding Sands, vaftSeas, Death's Shadow, climb the highell Mountains and Rocks not
terrified with the affrighting deferts •, and all this, inpurfuit of the great IdolA/mmon
with no lefs thirft panting after that dult of earth, than infiam'd creatures are ereedv
of the cool air to refrefh their fcorched entrails, lb as we fee ammus eft infatiabilk &inex
faturabilis. Neverthelefs, tho' this immoderate thirft after gain be difcommended vet
through this Womb of moifture the great pond of the World (as Bifhop/M terms the
Ocean,) in moveable houfes they remove from one Country to another tranfportins; and
exchanging Commodities topublique advantage.
In Meacco zxz 60 Temples and Colledges, in which lome have numbred 3333 Cham^e
tira; or little guilded Deumo's of fundry Ihapes which according to the cuftome of the
Gentiles of old, part of whofe Litany was Dii'Deaqiie omnesy and in Plamm his Ciftellaria
Dii DeaqueSuperi Inferi & Medioxumi-, adjuvate-) &c. thefe poor Heathens in like fort in'
vocate: they call them Mannadaes i of which, Shaca and Amida fay the Bonzees have
the higheft rank in their Calender. .; Neverthelefs, by Tyco-^amma a monftrous Ima^e
was ereded there ofAuricalk, fo large as albeit his pofture was fitting, the Chair was
not lefs than 70 foot high and 80 broad: His Head was capable to hold fifteen men and
the Thumb in compafs was 40 Inches, by which the reft may be conjedured. Near this
grand Pagod is a Fotique, in the cloift er whereof a memorial is regiftred, how that the ears
andnofes of 3000 of the captiv'd Ccreanswtiz there interred.
At Dahys fuch another Colofs of concave Copper was raifed : an Idol 24 foot high
notwithftanding his pofture was fuch as his buttocks refted upon his legs after the ufual
mode of the Orient: But in fuch remembrances how can I proceed without an exclamation ?
Sedulm furnifhes me with one very proper for the occafion.
Toor Wretched fouls! which do at on Vanities,
and hallowing dumb Idols in your Hearty
Fear not your great Creator to dejpife,
by adoring Works of your own hand and Art ?
What jury or what frenzy thus beguiles
your mindsy foul ugly Jhapes fo to adore.
With Birds and nafty Bulls and Dragons vile-,
halfdogy half many proftrate their help i* implore ?
nffrimpl rcmar k was the Fotiquc at Temheday, where if fame fpeak truth, Satan
VP 3 "" 011 - This Temple was of more than ordinary ftrufture, and
\ " Amoneft other facngces or forms of Worlhip, one was, That
riStara^Vf^ wasb 5 r r the Bonzee brought into the Temple and placed
h nfhlr rofti" r r00m Wa - S for ' hwith illuminated by a preparation of Lignum
r P erfumes P ut mt0 of Gold: after a fmall fpace the lights
; exungmJhj and then in grofs darknefs the Phafma having af-
imaefnes anH t-h .^ 0t i ler r re P refen tation accompanies her, at lealt as Ihe
« an rather, becaufe certain fcales like thofe of Filhes are left behind
was no phantafm : but unlefs the Bonzee fecond that
NevprfhefpfQ fnr h lma § lr ! ar y.^ lmi ^ ar i t y) the moft is but a tympany or falfe conception.
her ilruin S 1116 is entertained with mufick and fongs,
2riutShi Glrle ^ thetn ft . veral 1 uelt ™ s they propound, and is of
ir rhic donhrlpfc moi- ^j 1 " a ,: . er " w t0 tl 1 ' 5 notable piece of impoftnre of Satan, who
annlvin'> ro rhorrpH ? a deceftiovifus & taBu*, Ifhall make no other difquifition than by
or fcrunL • r A - ? W z 131 " u P on t h e ^ Pontificium exprefleth in the like cafe
believe a rniA J^ tredu&y quia funt Phantafmata , Some believe, but they
Diabolm aciem t i » e 7 ai:e ut Pbantafmes i and Fives in the like cafe, Eludit enim
of the beholders'" ««»« cogitamium •, the Devil eludes the fenfe as well
trihucre fiuuraj faifh t: J thatfo imagine: for,
WfJ*' 4- Car. St. affirms that Satan can neither
Y change the fhape of any creature God hath made: Which Spondanux
oppofes
Heu miferi I qui vana colunt, qui corde finiftro
Religiofa fibi fculpunt Simulacra, fuumque
Fadorem fugiunt, & quae feeere verentur;
Quis furor eft, quae tanta animos dementia ludit ?
Ut Volucrem turpemque Bovem,torvumque Draconem,
Semi-hominemque Canemfupplex Homo pronus adorer.