'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎181] (510/1024)

Book III.
TraveCf in I n d i a.
Though the Idolaters are in utter darknefs as to the knowledg of the tru,
God, however the Law of Nature teaches them Morality in many things. When
they are married they are feldom falfe to their Wives. Adultery is very rare
among them. And as for Sodomy I never heard it mention’d* They marry their
Children between feven and eight years old, for fear they Ihould fall into that
vice} the Ceremonies whereof are thefe .* The day'before the Nuptials, the
Bridegroom, accompany’d by all his Kindred, goes to the Houfe where the
Bride lives, with a great pair of Bracelets, two fingers thick, hollow within,
and in two pieces, with a hinge in the middle to open them* According to the
quality of the Bride thofe Bracelets are of more or lefs value, fometimes of
Gold, fometimes of Silver, Tin, or Latten, the poorelt fort of all making ufe
of Lead. The next day there is a great Feaft at the Bridegrooms Houfe, whi
ther all the Kindred on both hdes are invited, and about three a Clock in the
afternoon the Bride is brought thither. Then the chief of the Bramim that
are there , of which there are always feveral laying the head of the Bride
to the Bridegrooms, pronounces feveral words, fprinkling their heads and bo
dies all the while with water. Then they bring him upon Plates or Fig-leaves
feveral forts of Meats, Calicuts, and Stuffs ^ and then the Bramm asks the
Bridegroom, whether fo long as God fhall make him able, he will let his Wife
fhare with him, and whether he will endeavour to maintain her by his labour.
If he fays yes, they all let themfelves down totheFeafl prepar’d for them,
where every one eats by himfelf. If the Bride be rich, and be acquainted
among the Nobility, their Weddings are very pompous and expenfive. The
Bridegroom is mounted upon an Elephant, and the Bride rides in a Chariot ^
the whole Company carrying Tqrches in their hands. They alfo borrow of the
Governour and the Nobility of the place, as many Elephants and prancing
Horfes as they can get. And they walk fome part of the night with Fire
works, which they throw about the Streets and Piazza’s. But the greateft
expence to thofe that live three or four hundred Leagues from it,is to get, the wa
ter of Ganges } for in regard they account that water facred, and drink it out
of devotion, it mull be brought them by the Bramins^ and in Earthen Veffels,
glaz’d within fide, which the chief Bramin of Ingrenate fills himfelf with the
, pureft Water of the River, and then feals up with his own Seal. They never
drink this water till the end of the Feaft, and then they give their guefts three
or more glafles apiece. This water coming fo far, and the chief Bramin de
manding a Tribute for every pot, which contains a Pail-full, fometimes a wed
ding comes to two or three thoufand Roupies.
The eighth Of Ayril, being in a City of Bengala call’d Malde^ the Idolaters
made a great Feaft, according to the particular Cuftom of that place } they all
go out ,of the City, and fallen Iron hooks to the boughs of feveral Trees, then
come a great number of poor people and hang themfelves, fome by the fides,
fome by the brawn of their backs, upon thofe hooks, till the weight of their
body tearing away the flefh, they fall of themfelves. ’Tis a wonderful thing to
fee that not fo much as one drop of blood Ihould ifiiie, from the wounded flelh,
nor that any of the flefii Ihould be left upon the hook; befides, that in two
days they are perfe&ly cur’d by fuch Plailters as their Bramins give them.
There are others who at that Fealt will lye upon a bed of nails, with the points
upward, the nails entring a good way into the flelh •, however’while thefe peo
ple are under this Pennance, their Friends come and prefent them with Money
and Linnen. When they have undergone their Penance, they take the prefents
and diftribute them to the poor, without making any farther advantage of
them. 1 ask’d one, why they made that Feaft, and fulfer’d thofe fevere Pe
nances ; who anfwer’d me, that it was in remembrance of the firlt man, whom
they call’d Adam^ as we do.
In the year i 66 < 5,1 faw another fort of Penance, as I crofs’d the Ganges }
upon the Bank of which River they had prepar’d a clean place, where o‘ne of
the poor Idolaters v/as condemn’d to reft upon the ground, touching it only
TOh his hands and feet ^ which he was to do feveral times a day, and every
time to kifs the earth three times before he rofe up again. He was to rife up
ttpon his left foot, never touching the ground with his right all the while. And
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