Skin glittering Eyes sharp Teeth Claws with Talons and long Hair upon the Lips which is so poisonous that if either a Man or the Beast it self should swallow one of them it would certainly kill him and the Inhabitants have observ'd that it never goes to drink in any River but always with its Mouth before the Stream and never against it that so the Water infected by its poysonous Hair may not occasion its own death and for the same reason it never drinks out of Lakes Pools or any standing Waters and therefore all Persons are forbidden by the Great Mogol to keep any of the Bristles of a dead Tyger but on pain of death must send them all to his Court where by the King's Physician most poisonous Pills are made thereof which are given to those whom the King condemns to die at his pleasure The Tygre exceeds all Beasts in ravening for he is said to be the most voracious and fiercest Creature in Bengala and that he will follow a Ship from which he receives the least injury above thirty Leagues along the Shore and therefore the Inhabitants are greatly afraid of him and call him by several Names Pliny saith the Tyger is a Beast of wonderful swiftness which Bontius contradicts affirming that he is very flow and therefore lurks or rather watches for Man-kind who are not so swift as Stags wild Swine and other Beasts which may easily escape from him by flight wherefore he never catches any Beast except it be by surprize lying sculking in a Hedge or Thicket from whence he leaps suddenly upon them and if he chance to miss his prey then he returns growling back and runs into the Wood to see what he can find there he generally strikes his Tallons into the Necks of those Beasts he seizes and beats the strongest down with one stroke and having first suck'd out the Blood drags the remaining part into the Wood to satisfie his Hunger with the Flesh by Meals He keeps generally in the Woods water'd by Rivers that when other Beasts come to drink he may surprise and prey upon them There are likewise Jackalls in the Greek call'd Hyena Camelions and Lizzards besides vast numbers of Ravens which flying into the Houses if the Windows be open carry away the Meat from the Table The Rats of this Countrey are as big as sucking Pigs which do much mischief to the Houses by undermining the Foundations and eating through the Walls Another fort of Rats which are lesser and have red Hair smelling like Musk also molest this Countrey and therefore the Inhabitants set their Chests and Cupboards on four Pillars a good distance from the Wall placing Tubs with Water underneath for else they would immediately swarm with the said Insects Besides these there are other Pismires which being a Finger long do great mischief to Plants This Countrey stor'd with Plants This Countrey is stor'd with all manner of Plants and though there grows little Wheat yet it abounds with Rice and Barley as also Maiz or Indian Corn and abundance of Shell-fruit There are few or no Apples Pears Cherries Plums Peaches and fewer Grapes except in China But in stead of them there are many other Trees Plants and Fruits unknown in Europe The chiefest of the Trees is the Coco-tree which bears Coco-nuts and affords many other Commodities The other Plants Fruits and Drugs are Banana's or Pisang Anana's Jaca Mangas Kaions Jambes Jambolins Jangomas Carambolas Brindoins Durions Papaios Injâ—mes Areka Betel Cubebs Tamarind Myrobalanes Ambare Caranda's Mangostans Pepper Ginger Cloves Cinnamon Nutmegs Cardamom Galanga Cost Spikenard Aloes Camphir Calambak Sandal-wood Benzoin Amphion or Opium Indico Ambergreece Musk Civet Assafoetida China Roots Great Canes and many other Plants and Fruit. Chewing of Betel very common with its Description The chewing of Betel with Areca and Chalk is very common through India and therefore ought to be briefly described The Betel or Betre is by the Arabians as Avicenna testifies call'd Tembur or Tambul by the Turks Japrach Industani by those of Decan Zuratte and Canaria Pan. This Betel runs up by Poles like our Hops and also on the Bodies of Trees Some to their greater advantage permit them to grow up by the Pepper or Areca Trees They constantly water their Betel the Leaves whereof are like those of the Lemmon-trees but a little bigger longer and sharper at the end This Plant according to Garcias resembles that of the Pepper so exactly in Twigs Leaves and manner of growth that one who doth not very well know it cannot distinguish them The Betel also produces a Fruit like that of the White and Long Pepper or rather like a Rats Tail which the Malayans call Syriboa and is for its strange shape in greater esteem than the Betel Leaf it self The Description and Use of Areka The Fruit Areca or Arecka so called in general by the Indians and by the Portugues with a corrupted Name Arequero is in Zurratte and Decan call'd Suppary on the Island of Zeilan Paoz in Malacka by the Javans Pinang in Cotzyn Chacany by the Arabians Fausel and by Avicenna Filfel and Fufel on the Coast of Malabar by the Vulgar Pak but by the Nobles Areca Vartoman calls the Tree Areca and the Fruit Coffol The Tree it self on which this Fruit grows shoots up with a straight Body having so smooth a Bark that none can climb up without some help The Boughs shoot not downwards but upwards and also turn up at the ends and therefore at some distance seem Globular The Leaves thereof grow like the Teeth of a Comb one by another The Fruit grows on the undermost Boughs ten or twelve of them in a Cluster at a thick long Stalk and being cover'd with a rough yellow Shell is about the bigness of a Nutmeg or small Acorn and before it grows hard it is like a Date full of pale red Veins and flat at one end Yet nevertheless there are three several sorts of it the first is flat on one side and on the other broader and bigger the second being less blacker and harder is by the Indians call'd Checanum and grows for the most part in Cotzyn It draws the Rheum Its Vertues and makes the Mouth look of a reddish black colour like the Mulberry The third sort makes a man giddy and intoxicates the Brain though this quality is ascrib'd only to the unripe Fruit There is also a white sort which grows in great abundance in Zeilan Out of the great Fruit by the power of Fire and Glass Instruments the Inhabitants distil a Water which is a most excellent Medicine against a Flux The Fruit grows very plentifully in Malabar on the Island Zeilon and also in Zurratte Decan and Malacka but the best of all on the Island Mombain and in Basaim How they use it The Indians break this Fruit into four pieces if it be pretty big or else into two and roul them up in a Betel Leaf with a little Ashes
viz. Kiriseck der deheni Abubeker Omar Hanife bat That is A Dogs T in Abubeker 's Teeth which to the Turks seems so great an abomination that it makes them exceeding inveterate against the Persians Another ground of difference Della Valle tells us that the greatest differences between the Persians and other Mahumetans proceeded from this occasion viz. When Mahomet in his last Expedition with his Army between Medina and Mecha riding upon a Camel before all his Followers taking Aaly by the Hand commanded him to get up behind him saying to his People Those that have had me for their Veli shall also have Aaly my adopted Son The word Veli in the Arabick hath two significations and may be taken either for the Chief or Head of a Church or for a Friend or Favorite Aaly and his Successors believ'd the first signification and ever since maintain'd that Mahomet by this Saying chose Aaly to succeed him as well in the Government of Spiritual as Temporal Affairs and that by the Power of this Declaration Aaly and his Successors ought for ever to be the Governors of Mahomet's Race but after Mahomet's Death a Will was brought forth wherein Abubeker Mahomet's Father-in-Law for Mahomets last Wife Aisne was Abubeker's Daughter was nam'd Heir and Califa or spiritual and worldly Successor which Will was made by the Practice of Aisne or as the Persians say forg'd by her but the Turks and Arabians say that Mahomet himself chang'd his opinion because Aaly was too yong and unexperienc'd whereas Abubeker was aged and a man of prudence and good conduct so that they conclude that Mahomet by the foremention'd discourse never intended to make Aaly his Heir or Successor but onely to make known to him that they should shew the like respect arid honor to Aaly as they had done to him And in truth they do little less for they reverence Aaly as a great Saint and account him the chief Head of their Religion nay for the true Calif or Successor of Mahomet though not the first immediately after him as the Persians relate but the fourth in order viz. after Abubeker Omar and Odsman A great Feast in Honor of Aaly The Persians celebrate yearly that Day of the Moneth on which Mahomet chose his adopted Son Aaly to be his Successor as a great Feast and call it the Sheep roasted Now in regard the Persians promote Aaly to that Dignity and ascribe divine Vertues and Powers to him they judg'd it fit that his Successors which were undoubtedly inspir'd with the like Graces ought to have more Honor shew'd them than other Common-people and therefore they visit their Tombs and pray at them with great devotion and make rich Offerings to them They also give Aaly the Name of Mortoza which is a name of Holiness or at least hath some such signification Moreover His Offspring the Persians say that Aaly had the mark of Mahomet's Seal-Ring on his back He had two Sons call'd Hassan and Hossein from whom sprang Seinel Abedin Mahumet Bagur Tzafer Saduck Musai Casum Risa Mahumet Taggi Alli Naggi Hossein Askerri and Mehedi which ly all bury'd viz. Hassan Seinel Abedin Mahumet Bagur Mahumet Taggi Alii Naggi in Medina Tzafer Saduk in Babylon Maer Hossein Musai Casum and Hossein Askerri in Kelbula or Cufa But Mahedi they say never dy'd but went into a Cave near Cufa before which he left his Shoes which when they shall be turn'd with the Heels towards the Hole as already they are half way he will put them on again and coming forth convert the people to the Alcoran The Persians call all these twelve Imams that is Maintainers of their Religion and are at this day with Schich Sofi accounted Holy-men and offerings made at their Shrines especially by those that travel to Mecha and Medina They also keep several Feasts in honor of these Saints but especially Aaly and Hossein Their Saints which the Turks do but laugh at but on the contrary reverence Abubeker Omar and Odsman Nor is Hanifa the Explainer of the Alcoran in less esteem among them but by the Persians accounted a Seducer and false Expositor adding that he was Tzafer Saduks Boy and held up the Water with which the Saints wash'd themselves that he went into Turky and with the foremention'd Water gave sight to many blind people and other Miracles that made him so highly esteem'd amongst them Hanifa dig'd up and his Tomb destroy'd When Schach Tamas conquer'd Babylon he caus'd this Hanifa who lay bury'd there in a stately Tomb to be digg'd up and turn'd the Masar or Chappel into a Stable and of the Grave it self he made a Jakes The Persian Legends The Persians believe many strange Fables mention'd by their Writers viz. That Aaly's Horse Duldul proceeded from a Stone That the Angel Gabriel bringing him his Two-edg'd Sword Dhulfacar he perform'd great Miracles with the same that he kill'd a Seven-headed Dragon and drunk with the Angels in Heaven That Sultan Mahmed Chodabende hunting near Cufa digg'd a Chest out of a Hill on which was written Herein lies Adam Noah and Aaly bury'd and at the same time he built the City Netzef and made Aaly's Tomb there with other such like stuff But besides this they ascribe something of a divine Power to Aaly and to that purpose relate many of his Miracles viz. that being in his Infancy in the Village Sahedam in Kilan he went to Scheich Sahad a holy man and observing the people to weed the till'd Lands he commanded the Weeds to wither of themselves which accordingly they did Scheich Sahad observing it said Not so my Son for though you know this Art yet you must not practise the same lest you should make the People lazy and unwilling to work Sofi who judg'd this Reason very rational entred into his Service and staying seven years with him learn'd much Wisdom and from thence the Village was enfranchis'd with great priviledges and so remains to this day This Sect greatly spred According to Texeira this Sect or Doctrine spread it self a vast way in the time of Sultan Xeque Juneyd who liv'd in the Reign of King Joonxa Son to Cara Issuf which Juneyd being daily visited by many Persons Joonxa began to suspect him and commanded him not to admit so much company Hereupon Juneyd left Ardebil and went to Ozun Acembeck otherwise call'd Usum-Cassan Lord of Diarbeck or Mesopotamia who gave him his Sister Cadijacatum to Wife who was after Mother of Xeque Ayder Juneyd thus grown Eminent over-ran many Countreys with his Army and in all the places where he came he made those he took Prisoners imbrace his Religion After this Scach Haider Son to Juneyd marry'd Hasan Beig Usun who bare him a Son and call'd him Ismael who was Sir-nam'd Sofi because he promis'd to live a holy Life and being come to be absolute Master of Persia he establish'd this Sect of Aaly and commanded all his new Subjects
way of living are separated from the others are call'd Jaques All other People that live so retiredly are either the Wanaprasta's or Sanjasies or Avadoutes The Wanaprasta's go with their Wives and Children into the Wood where they live on Roots and Fruits without doing any kind of Labor Some are of so scrupulous a Conscience that they will not pluck the least Root out of the Ground fearing to sin and be the occasion of disturbing a transmigrated Soul which perhaps might be in the same This kind of living in the Woods is amongst them accounted a great piece of Religion and the Maintainers thereof look'd upon as a very holy People The Sanjasies are a People that pretend to despise the World and all earthly things and are much more retir'd than the Wanaprasta's and are not permitted to Marry to chew Betel or eat and drink above once a day and then not out of Copper but earthen Vessels Moreover they live on the Alms of others They go Cloth'd in Linnen colour'd with red Earth and carry a long Cane in their Hands they may not so much as touch Gold or Silver much less be Possessors of any Money They judge it unholy to stay above one Night in a place and therefore are continually travelling from one place to another They are also oblig'd to conquer five Enemies viz. Cama that is Desire Croota Anger Lopa Covetousness Madda Pride and affection for transitory things and lastly Mattzara Concupiscence In this Conquest they are to persevere all the days of their Lives studying spiritual things Those that lead this kind of Life and are of the Family of the Brahmans are call'd Sanjasies for their excellency but Permaansa if of the Tettrean or Weinsjan Tribe and Jogies of the Soudrean whlch last take more freedom in their manner of living than the true Sanjasies The Avadouta's The Avadouta's being the third sort of Brahmans that live retiredly not onely forsake their Wives and Children like the Sanjasies but pretend to greater Holiness abstaining from many things which the Sanjasies regard not viz. the Avadouta's wear onely a piece of Cotton Cloth before their Privities Their manner of living and some though few nothing at all but go stark naked without the least shame neither do they use Earthen Vessels nor walk with a Cane or any other kind of Staff all which the Heathens look upon as a sign of their Perfection and as a testimony of their despising the World and all things therein They also strew Ashes over their Bodies and when hungry go into a House without speaking and beg Alms by holding out their Hands which the Pagans immediately understanding for they know them by their going naked give them part of what they have in the House which they presently eat up before they stir Some of them will not so much as go into the Street to get Alms but are contented to sit down by some River or other which the Inhabitants accounted holy and there expect such Food as the People that dwell thereabouts will bring them which indeed is done in a plentiful manner for they furnish them with Milk Fruit and other Food because they account it a very pious Work Those amongst the Brahmans that live most reserv'd and are earnest in maintaining of their Law The Boti perform the Office of Priests and are call'd Boti being had in great honor and reputation they live on Alms never Marry despise all transitory things and to all outward appearance live very precisely yet many of them commit most abominable Crimes in secret In most parts of India there reside a pensive sort of People who either through the passion of Love or the death of a Relation whom they highly esteem or some other Misfortune forsaking their native Countreys out of a desperate humor take great Journeys and range about like Vagabonds nothing at all considering or fearing any ill that may befall them These kind of People if Idolaters are call'd Giogi The Giogi otherwise Jogies but if Mahumetans Derwies and Abbali and Abdalla's the last go almost stark naked wearing onely a piece of Leather on their Backs like a Badge and carrying a Staff or Cane in thir Hands Their Habitations and Study These Giogi have no other Dwelling-places than the Portals of the Pagodes or Temples or under the Shades of large Trees or the open Skie They chiefly study Natural Magick and the several Vertues of Herbs Plants and the like as also Sorcery and Conjurations boasting thereby and by Prayer and Fasting to do great Wonders and that they have strange Revelations whenas indeed they attain not to the knowledge of any thing by any other Art than the help of the Devil who appearing to them in several Shapes deludes them nay they have familiar Conversation with him yet imagine the contrary affirming themselves to be onely familiar with certain immortal and unknown Women to the number of forty which they distinguish by their several Shapes and Names assum'd by them They honor them as Goddesses and not onely the Indians but also the Moorish Kings shew them great Reverence keeping great Festivals and making annual Offerings to them in certain deep Pits wherein they say they reside Wherefore if any of these Giogi after long Fasting and Praying can attain to the presence of one of the said Women and by that means have future things reveal'd to them they are for ever after highly esteem'd amongst their Sect but much more if he can attain to that degree of being her Brother or any other step of Relation to her but most of all if he can attain to be her Husband for then he is cry'd up as a Saint and said to have gotten more than humane Nature Live under one Head These Giogi are very exact in their Prognostication and live in common under the Obedience of one supream Head but stand not in that awe of him as the Roman-Catholicks of their Superior neither is he onely respected by his Followers but also held in great esteem by Persons of Quality who also shew Obedience to him kiss his Hands and often stand by him in a melancholy posture to hear him speak accounting his Voice like that of an Oracle The Giogi go all naked onely covering their Privities with a small Lappet They wear their Hair very long and let it hang carelesly over their Shoulders and oftentimes out of a strange superstitious humor paint their Foreheads with Sandal Wood Saffron and other colours either yellow white or red but keep the rest of their Body very neat and clean Another sort of Giogies There are likewise other Giogies who lead a more strict Life but are very slovenly first colouring their Bodies black and afterwards whiting it with a Stone like Chalk They also frequently strew Ashes upon themselves to put them in mind of their mortality They let the Hair of their Heads and Beards grow very long wearing them very carelesly and often
Deities and ever be constant in their Religion Notwithstanding the Children of the Brahmans are Brahmans in respect of their Extract yet they are not so accounted before they have gotten the Cord call'd Dsanhem about their Necks This Dsanhem is like fine Packthred The Cord Dsanhem to be worn by the Children of the Brahmans consisting of three Strings each of nine fine Cotton Threds None but Brahmans make these Cords and onely with their Hands without a Wheel or any other Tools They wear the same like a Gold Chain letting it hang on their left Shoulder cross their Breasts under their right Arm. About the fifth Year of their Age the Brahmans Children begin to wear the said Cord though they may forbear till they are ten Years old and commonly those that are of a poor Capacity stay till the tenth Year before they wear the Dsanhem which cannot be put on without a considerable Charge for the foremention'd Fire Homam which is made on a rising Ground under a Canopy of stretch'd-out Linnen must be kept lighted four days with the Wood Rawasittow the Tree whereof they account very holy and believe that it is most acceptable to their Gods on which every Brahman throws Rice in the Ears also some boyl'd together with Butter the Seed Zingele Wheat and Myrrhe whilst they say several Prayers and use many other Ceremonies Moreover the Parents of the Children must during the time of four days entertain the Brahmans which attend the Ceremony which stands the Nobility in great Sums of Money The Children having received the Cord which is done in August on the Feast Traswanala Poudewa at the Full of the Moon are call'd Bramasory's which Name they hold till they marry Neither may they by vertue of the Vedam lie with any Women in that time nor chew any Betel or eat above once a day and then of no other Food but what is begg'd that by their Abstinence they may be the more capable of Learning This Cord is highly esteem'd amongst them insomuch that if age having worn it out it chances to break a Brahman is not allow'd to eat or drink before he hath another for he that hath not a Dsanhem though he be a Brahman is not accounted one amongst them so long as he hath no Cord Therefore by way of prevention they always yearly renew their Cords in August on the Feast Tsrawannala Poudewa in the time of the Full Moon Their Ignorance in Astronomy and Philosophy The Brahmans are very ignorant in Natural Philosophy and Astronomy not being able to give a Reason of the Sun or Moons Eclipse or any Conjunction of the Stars yet despise they the Europeans Knowledge in Astronomy and support their own with this ridiculous Fable A strange Fable Wistnow and Eswara call'd the Dewetaes and Raetsjasjaes to Council to find out an Elixir of which whoever drank should never die but become immortal After serious consideration it was agreed to throw the Mountain Merouwa into the Sea and there turn it round In stead of a Cord they took a great Serpent by them call'd Sesja After this there appear'd a most beautiful Woman admir'd and coveted by all but at last Wistnow took her to himself for his Wife she being call'd Laetsemi hath a place in the Temple of Wistnow wherein her Image stands The Immortal Liquor Not long after when they had turn'd the Mountain round several times there appear'd that which they had consulted about viz. the thing which should take away Hunger Drought and Faintness and procure Immortality to such as drank thereof This excellent Elixir by the Brahmans call'd Amortam is a Liquor like Milk wherefore the Brahmans which dare not drink Water in any House are allow'd to drink Milk When Wistnow had made this discovery resolving to refresh the faint and wearied Dewetaes and Raetsjasjaes he commanded them to stand before him giving some of the Amortam out of one Pot to the Dewetaes It is denied to the Raetsjasjaes but to the Raetsjasjaes to whom he had not so much kindness he gave somewhat else out of the same Pot which was of no value The Sedition of Kagou and Ketou But Kagou and Ketou two Raetsjasjaes suspecting the fallacy went and stood amongst the Dewetaes by which means they got also some of the Amortam which the Sun and Moon seeing inform'd Wistnow of Whereupon Wistnow inrag'd to think that they should drink of the Amortam caus'd both their Heads to be cut off Yet they died not because they had drank of this for the injury which they had suffer'd demanding why the Amortam was not given to them equally with their Companions Wistnow in answer to Kagou and Ketou commanded them henceforth to be without Bodies yet they should live as happy as others with Bodies Now by reason the Sun and Moon had made that complaint of them they were incens'd with a perpetual hatred against them and when ever either of those Luminaries are Eclipsed they affirm that Kagou and Ketou are in Battel with them and that the darkness proceeds from hence because they are swallow'd up for a little while by their Adversaries which have the shapes of Serpents Marriage of the Brahmans Children The Brahmans marry their Children very young especially the Rich many about their eighth year and some immediately after the receiving of the Cord Dsanhem in their fifth year for before the receiving of this Cord neither the Brahmans Settreaes nor Weinsjaes may marry The Maid must always be elder than the Youth which is strictly observ'd A Brahman takes special notice of all things that he meets with in the way when he goes to chuse a Wife for his Son and as often as he meets any thing which he judges ominous or unfortunate so oft he returns and defers his intent If those of the Family Weinsja meet a Serpent on the day when they go to make their first Visit they look upon it as an ill omen giving over their Suit and will never be brought to renew their Addresses judging that it will prove a most unfortunate and bad Marriage The Maidens Fathers to whom the Addresses for Marriage are made commonly desire to see the Young Man and make inquiry into his Estate which if they approve and like the Suitor then he is permitted to go to her Friends and to see the Maid After the Consent of both Parties is obtain'd for the Marriage then a time is appointed on a Good day for the Friends to meet to celebrate the Ceremonies When the appointed time of the Marriages is come then they kindle the Fire Homam made of the Wood of their consecrated Tree Rawasittow and a Boti or Priest repeats several Prayers After this the Bridegroom takes three Handfuls of Rice which he throws on the Brides Head who doth the same to him which done the Brides Father according to his Quality adorns the Bride and also dressing the Bridegroom washes his Feet Lastly
are in Power They prescribe to Wys or the Handicrafts the seventh and eighth Commandments because those kind of People require some Days for Recreation They are also forbidden to Steal to which they have great temptations and opportunities when they go to work in other Persons Houses Lastly notwithstanding they are oblig'd to obey all their Commandments in general yet every Tribe observes those two which are prescrib'd them with more Zeal than any of the rest The second Treatise of the Book given to Bremaw contain'd the usual Ceremonial Institutions to be observ'd on certain Occasions viz. the often washing of their Bodies and anointing them with certain red Salve the making of Offerings and Prayers and the manner of Marrying aad Burying Notwithstanding all which things are before declar'd at large yet it will be requisite to give you an account of them as Henry Lord Translated them out of their Book call'd Shaster partly for their coherence in some things and disagreeing in others First they are expresly commanded to wash their Bodies in a River which as the Benjans relate began in the second Age of the World and ordain'd among other Religious Ceremonies to mind them that the World was destroy'd once by Water for their Sins This Ceremony is us'd after the following manner First they daub their Bodies all over with Mud or Dirt taken from the bottom of a River to express thereby the natural Pollution of Man This done they go to the River with their Faces turn'd towards the Sun whilst the Bramine with a loud voice speaks these words O Lord this Man is foul and unclean like the Mud of this River but as the Water is able to wash of this Filth so we pray thee to cleanse him of his Sins This Prayer being ended they dive three times under Water while they are washing themselves the Bramine often calls upon the Name of the River which is call'd Tappee as also some other Streams in India which are held in great Veneration because of their washing themselves therein Among others that are thus accounted holy are the Rivers Ganja and Narboda Whilst the Bramine names these Rivers he that washes himself throws a handful of Rice into the Priests Lap as an Offering which they generally make to him After which receiving an Absolution of all their sins they depart Secondly They make use of a certain red Salve or Ointment with which they daub or anoint their Foreheads where they stick certain Grains of Corn signifying thereby that God hath chosen and mark'd them as a People peculiar to him but it serves only to preserve the memory of their Baptism they anoint themselves several times a day as often as they wash themselves They utter several words admonishing them of such things as they are commanded Thirdly They are commanded to make Offerings and say certain Prayers under the green Trees which Custom was Instituted by Wyse to whom God appear'd under a green Tree as we have already related commanding him to perform his Devotion in such Places The Persians call this Tree Lul the Indians Kasta the Portuguese Arbor de Raiz that is Root-tree because its Boughs shooting down into the Ground take Root and grow up anew so that one Tree often spreads it self into a great circumference whereby several hundreds of Men may shade themselves under them secure from the Heat of the Sun and from Rain In one Place of this Country of Surratte grows one of these Trees from which the Indians dare not pluck a Leaf fearing that they should that Year wherein they had so offended The Fakiers and other poor People sleep under the same in the Night They believe that great Sorrow will attend those that offer any Injury to this Tree breaking the least Bough from it under which when they meet each Man brings his Offerings along with him There they anoint their Bodies with several Ointments and pour forth their Prayers the number of which they express by the ringing of a Bell and in their Prayers they crave Health Riches and good success in all their Undertakings They often meet here in great numbers and keep great Feasts They also build under these Trees Pagods or Temples to their Idols to which they shew great Reverence Fourthly They are oblig'd to say several Prayers in their Temples which would have a greater similitude with the ordinary Worship were they freed from certain superstitious Ceremonies to which they are oblig'd These their Prayers chiefly consist in often calling upon the Name of God and extolling his glorious Works They also go in Processions whilst their Priests sing certain Prayers at the ringing of Bells and also making Offerings to their Images and many such like ridiculous Ceremonies Fifthly They are oblig'd to go to remote Streams as to the Ganga there to make Offerings and to wash their Bodies which to perform thousands go thither every Year carrying with them great quantities of Precious Stones and other Riches which they throw into the same They account those Saints who at their Departure have their Mouths fill'd with the Water of this Ganga or the Roof of their Mouths only moistned with the same Sixthly They have another sort of Worship which consists in calling upon their Saints to whom they ascribe the Power of effecting and prospering all their Undertakings Therefore those that desire to be happy in the State of Matrimony call upon Hurmount those that go about Building Pray to Gunnes in Sickness they call upon Vegenaut the Soldiers which desire to be Victors appeal to Bimohem the poor and decrepit to Syer and those which live happily implore Nykasser Seventhly They are oblig'd by virtue of the Law to worship God as soon as any of his Creatures appears to them after Sun-rising This Religious Ceremony and Sign of their Devotion they generally shew to the Sun and Moon which they call the two Eyes of God They also respect certain Beasts which they account more clean than others as Goats and Buffalo's to which they ascribe such innocency and goodness that they rub the Floors of their Chambers with the Dung of these Beasts fancying that thereby they are made Holy Lastly It is to be observ'd that the manner of Baptizing and giving of Names to their Children is not one and the same with the Tribe of the Bramines as with all the rest who only wash their Children with Water and afterwards one of their Relations taking a Pen seemingly writes upon the Babes Forehead and saith this short Prayer Lord do thou write good things on this Childs Forehead whereupon all those that are present cry We wish this may he effected which done they name the Child and anoint its Temples with red Salve to the end every one may know it is receiv'd into the Church and mark'd for one of the Children of God thus ending their Ceremony But the Children of the Bramines are not only wash'd as the others but anointed with Oyl whilst the Priest