At night, lest any moth should
fly into the flame; and always carry a broom to sweep the ground they
tread on, that they may not trample any worm or insect to death. The
third race consists of the Resbuti or Rajputs, who are good
soldiers, and to whom formerly the kingdom belonged. These people
acknowledge one God in three persons, and worship the blessed Virgin,
a doctrine which they have preserved ever since the time of the
apostles[194]. The fourth and last class of inhabitants are the
Mahometans called Lauteas, consisting both of strangers who have
conquered the country, and natives who have embraced that religion. The
inhabitants of Guzerat are very ingenious mechanics in works of silk,
gold, ivory, mother-of-pearl, tortoise-shell, crystal, ebony, and other
articles. They follow the rules of Pythagoras, killing no creature; but
rather buy all, though even venomous, from those who take them, on
purpose to set them free. They have even a set of men whose only
employment is to go about the towns and fields looking out for sick
beasts, which are tended with great care in hospitals built on purpose.
Yet in spite of all this charity to the brute creation, they are devoid
of human kindness, and will not reach out their hand to help a fellow
creature in the utmost need.
[Footnote 189: These mountains are in the middle of Guzerat, which they
pervade in a range of considerable length from N.E. to S.W. - E.]
[Footnote 190: More properly Agimere, in which is the town or city of
Cheitore, whence the name in the text. - E.]
[Footnote 191: Malwa, one of the kingdoms or Soubahs of Hindostan is
to the east of Guzerat. The meaning of the name in the text is not
obvious. - E.]
[Footnote 192: The Taptee is evidently one of these, but it is hard to
say what river is meant by the other. Next to the Taptee on the north,
the great river Nerbuddah flows into the Gulf of Cambay, dividing the
two great Subahs of Malwa and Candeish. The Mahie divides Guzerat from
Malwa; and the Mehindry and Puddar pervade Guzerat; which is bounded on
the west by the Cagger, dividing it from the great sandy desert of
Sinde or Jesselmere, and from Cutch. - E.]
[Footnote 193: Banians: It would much exceed the bounds of a note to
enter upon any explanation here of the Hindoo casts, which will be fully
illustrated in the sequel of this work. - E.]
[Footnote 194: It is most wonderful, that in the grossest, most
ridiculous, and most obscene of all idolatrous polytheism, the
Portuguese should have fancied any resemblance to the pure religion of
Christ! even under its idolatrous debasement of image worship, and the
invocation of legions of saints.
