Neither is their fruit
like ours, nor their beasts, nor their birds; and this difference all
comes of the excessive heat.
Corn they have none but rice. So also their wine they make from [palm-]
sugar; capital drink it is, and very speedily it makes a man drunk. All
other necessaries of man's life they have in great plenty and cheapness.
They have very good astrologers and physicians. Man and woman, they are
all black, and go naked, all save a fine cloth worn about the middle. They
look not on any sin of the flesh as a sin. They marry their cousins
german, and a man takes his brother's wife after the brother's death; and
all the people of India have this custom.[NOTE 6]
There is no more to tell you there; so we will proceed, and I will tell
you of another country called Comari.
NOTE 1. - Futile doubts were raised by Baldelli Boni and Hugh Murray as to
the position of COILUM, because of Marco's mentioning it before Comari or
Cape Comorin; and they have insisted on finding a Coilum to the east of
that promontory. There is, however, in reality, no room for any question on
this subject.