The Better Sort Wear A Tuke Or Turban On Their Heads, And A Fine Piece
Of Painted Calico Round Their Loins, All The Rest Of Their Bodies Being
Naked.
They sometimes wear a close coat like a mandilion,[122] made of
cloth, camblet, velvet, or some other silk; but this is seldom, and only
on extraordinary occasions.
The common people have a flat cap of velvet,
taffeta, or calico, on their heads, cut out in many pieces, and neatly
sewed together, so as to fit close. About their loins they wrap a piece
of calico made at Clyn, put on like a girdle, but at least a yard
broad, being mostly of two colours. There come also from the same place
many sorts of white cloth, which they dye, paint, and gild, according to
their own fashions. They can also weave a kind of striped stuff, either
of cotton or the rinds of trees; but, owing to their indolence, very
little of that is made or worn. The men for the most part wear their
hair, which is very thick and curly, and in which they take great pride,
and often go bare-headed to show their hair. The women go all
bare-headed, many of them having their hair tucked up like a cart-horse,
but the better sort tuck it up like our riding geldings. About their
loins they wear the same stuffs like the men; and always have a piece of
fine painted calico, of their country fashion, thrown over their
shoulders, with the ends hanging down loose behind.
[Footnote 122: The editor of Astley's Collection substitutes the word
cassock at this place. - E.]
The principal people are very religious, yet go seldom to church. They
acknowledge Jesus to have been a great prophet, calling him Nabu Isa,
or the prophet Jesus, and some of them entertain Mahometan priests in
their houses: but the common people have very little knowledge of any
religion, only saying that there is a God who made heaven and earth and
all things. They say that God is good, and will not hurt them, but that
the devil is bad, and will do them harm; wherefore many of them are so
ignorant as to pray to him, for fear he should harm them. Assuredly, if
there were here men of learning, and having a sufficient knowledge of
their language to instruct them, many of these ignorant people might be
drawn over to the true Christian faith, and civilized; for many with
whom I have conversed upon Christian laws have liked all very well,
except the prohibition of a plurality of wives, as they are all very
lascivious, both men and women.
The better sort of the Javanese, who are in authority, are great takers
of bribes; and all of them are bad payers when trusted, although their
laws for debt are so strict, that the creditor may take his debtor,
wives, children, slaves, and all that he hath, and sell them in
satisfaction of the debt.
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