The
Males Are Usually Mad Once A Year After The Females, At Which Time They
Are Extremely Mischievous, And Will
Strike any one who comes in their
way, except their own keeper; and such is their vast strength, that they
Will kill a horse or a camel with one blow of their trunks. This fury
lasts only a few days; when they return to their usual docility. At
these times they are kept apart from all company, and fettered with
strong chains to prevent mischief. If by chance they get loose in their
state of phrenzy, they run at everything they see in motion; and, in
this case, the only possible means of stopping them is by lighting a
kind of artificial fire-works called wild-fire, the sparkling and
cracking of which make them stand still and tremble.
The king allows four females to each of his great elephants, which are
called their wives. The testes of the males are said to lie about his
forehead, and the teats of the female are between her fore-legs. She
goes twelve months with young. The elephant is thirty years old before
he attains his full growth, and they live to seventy or eighty years of
age. Although very numerous, elephants are yet so highly prized in
India, that some of the best are valued at a thousand pounds or more.
Sec.3. Of the People of Hindoostan, and their Manners and Customs.
The whole inhabitants of Hindoostan were anciently Gentiles, or
notorious idolaters, generally denominated Hindoos, hot ever since the
time of Tamerlane they have been mixed with Mahometans.[235] There are,
besides, many Persians, Tartars, Abyssinians, and Arminians, and some
few of almost every nation in Asia, if not in Europe, that reside here.
Among these are some Jews, but not esteemed, for their very name is
proverbial, as a term of reproach. In stature, the natives of Hindoostan
are equal to ourselves, being in general very straight and well-made,
for I never saw any deformed person in that country. They are of a dark
tawny or olive colour, having their hair as black as a raven, but not
curled. They love not to see either a man or a woman very fair, as they
say that is the colour of lepers, which are common among them. Most of
the Mahometans, except their molahs or priests, or such as are old and
retired, keep their chins shaved, but allow the hair on their upper-lips
to grow long. They usually shave all the hair from their heads, leaving
only one lock on their crowns for Mahomet to pull them by up to heaven.
Both among the Gentiles and Mahometans they have excellent barbers. The
people often bathe and wash their bodies, and anoint themselves with
perfumed oils.
[Footnote 235: The Mahomedans made extensive conquests in India long
before the era of Timor. - E.]
The dresses of the men and women differ very little from each other, and
are mostly made of white cotton cloth.
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