At The Accession Of Some Kings Of The Indies, The Following Ceremony Is
Observed:
A large quantity of rice is dressed and spread out upon leaves of
mousa, in presence of the king.
Then three or four hundred persons come, of
their own accord, without any constraint whatever; and after the king has
eaten of the rice, he gives some of it to all that come forwards in
succession, which they eat in his presence; and by this ceremony, they
engage to burn themselves on the day when this king dies or is slain, and
they punctually fulfil their promise.
In the mountainous parts of India, there are tribes who differ little from
those we call Kanisians and Jelidians and who are addicted to all
manner of superstition and vice; between whom, and the inhabitants of the
people on the coast, there subsists great emulation, each daring the others
to imitate them in the performance of strange superstitious tortures. There
once came a man from the mountains on this errand, who gathered a multitude
of the inhabitants of the coast to the following strange exhibition, daring
them to imitate him, or otherwise to acknowledge themselves overcome. He
sat down in a place planted with canes, and caused a strong one to be
forcibly bent down, to which he strongly fastened the hairs of his head.
"Now," said he, "I am going to cut off my own head with this cangiar; and
as soon as it is severed from my body, let go the cane, and when my head
flies up into the air, I will laugh, and you shall hear me." But the people
of the coast had not courage to imitate him[9]. The person who related
this, did it without emotion or wonder; and in our times, these facts are
generally known, as this part of the Indies is in the neighbourhood of the
country of the Arabs, and we hear from thence every day.
In the Indies, they burn their dead; and it is customary for men and women
to desire their families to throw them into the fire or to drown them, when
they are grown old, or perceive themselves to sink under the pressure of
disease, firmly believing that they are to return into other bodies. It has
often happened, in the isle of Serendib, where there is a mine of precious
stones in a mountain, a pearl-fishery, and other extraordinary things, that
an Indian would come into the bazar or market-place, armed with a kris,
and seize upon the most wealthy merchant there present, leading him out of
the market, through a throng of people, holding the kris to his throat,
while no one dared to attempt his rescue, as the Indian was sure, in such a
case, to kill the merchant, and make away with himself; and when he had got
the merchant out of the city, the Indian obliged him to redeem his life
with a sum of money. To put an end to such outrages, an order was issued to
seize such trespassers; but on attempting to execute this order, several
merchants were killed, both Arabs and Indians, and the order was obliged to
be repealed. In the mountains of Serendib, precious stones are found of
various colours, red, green, and yellow[10], most of which are washed from
caverns or crevices, by rains and torrents. In these places, the king has
officers to watch over the people who gather the precious stones. In some
places, these are dug out of mines, like the ores of metals, and the rock
has often to be broken to come at the precious stones which it contains.
The king of Serendib makes laws concerning the religion and government of
the country; and there are assemblies held of doctors and learned men, like
those of Hadithis among the Arabs, to which the Indians repair, and write
down what they hear of the lives of their prophets, and the expositions of
their laws. In this island, there are temples in which great sums of money
are expended on incense; and in one of these temples, there is a great idol
all of pure gold, but concerning the weight of which travellers are not
agreed. In the same island, there are great numbers of Jews, and persons of
many other sects, even Tanouis, and Manichees, the kings permitting the
free exercise of every religion. At the end of the island are vallies of
great extent, extending quite to the sea, called Gab Serendib, of extreme
beauty, and chequered with groves and plains, water and meads, and blessed
with a wholesome air. A sheep may be there bought for half a dram, and for
the same as much of their drink, made of palm-honey, boiled and prepared
with tari, or toddi, as will suffice for many persons. The inhabitants
are much addicted to gaming, particularly draughts. Their other principal
diversion is cock-fighting, their cocks being very large, and better
provided with spurs than ordinary; and besides this, the Indians arm them
with blades of iron, in the form of cangiars or daggers. On these combats,
they bet gold and silver, lands or farms; and they game with such fury,
that debauchees, and desperate people, often stake the ends of their
fingers, when their other property is exhausted. While at play for this
extraordinary stake, they have a fire by them, on which a small pot of
walnut oil, or oil of sesamum, is kept boiling; and when one has won a
game, he chops off the end of the loser's finger, who immediately dips the
stump into the boiling oil, to stem the blood; and some will persist so
obstinately, as to have all their fingers thus mutilated. Some even will
take a burning wick, and apply it to some member, till the scent of the
burnt flesh is felt all around, while the stoic continues to play, without
betraying the least sense of pain.
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