They Worship The Sun, Said Have Many
Large Altars Erected Along The Coast, About Half A Mile Without The City,
To Pay Their Devotions.
On these altars there are consecrated spheres, made
by magic art, resembling the circle of the sun; and when the sun rises,
these orbs seem to be inflamed, and whirl round with a great noise[23].
In
their orisons, every person carries a censer, in which he burns incense in
honour of the sun. But among these people there are about a thousand
families of Jews, as black as the rest of the natives, yet good honest men,
and strict observers of the law of Moses, and not entirely ignorant of the
doctrines of the Talmud.
From this country I sailed, in twenty-two days, to the islands of Cinrog,
the inhabitants of which are called Dogbiim, and are worshippers of fire,
among whom 23,000 Jews are settled. The Dogbiim have many priests to
officiate in their temples, who are the most skilful sorcerers and
enchanters in the world. Before every temple there is a large pit, in which
a great fire is kindled every day, called Alhuta, through which their
children are made to pass as a purification; into it likewise they cast the
bodies of their dead, and even some of their nobles occasionally are so
superstitious as to devote themselves to be consumed alive in honour of the
deity, in which they are encouraged by their relations, as ensuring their
eternal welfare. On the day appointed for the performance of this vow, the
devoted person first gives an entertainment, and is then carried to the
appointed spot; if rich, on horseback, but on foot if poor, accompanied by
a multitude of his friends and others, and immediately leaps into the midst
of the burning pit, all his friends and kindred celebrating the festival
with music and dancing, until he is entirely consumed. Three days
afterwards two of the priests go to the house of the devoted person, and
command his family to prepare for a visit from the deceased on the same
day. The priests then take certain persons along with them, as witness of
the transaction, and carry with them, to the house, a figure resembling the
deceased, which they affirm to be himself. The widow and children, as
instructed by the priests, then demand how it fares with him in the other
world: to which he answers, "I came to my companions, who will not receive
me until I have discharged my duty to my friends and kindred." He then
makes a distribution of his effects among his children, orders all his
debts to be paid, and whatever is owing to him to be demanded. The
witnesses set down all this in writing, and then he vanishes. By these arts
of juggling and collusion, the priests govern every thing as they please.
In the space of forty days, one may travel to the frontiers of Tzin, which
is the very extremity of the east.
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