In This Region There Is A Mountain In Which The _Onyx_ Commonly Called _Carneola_ Is Found, And Not Far From Thence Another Mountain Which Produces _Calecdony_ And Diamonds.

While I was there, the sultan of Cambay was named Mahomet, and had reigned forty years after having expelled the king of Guzerat.

The natives are not Mahometans, neither are they idolaters, wherefore I believe if they were only baptised they would not be far from the way of salvation, for they observe the pure rule of justice, doing unto others as they would be done by. They deem it unlawful to deprive any living creature of its life, and never eat flesh. Some of them go entirely naked, or only cover the parts of shame, wearing fillets of a purple colour round their heads. Their complexion is a dark yellow, commonly called a _leonell_ colour.

[Footnote 59: This name is inexplicably corrupted; and nothing more can be said of it than is contained in the text, which indeed is very vague. - E.]

[Footnote 60: Verthema appears at this place to make an abrupt transition to the city of Cambay, taking no farther notice of Cheo. - E.]

The sultan of Cambay maintains a force of 20,000 horse. Every morning fifty men riding on elephants repair to his palace to reverence and salute the king, which is done likewise by the elephants kneeling down. As soon as the king wakes in the morning there is a prodigious noise of drums, trumpets, and other warlike instruments of music, as if in token of joy that the sultan still lives. The same is done while he is at dinner, when likewise the elephants are again brought forward to do him reverence. We shall afterwards have occasion to notice the customs, docility, and wisdom of these beasts. The sultan has his upper lip so large and gross that he sometimes beareth it up with a fillet as women do their hair. His beard is white and hangs down below his girdle. He has been accustomed to the use of poison even from his infancy, and he daily eats some to keep him in use; by which strange custom, although he feels no personal hurt therefrom, yet is he so saturated with poison that he is a certain poison to others. Insomuch that when he is disposed to put any noble to death, he causes the victim to be brought into his presence and to stand before him while he chews certain fruits called _Chofolos_[61] resembling nutmegs, chewing at the same time the leaves of a certain herb named _Tambolos_, to which is added the powder of oyster shells. After chewing these things for some time, he spits upon the person whom he wishes to kill, and he is sure to die within half an hour, so powerful is the venom of his body[62]. He keeps about four thousand concubines, and whoever of them chances to sleep with him is sure to die next day.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 70 of 441
Words from 35983 to 36483 of 230997