85. and then master Iohn Newberie tooke his iourney toward
the citie of Lahor, determining from thence to goe for Persia and then for
Aleppo or Constantinople, whether hee could get soonest passage vnto, and
directed me to goe for Bengala and for Pegu, and did promise me, if it
pleased God, to meete me in Bengala within two yeeres with a shippe out of
England. [Sidenote: Wil. Leades serued the king of Cambaia.] I left William
Leades the ieweller in seruice with the king Zelabdim Echebar in Fatepore,
who did entertaine him very well, and gaue him an house and fiue slaues, an
horse, and euery day sixe S. S. in money. I went from Agra to Satagam in
Bengala, in the companie of one hundred and fourescore boates laden with
Salt, Opium, Hinge, Lead, Carpets, and diuers other commodities, downe the
riuer Iemena. The chiefe marchants are Moores and Gentiles. [Sidenote: The
superstitious ceremonies of the Bramanes.] In these countries they haue
many strange ceremonies. The Bramanes which are their priests, come to the
water and haue a string about their necks made with great ceremonies, and
lade vp water with both their hands, and turne the string first with both
their hands within, and then one arme after the other out. Though it be
neuer so cold, they will wash themselues in cold water or in, warme. These
Gentiles will eate no flesh nor kill any thing. They liue with rice,
butter, milke, and fruits. They pray in the water naked, and dresse their
meat and eate it naked, and for their penance they lie flat vpon the earth,
and rise vp and turne themselues about 30. or 40. times, and vse to heaue
vp their hands to the sunne, and to kisse the earth, with their armes and
legs stretched along out, and their right leg alwayes before the left.
Euery time they lie downe, they make a score on the ground with their
finger to know when their stint is finished. The Bramanes marke themselues
in the foreheads, eares and throates with a kind of yellow geare which they
grind, and euery morning they doe it. And they haue some old men which go
in the streetes with a boxe of yellow poudre, and marke men on their heads
and neckes as they meet them. And their wiues do come by 10. 20. and 30.
together to the water side singing, and there do wash themselues, and then
vse their ceremonies, and marke themselues in their foreheds and faces, and
cary some with them, and so depart singing. Their daughters be marred, at,
or before the age of 10 yeres. The men ma