wash
them in this well, and to offer to these idols. They haue in some of these
houses their idoles standing, and one sitteth by them in warme weather with
a fanne to blowe winde vpon them. And when they see any company comming,
they ring a litle bell which hangeth by them, and many giue them their
almes, but especially those which come out of the countrey. Many of them
are blacke and haue clawes of brasse with long nayles, and some ride vpon
peacocks and other foules which be euill fauoured, with long haukes bils,
and some like one thing and some another, but none with a good face. Among
the rest there is one which they make great account of: for they say hee
giueth them all things both foode and apparell, and one sitteth alwayes by
him with a fanne to make wind towards him. Here some bee burned to ashes,
some scorched in the fire and throwen into the water, and dogges and foxes
doe presently eate them. The wiues here doe burne with their husbands when
they die, if they will not their heads be shauen, and neuer any account is
made of them afterward. The people goe all naked saue a litle cloth bound
about their middle. Their women haue their necks, armes and eares decked
with rings of siluer, copper, tinne, and with round hoopes made of Iuorie,
adorned with amber stones, and with many agats, and they are marked with a
great spot of red in their foreheads, and a stroke of red vp to the crowne,
and so it runneth three manor of wayes. In their Winter, which is our May,
the men weare quilted gownes of cotton like to our mattraces and quilted
caps like to our great Grocers morters, with a slit to looke out at, and so
tied downe beneath their eares. If a man or woman be sicke and like to die,
they will lay him before their idols all night, and that shall helpe him or
make an ende of him. And if he do not mend that night, his friends will
come and sit with him a litle and cry, and afterwards will cary him to the
waters side and set him vpon a litle raft made of reeds, and so let him goe
downe the riuer. When they be maried the man and the woman come to the
water side, and there is an olde man which they call a Bramane, that is a
priest, a cowe and a calfe, or a cowe with calfe. Then the man and the
woman, cowe and calfe, and the olde man goe into the water together, and
they giue the olde man a white cloth of foure yards long, and a basket
crosse bound with diuers things in it: the cloth he laieth vpon the backe
of the cowe, and