100 Yards off, and there
kneels down to his Devotion. He first kisses the Ground, then prays
aloud, and divers times in his Prayers he kisses the Ground, and does
the same when he leaves off. His Servants, and his Wives and Children
talk and sing, or play how they please all the time, but himself is
very serious. The meaner sort of People have little Devotion: I did
never see any of them at their Prayers, or go into a Mosque.

In the Sultan's Mosque there is a great Drum with but one Head called
a Gong; which is instead of a Clock. This Gong is beaten at 12 a Clock,
at 3, 6, and 9; a Man being appointed for that Service. He has a Stick
as big as a Man's Arm, with a great knob at the end, bigger than a
Man's Fist, made with Cotton, bound fast with small Cords: with this
he strikes the Gong as hard as he can, about 20 strokes; beginning to
strike leisurely the first 5 or 6 strokes; then he strikes faster, and
at last strikes as fast as he can; and then he strikes again slower
and slower so many strokes: thus he rises and falls three times,
and then leaves off till three Hours after. This is done Night and Day.

They circumcise the Males at 11 or 12 Years of Age, or older; and many
are circumcised at once. This Ceremony is performed with a great deal
of Solemnity. There had been no Circumcision for some Years before
our being here; and then there was one for Raja Laut's Son. They
chuse to have a general Circumcision when the Sultan, or General,
or some other great Person hath a Son fit to be Circumcised; for
with him a great many more are Circumcised. There is notice given
about 8 or 10 Days before for all Men to appear in Arms, and great
preparation is made against the solemn Day. In the Morning before the
Boys are Circumcised, Presents are sent to the Father of the Child,
that keeps the Feast; which, as I said before, is either the Sultan,
or some great Person: and about 10 or 11 a Clock the Mahometan Priest
does his Office. He takes hold of the fore-skin with two Sticks,
and with a pair of Scissors snips it off. After this most of the
Men, both in City and Country being in Arms before the House, begin
to act as if they were ingaged with an Enemy, having such Arms as I
described. Only one acts at a time, the rest make a great Ring of 2
or 300 Yards round about him. He that is to exercise comes into the
Ring with a great shriek or two, and a horrid look; then he fetches
two or three large stately strides, and falls to w