Sometimes it happens that the Wife of the deceased Party, if she have no Children, and be old, or ill to live in the World, will burn her self with the dead Body; but this happens very seldom. It is said, that in such cases the _Bramines_ give the Woman a stupefying Liquor, which by the time that they are in the Fire makes them senseless of any Pain. To know into what Body the Soul of the deceased is transmigrated they do thus; they strew the Ashes of the Dead upon the Place where he was first laid after his Death, and handfuls of odoriferous Flowers about the same, and returning again in 44 Hours, they judge by some pretended Impression or other in the Ashes, into what Body it is gone: If the Foot of an Horse, or Dog, or Ox, or such like appear, then they certainly give out that it is gone into such like Creatures; but if nothing appear, then they think it is certainly gone to the Starry Regions. As for their Learning and Knowledge it is but little; they have indeed several Books writ in divers Languages, but they contain nothing but a great deal of Stuff and Cant about their Worship, Rites and Ceremonies. They are ignorant of all parts of the World but their own; they wonder much at us, that will take so much Care and Pains, and run thro' so many Dangers both by Sea and Land, only, as they say, to uphold and nourish Pride and Luxury. For, say they, every Country in the whole World is sufficiently endow'd by Nature with every thing that is necessary for the Life of Man, and that therefore it is madness to seek for, or desire, that which is needless and unnecessary. The last time that I was at _Modufferpore_ in _Indostan_, I had a great deal of talk with a _Bramine_ somewhat more Learned than any of the rest, his Name was _Ramnaunt_; he told me a great many Secrets in Physick, and told me many Traditions and Stories. He says, that if you bury a piece of Mony for some considerable time in the Mouth of a live Frog, and then dig it up again at Midnight, that this piece of Money, to whomsoever you give or pay it, will always return to you again. He says, that if the little Worm in the Wood _Lukerakera_ be cut in two, and the one part stirs and the other not, if the stirring part be bruised, and given with half a Beetle to a Man, the other half to a Woman, this Charm will keep them from ever lying absent one from the other. They have Books full of the like absurdities, and Cabalistick complication of Figures; as for Example, if you write these following Numbers, 28, 35, 2, 7. ---- 6, 3, 32, 31--34, 29, 8, 1, --4, 5, 30, 33. in the squares of a square Figure, and your Enemies Name under it, and wear it always about you, your Enemy shall never be able to hurt you. So if you write the following Figures in the like manner upon the left Hand, 2, 9, 2, 7, --6, 3, 6, 5, --8, 3, 8, 1--4, 5, 4, 7--with Turmerick, and wash the same off with fair Water of _Ganges_, and drink it, it will cure all manner of Venomous Bitings.