The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 10: Asia, Part III — John Shaqi
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 10: Asia, Part IIIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 10: Asia, Part III
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
made of stone like to a well with steppes to goe downe; wherein the water
standeth very foule and stinketh: for the great quantitie of flowers, which
continually they throwe into it, doe make it stinke. There be alwayes many
people in it: for they say when they wash themselues in it, that their
sinnes be forgiuen them, because God, as they say, did wash himselfe in
that place. They gather vp the sand in the bottome of it, and say it is
holy. They neuer pray but in the water, and they wash themselues ouerhead,
and lade vp water with both their handes, and turne themselues about, and
then they drinke a litle of the water three times, and so goe to their gods
which stand in those houses. Some of them will wash a place which is their
length, and then will pray vpon the earth with their armes and legs at
length out, and will rise vp and lie downe, and kisse the ground twentie or
thirtie times, but they will not stirre their right foote. And some of them
will make their ceremonies with fifteene or sixteene pots litle and great,
and ring a litle bel when they make their mixtures tenne or twelue times:
and they make a circle of water round about their pots and pray, and diuers
sit by them, and one that reacheth them their pots: and they say diuers
things ouer their pots many times, and when they haue done, they goe to
their gods, and strowe their sacrifices which they thinke are very holy,
and marke many of them which sit by, in the foreheads, which they take as a
great gift. There come fiftie and sometime an hundred together, to 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,
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