Brahmans, on the other hand, conceal the upper part of the body with a piece of fine cotton cloth, the extremity of which is thrown over the shoulder. They go bare-footed; but wear a great many ornaments, which generally consist of three or four bracelets of brass, a necklace of gold or precious stones, and ear-rings of gold or of diamonds. They bind their hair together in a roll on the top of the head, and paint on the forehead some sacred mark. They bear in their hand an umbrella of palm-leaves, which they always hold before their face when they meet any of the male sex. They, however, turn speedily round, in general, when a man has passed them, and seem to cast a wistful look towards him. This is a plain proof that in every country of the globe the daughters of Eve are subject to the like weaknesses. The houses of the nobility and opulent persons consist of two storeys. Before the lowest there is generally a small hall, supported by thin pillars of _Teka_ wood, which is of a yellow colour, and exceedingly hard. This hall is called _Varanda_, and supplies the place of a parlour. The upper storey is called _Malaga_; and in this the Indians are accustomed to sleep, to study, or to perform any business in which they do not wish to be interrupted. A building, which consists of seven storeys, is called _Elàmmaliga_, that is, a tower; and is considered as a habitation which none but a king or reigning prince dare inhabit. The huts of the poor people are constructed of the branches of the coco-nut tree interwoven through each other; and are covered with its leaves, or with rushes or straw. The entrance into these huts is low, and the interior part of them is dark. Their whole furniture consists of a _Kattila_, or bed-frame, on which a mat is placed; a few flat dishes of copper or brass; a _Kindi_, or brass drinking vessel with a spout; a pot or kettle, in which they boil their rice; a _Vilacca_, or round lamp of iron or brass, fastened to a chain, by which it can be suspended in the middle of the hut; and a large wooden mortar, in which they pound their _Nella_, or unshelled rice. Though the Indians see daily before them the furniture and cooking utensils of the Europeans, they have never yet thought proper to make use of them. The customs prevalent among them above three thousand years ago still remain unchanged[91]. We must, however, do the Indians the justice to confess, that they are very well acquainted with agriculture, botany, gardening, hunting, fishing, and architecture[92]. Their style and taste are indeed extremely wretched; but they possess a wonderful aptitude for imitating the arts and inventions of the Europeans, as soon as the method has been pointed out to them. The greater part of the houses in Malabar are built of _Teka_ wood, which is much harder and heavier than oak, and which withstands corruption for a very great length of time. I have seen several houses more than 400 years old, which