Purchas his pilgrimage. Or Relations of the vvorld and the religions obserued in all ages and places discouered, from the Creation vnto this present In foure partes. This first containeth a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the Floud ... With briefe descriptions of the countries, nations, states, discoueries, priuate and publike customes, and the most remarkable rarities of nature, or humane industrie, in the same. By Samuel Purchas, minister at Estwood in Essex.

CHAP. V.

Of Bengala, and the parts adioyning.

THe kingdome of Bengala a 1.1 is very large, and hath of coast one and twenty leagues, and as much within land. The riuer Chaberis (which some call Guenga, and thinke to be the ancient Ganges) watereth it: It is plentifull in rice, wheate, sugar, ginger, long pepper, cotton and silke: and enioyeth a very wholesome ayre. The inhabitants neare the shore, are (for the most part) Mahumetans, and so also was the king, before the great Mogore (one likewise of his owne Sect) conquered him. Gouro the seate royall, and Bengala are faire cities. Of this the Gulfe, sometimes called Gangeti∣cus, now beareth name Golfo di Bengala. Chatigan is also reckoned amongst their Cities. They b 1.2 are a most subtile and wicked people, and are esteemed the worst slaues of all India: for that they are all theeues; and the women, whoores; although this fault is common through all India, no place excepted. They haue a custome, neuer to dresse or seeth meate twice in one pot, but haue euery time a new one. Whensoeuer they are found in adultery, they haue their c 1.3 noses cut off, and are thence forwards nar∣rowly looked to, that they keepe not each others company. The Portugalles haue here Porto grande, and Porto Pequino, but without forts and gouernment; euerie man liuing after his owne lust: and for the most part, they are such as dare not stay in their places of better gouernement, for some wickednesse by them committed.

In Bengala are found great numbers of Abadas or Rhinocerotes, whose horn (grow∣ing out of his snowt) teeth, flesh, bloud, clawes, and whatsoeuer he hath without & within his body, is good against poyson, and is much accounted of throughout all India. The skinne d 1.4 vpon the vpper part of this beast, is all wrinckled, as if hee were armed with shields. It is a great enemy of the Elephant. Some thinke that this is the right Vnicorne, because as yet there is no other by late trauellers found, but one∣ly by heare-say. Onely Ludonicus Vertomannus e 1.5 saith he sawe a couple of those true Vnicornes at Mecca; one whereof had a horse of three cubits, being of the bignes of a colt of two yeres and a halfe old; the other was much lesse: both sent to the Sul∣tan of Mecca, for a rare present out of Aethiopia. Gesner in his Booke of Foure-foo∣ted Beasts, f 1.6 citeth this testimony, and some others, whereby he perswadeth, that there are diuers sorts of these Vnicornes: But it cannot seeme otherwise then strange, that

in this last hundred of yeares. Wherein the world hath vnveiled her face more then e∣uer before; none of credite (that I haue read) hath affirmed himselfe to haue seene this Vnicorne, but in picture. That which is reported of their vertue against poyson, pro∣ceedeth from the hearbes which Bengala yeeldeth: for in other places they are not heere the price of these. There are heere also certaine wilde Goats, whose hornes are in account against venome: as I my selfe (saith Linschoten) haue proued.

The kings g 1.7 of Bengala, in times past, were chosen of the Abassine or Aethiopian slaues, as the Soldans of Cairo were sometime of the Circassian Mamalukes. North∣wards of Bengala lieth the kingdome of Arracan. The great Can subdued these parts and the kingdome of Mien, about the yeare 1272, while M••••cus Paulus liued there. Arracam, Chandican, and Syripur are by Fernandez placed in Bengala, as so many kingdoms: Patane or Patenau by Frederike and Fitch reckoned to an other Bengalan kingdome: which our Countreyman Maister Fitch calleth the kingdom of Gouren: so that vnder this name Bengala are comprehended many Seigniories; all, or the most part now subiect to the Mogor.

Our Mappes seeme not to describe the riuer Ganges (so will we here terme it with Ortellius, Castaldus, Barrius, and all our later Trauellers, both Merchants and Iesuits) according to the due course thereof. For Chaberis they bring from the North encli∣ning to the East, Guenga from the West; but Maister Fitch, which continued fiue mo∣neths in passing downe first in Iamena from Agra, which falleth into Ganges, and then in Ganges it selfe to Bengala (although hee confesseth it may be done in shorter time) saith it commeth from the North-west, and runneth East into the Sea. Some call Chaberis, Ganges; and some hold Guenga to be Ganges; and some make but one riuer of them both: and hence may happly arise in part, that seeking of Ganges so farre off.

There is in Ganges h 1.8 a place called Gongasagie, that is, the entry of the Sea, in which are many fishes called Sea-dogges. They which are weary of this world, and desire to haue a quicke passage to Paradise, cast in themselues here to be deuoured of these fishes; perswading themselues, that the next and readiest way thither, is by their jawes.

Ganges i 1.9 ouerflowing his bankes, in times past drowned many villages, which so remayne; and hath changed his wonted Channell: the cause that Tanda (a Citie of trafficke) standeth now a league from the riuer. It watereth a fruitfull Countrey and populous, and (as the Oceans high Collector) receiueth into him many riuers by the way, some no lesle then it selfe, so that in the time of raine, you can not see from the one side of Ganges to the other. The superstitious opinion conceiued, in those parts, of this riuer, appeareth by the reports of all. k 1.10 Emanuel Pinner at Cambaia obserued many to resort thither on pilgrimage, sometime out of that Citie foure thousand; and was told by the Gouernor of Bengala vnder the Mogor then at Lahor, that there came thither sometime three hundred thousand or foure hundred thousand Pilgrims. And addeth, That not long before his comming to Cambaia there assembled there, to this deuout iourney, fiftie thousand people. Happy they esteeme that man which wa∣sheth himselfe therein, and secure of saluation, if at the point of death he may drinke of this water. l 1.11 Hee conferred with one Gedacham, a great man, which had beene on this holy voyage, and had there weighed his mother three times; first, by her weight in siluer; secondly, in golde; thirdly, in pearles, all which hee gaue vnto the poore. m 1.12 A brother of his, called Ra••, being to goe to the great Mogore, offered one hundred and fiftie thousand Pardawos that his Pagodes or Idoles should send him good successe. They make an Image also to this riuer, whereunto they doe diuine honour. The king of Calecut and the other kings of Malabar keep a solemne feast e∣uery twelue yeares, in honour of this riuer; because that long since a certaine Bra∣mene (falsely accused) fled vnto Ganges, and there led an austere life twelue yeres; worshipping that Streame and his Idoll, to whom when he purposed to return home, after those twelue yeares expired, that Image of Ganges appeared, and said, that on the last day of February hee would appeare in a riuer of his owne Countrey, and cause

the waters thereof to arise, and runne backeward in witnesse of his innocencie, and bade him assemble all the Lords of Malabar to the sight, which accordingly came to passe, and the memory thereof is by this Feast solemnized.

Bannaras n 1.13 is a great Towne on Ganges, to which the Gentiles out of farre coun∣tries come on pilgrimage. The men are shauen all but the crowne. Alongst the wa∣ter-side are many faire houses, in which stand Images of euill fauour, made of stone, and wood, like leopards, lions, monkeis, men, women, peacockes, and deuills, with foure armes and hands, sitting close-legged, and holding somewhat in their hands. There are diuers old men, which on places of earth, made for the purpose, sit praying, and they glue the people (which by breake of day, and before, come out of the towne, to wash themselues in Ganges) three or foure strawes, which they take, and hold them betweene their fingers where they wash themselues: & some sit to mark them in the foreheads, and they haue in a cloth a litle rice, barly, or mony, which they giue to these old men. After that, they go to diuers of their images, and giue them of their sacrifi∣ces, those old men in the meane while praying, which maketh all holy. They haue one idoll called Ada, with foure hands and clawes. On certaine great carued stones also they poure water, rice, wheat &c. They haue a great place like a wel, with steps to goe down, wherein the water standeth foule, and stinketh by reason of those many flo∣wers, which they continually throw thereinto. Many people are alwaies therein with imagination of pardon for their sins, because God (as they blaspheme) washed himself therein. They gather vp the sand in the botome, as a holy relike. They pray not but in the water, and wash themselues ouer head, lading vp water with both their hands, and turne themselues about, and then drinke a little of the water three times, after which they goe to their Gods in their 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 twenty or thirtie times, but will not stirre their right foote. Some vse fifteene or sixteene pots, little and great, rin∣ging a bell while they make their mixtures ten or twelue times; and make a circle of water about their pots, and pray: others sitting by, one of which reacheth them their pots. They say ouer these pots diuers things many times, which done, they go to their gods and strew their sacrifices, which they thinke are very holy, and marke many of them which sit by in the foreheads, esteemed as a great gift. There come fiftie, and sometime a hundred together, to this Well, and to these Idoles.

About their Idolls in some houses sitteth one in warme weather to blow the wind with a fan vpon them. And when they see any company comming, they ring a little bell, and many giue them their almes. None of these idolles haue a good face. Some are blacke, and haue clawes of brasse; and some ride on peacockes or other fowles. One there is alwayes attended with his fan, to make winde, which (they say) giueth them all things, both food and rayment. Heere some be burned to ashes, some scor∣ched in the fire, and throwne into the water, when they are dead: the Foxes presently eate them. The wiues do burne with their husbands when they die: if they will not, their heads be shauen, and neuer any account is made of them after. If a man or wo∣man be sicke, and like to die, they will lay him before their idolles all night: and that shall mend or end him. And if he do not mend, that night his friends will come and fit a little with him, and cry, and after will carry him to the waters side, and set him vpon a little raft made of reeds, and so let him go downe the riuer. The chiefe idols are very euill-fauoured, their mouthes monstrous, their eares gilded, and full of jewelles, their teeth and eyes of gold, siluer, glasse, coloured blacke, with Lampes continually burning before them. Into their houses or Temples you may not enter, with your shooes on. When the scorched Indians are throwne into Ganges, the men swim with their faces downewards, the women with their faces vpwards; which I had thought they had by some meanes caused, but they denied it. The people goe all naked, with a little cloth about their middle. Their women are exceedingly on their necks, armes, and eares, decked with rings of siluer, copper, tin, and iuory hoopes; 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 wayes. Their marriages are in this sort: o 1.14 The man and the woman come to the water side, where standeth a Bramane or Priest, with a Cow and a Calfe, or a Cow with Calfe: These all goe into the water together, the Bramane holding a white cloth of foure yards long, and a basket crosse bound with diuerse things in it. This cloth he laieth vpon the backe of the Cow. And then he taketh the Cow by the taile and saith certaine words. She hath a copper or a brasse pot-ful-of water. The man holdeth his hand by the Bramans hand, and the wiues hand by her husbands, and all haue the Cow by the taile. Then they poure water out of the pot vpon the Cowes taile, which runneth through all their hands, and they lade vp water with their hands, and then the Bramane tieth their clothes together. After this they goe round about the Cowe and Calfe, and giue somewhat to the poore there attending, leauing the Cow and Calfe for the Bramans vse, and offer to diuers of their Idolls money, then ly∣ing downe vpon the ground, they kisse it diuers times, and goe their way. Betweene this and Patenaw are diuers theeues, like the Arabians, without certaine abode.

Patenaw was sometime a kingdome, now subiect to the Mogore. The women here are so decked with siluer and copper, that it is strange to see, and by reason of such rings vpon their toes, they can weare no shooes. Heere I saw a dissembling Prophet which sate vpon an horse in the market-place, and made as though he slept, and many of the people came and touched his feete with their hands, and then kissed their hands. They tooke him for a great man, but I saw he was a lazie lubber: and there I left him sleeping. The people here are great praters & dissemblers. As I came from Agra down the riuer Iemena, I saw also many naked beggets, of which the people make great ac∣count; they call them Schesche. Heere I saw one, which was a monster among the rest, wearing nothing on him, with a long beard, the haire of his head couering his pri∣uities. The nailes of some of his fingers were two inches long: for hee would cut no∣thing from him p 1.15 Neither would he speake, but was accompanied with eight or ten which spake for him. When any man spake to him, hee would lay his hand vpon his breast, and bow himselfe, but speake he would not to the King.

In those parts they had many strange ceremonies. Their Bramans or Priests come to the water, and haue a string about their neckes made with great ceremonies, and lade vp water with both their hands, and turne the string first with their armes within, and then one arme after the other out. Heere also about Iemena, the Gentiles will eate no flesh, nor kill any thing. They pray in the water naked, and dresse their meat and eate it naked: and for their penance they lie flat vpon the earth, and rise vp and turne themselues about thirtie or forty times, and vse to heaue vp their hands to the Sunne, and to kisse the earth, with their armes and legs stretched out along, their right leg being alwayes before the left. Euery time they lie downe, they score it with their fingers, to know when their stint is ended. The Bramanes marke themselues in the foreheads, cares, and throats, with a kinde of yellow geare which they grinde; euerie morning they doe it. And they haue some old men which go in the streets with a box of yellow powlder, and marke them which they meet on their heads and neckes. And their wiues doe come, ten, twenty and thirty together to the water side, singing, and there doe wash themselues, and vse their ceremonies, and marke themselues on the foreheads and faces, and carry some with them, and so depart singing. Their daugh∣ters be married, at, or before the age of ten yeares. The men may haue seuen wiues. They are a crafty people, worse then the Iewes.

I went q 1.16 from Bengala into the Countrey of Couche, which lieth fiue and twentie dayes iourney North-wards from Tanda. The King was a Gentile, named Suckel Counse: his Countrey is great, and lieth not farre from Cauchin-China. All the Countrey is set with canes made sharpe at both ends, and driuen into the earth; and they can let in the water, and drowne the Countrey knee-deepe. In time of war they poyson all the waters. The people haue eares which be maruellous great, of a span long, which they draw out in length by deuises when they be young. They are all Gentiles, and will kill nothing, They haue Hospitalls for sheepe, dogs, goates, cats, birds, and all other liuing creatures. When they be old and lame, they keep them till

they die. If a man catch or buy any quicke thing in other places, and bring it thither, they will giue him money for it, or other victualles, and keepe it in their Hospitalles, or let it goe. They will giue meate to the Antes. Their small mony is Almonds, which oftentimes they eate. We passed through the Countrey of Gouren, where we found but few villages, and almost all wildernesse, and sawe many buffes, swine, and deete: grasse longer then a man, and very many Tygers. Satagam is a faire Citie, for a city of Moores, and very plentifull. In Bengala such is the estimation of Ganges, that they will fetch of it a great way off, though they haue good water neere: & if they haue not sufficient to drinke, they will sprinkle a little on them, and then they are well. From Satagam I trauelled by the Countrey of the King of Tippaia, with whom the Mogore hath continuall warre. The Mogores, which be of the kingdome of Recon and Rame, be stronger then this King of Tippaia. Foure dayes iourney from Cou∣che is Botanter, and the citty Bettia: the King is called Dermaine the people are tall and strong: the Countrey great, three moneths iourney, and hath in i•• high moun∣taines, one of which a man may see, six dayes iourney off: Vpon these mountaines are people with eares of a span long; otherwise they account them Apes. Hither re∣sort many merchants out of China and Tartaria. From Charigan in Bengala I went to Bacola, the king whereof is a Gentile; thence to Senepare, and after, to Simer∣gan, where they will eate no flesh, nor kill no beast; and thence to Negrais in Pegu and Cosmin. Thus farre hath our Countrey-man led vs in the view of so many super∣stitions of these Bengalans: and their Northerly neighbours.

The Bengalans r 1.17 haue a tradition or fable amongst them, That this riuer commeth out of Paradise, which was proued by one of their kings, who sent men vp the stream till they came to a pleasant aire, still water, and fragrant earth, and could rowe no fur∣ther. Hence happly grew this conceit, That this water should wash away sinne, and that without it they cannot be saued. This riuer hath in it Crocodiles, which by wa∣ter are no lesse daungerous then the Tygers by land, and both will assault men in their shippes. There is also a little small beast, which by his barking maketh the Tiger to runne away.

The king of Chandecan s 1.18 caused a Iesuite to rehea••se the Decalogue: who when he reproued those Indians for their polytheisme, worshipping so many Pagodes; He said, that they obserued them but as, among them, their Saints were worshipped: to whom how sauoury the Iesuites distinction of •••••• and •••••• was for his satisfaction, I leaue to the Readers iudgement. This king, and the others of Bacala and Arracan haue admitted the Iesuites into their Countries, and most of these Indian Nations.

In that part of Botanter, which is next to Lahor and the Mogor, the people t 1.19 are white, and Gentiles. Their garments are close girt to them, that a wrinckle or pleit is not to be seene, which they neuer put off, no not when they sleepe, as long as they are able to hang on: their head-attire is like a sugar loafe, sharpe at the toppe. They neuer wash their hands, left, say they, so pure a creature should be defiled. They haue but one wife; and when they haue two or three children, they liue as brother and si∣ster. Widowers and widowes may not marry a second time. They haue no Idolles nor townes, nor king, in those parts of Bottanter. They haue their Soothsayers, which they aske counsell of. When any is dead, they resort vnto these Wisards, to knowe what is to be done with their dead. They search their Bookes; and as they say the word, they burne them, or bury them, or eate them, although they vsually feede not on mans flesh. They also vse dead mens skulls instead of dishes, as in Thebet we haue obserued the like custome. They are liberall Almes-giuers.

Notes

• a 1.1

  M••gin. Gin. Bet. Ben. Got. Arthus hist. ••••d Orient. pag. 282.
• b 1.2

  Linschot. ca. 16.
• c 1.3

  Adulterie punished.
• d 1.4

  Linschot. c. 47
• e 1.5

  Lud. Vert.lib.1.ca.19.
• f 1.6

  Gesner ••••s de Quadrup.
• g 1.7

  Gi Bot. Ben.
• h 1.8

  Balby ca. 4••.
• i 1.9

  R. Fitch.
• k 1.10

  Hier. •••••• Eman. Pin.
• l 1.11

  Pardaw is three testons Portugale.
• m 1.12

  M. Pimenta.
• n 1.13

  R. Fitch.
• o 1.14

  The manner of their marri∣ages.
• p 1.15

  A right nig∣gard..
• q 1.16

  R. Fitch.
• r 1.17

  Linschot.
• s 1.18

  N. Pimenta.
• t 1.19

  Hi••er relatio de reg•• Mogor.