The history of the Inquisition, as it is exercised at Goa written in French, by the ingenious Monsieur Dellon, who laboured five years under those severities ; with an account of his deliverance ; translated into English.

CHAP. X. (Book 10)

In what manner the Prisoners of the Inquisition are treated.

THey give to every one of those, whom their unhapiness leads into these Holy Prisons, an Earthen Pot full of Water to wash them∣selves; another more convenient of those which are called Gurguleta, also full of Water to drink, with a Pucaro or Cup made of kind of fine earth, which is commonly found in the Indies, and which cooleth the Water admirably well, after it hath stood in it for some while. They give them also a Broom to keep their Chamber clean; a Matt to spread upon the floor where they lye; a great Bason which is changed every four days, and a pot to cover it; which serveth also to put the filth in which is swept up. The Prisoners are there pretty well treated, they have three Meeals in a day, that is, Breakfast at six a Clock of the morn∣ing, Dinner at ten, and Supper at four a Clock in the evening. The breakfast of the Negroes is ordinarily Cange, which is Water thickned with Rice. For their o••••er Meals they always make use of Rice and Fish. The Whites or Europeans are better treated. They carry to them in the morning a little soft bread, weighing about 3 Ounces, with fried Fish, Fruits, and a Sausage, it it be Sunday, and sometimes also upon Thursday. They gave them also flesh to dinner on these two days, with a little bread as in the morning; a Plate of Rice with some Ragout, and much swace, to mingle with the Rice which is boiled only with Water and Salt. On all other days they have nothing to Dinner but Fish, for Supper they bring to them in like manner Bread, fried Fish, a Plate of Rice and a Ragout of Fish or of Eggs, whose swace my by eaten with the Rice. As for flesh they never make use of it to Supper, not even upon Easterday. I think that this way of life is not observed so much out of sparingness; fish being a very good commodity in the Indies, as for to mortifie the more those who have incurred the greater Excommuni∣cation, and to preserve them, at the same time, from that cruel disease which the Indies call Mordechi, which is nothing else but indigestion, a disease very frequent and dangerous in these Climates; and above all, in a place where no exercise is performed.

They take care to give the sick Persons all things necessary for them. The Physicians and Chirurgions fail not to visit them al all requisite times; and if the sickness grows dangerous, they assign Confessors to them▪ But they administer to none within this Holy House, either the Eucharist, or Extreme Unction. As also they never hear Mass there.

Those who die within these Prisons, are buried in the house without any ceremony. And if they are judged worthy of death according to the maxims of this Tribunal, they are digged up, and their bones are kept to be burnt at the next Act of Faith. I will relate in another place the particularities of this Ceremony.

As it is always very hot in the Indies, and in the Inquisition no Books are allowed to any person, the Prisoners never see any fire, nor other light than that of the day. There is in every Cell two Couches to lye upon, because when necessity requireth it, they shut up two persons together. Besides the Matt which is given to every one, the White Men have moreover a Coverlet, which serveth instead of a Matt, there be∣ing no need of it to cover themselves, unless it be to avoid the persecu∣tion of those Flies, which are called Cousins, and are there in very great numbers, and which cause one of the greatest inconveniencies, that is to be found in this melancholy retirement.