The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years : giving an account of the present state of those countries, viz. of the religion, government, customs, and commerce of every country, and the figures, weight, and value of the money currant all over Asia : to which is added A new description of the Seraglio / made English by J.P. ; added likewise, A voyage into the Indies, &c. by an English traveller, never before printed ; publish'd by Dr. Daniel Cox

CHAP. VIII. Of the Custom among the Idolaters to burn the Bodies of their Dead.

THE custom of burning the Bodies of the dead is very ancient among the Gentiles; which Ceremony they most commonly perform by the banks of Rivers, where they wash the dead; which is the last purgation of them from their sins. Nay, their superstition is so great sometimes, that they will carry the sick person, death approaching, to the bank of some River or Pond, and put his feet in the water. As nature fails, they dip him deeper and deeper, till at length they hold him expiring up to the chin in the River: to the end that at the same time that the Soul departs out of the Body, both Body and Soul may be cleans'd from all defilement; and then plunging the newly dead Body over head and ears, they bring it out, and burn it in the place appointed; which is generally neer some Pa∣god. There are some persons that make it their business to fetch Wood, and agree what they shall have for their pains. An Idolater being dead, all those of his Caste or Tribe assemble together at the House of the deceas'd, and laying the Body upon a Beer cover'd with clean fine Linnen according to his Quality and Estate, they follow the Beer, which is carri'd by such as are appointed for that purpose to the place where the Body is to be burn'd. As they go along they sing certain Prayers to their God, pronouncing several times the words Ram, Ram, while another going before the Beer, sounds a little Bell, to advertize the living to pray for the dead. The Body being set down by the bank of the River or Pond, they first plunge it into the water, and then they burn it. According to the qua∣lity of the deceas'd they also mingle with the ordinary wood Sandal-wood, and

other Sweet-woods. But the Idolaters do not only burn the Bodies of the dead, but the Bodies of the living. They scruple to kill a serpent, or a louse, but ac∣count it a meritorious thing to burn a living Wife with the Body of the deceas'd Husband.