214 LETTERS AND REPORTS
is as follows :—The men of this region are idolaters, without moral law, or letters, or books. They have indeed an alphabet which they use to keep their accounts, and to write prayers or charms for their idols; albeit they have no paper, but write upon leaves of trees like unto palm leaves. They have uo conscience of sin whatever. They have idol-houses in which they worship at almost all hours of the day ; for they never join together to worship at any fixed hour, but each goes to worship when it pleases himself. And so they worship their idols in any part of these temples, either by day or by night. They frequently set forth their fasts and feasts, but they have no fixed recurring day to keep, either weekly or monthly. Their marriages take place only at one time of the year; and when the husband dies the wife cannot marry again. The sin of the flesh they count not to be sin, nor are they ashamed to say so.
" In the regions by the sea are many Saracens, and they have great influence, but there are few of them in the interior. There are a very few Christians, and Jews, and they are of little weight. The people persecute much the Christians, and all who bear the Christian name.
" They bury not their dead but burn them, carrying them . • to the pile with music and singing ; whilst apart from this occasion the relatives of the deceased manifest great grief and afictions.like other folk.
But India is a region of great extent, and it hath many realms and many languages. And the men thereof are civil and friendly enough, but of few words, and remind me somewhat of our peasants.3 They are not, strictly speaking,
1 As to the great influence of the Saracens on the coast of Maabar see the extract from Rashid at p. 219, which shows that at this very time a " Saracen" was the king's chief minister and governor of the seaports of Pattan, Malipattan, and KM.' (in the original Wazir wa Mushir wa Sahib-
i-tadbir). z Rancori. Kunstmann has ramori.
" Sono li omini assai dimeslichi e f'amiliari e di poche parole, e quasi come omini di villa."
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