Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

firing, and wounding fome as they marched in their ranks, which our commandantfeeing, pulled oft’ his red coat, and vanifhed, Some other as valiant captains as he,took example, and left their polls, and then the the foldiers. followed, and threw downtheir arms. We loft in this Ikirmilh about 250 ; but our floating batteries would notpermit the enemy to purfue far, nor durft they ftay to gather up our fcattered arms,ib about 80 failors went on the field of battle, and brought on board of the commo-dore about 200 Hand of arms, moft of them loaded : however the enemy had fomelofs too, for we found eleven horfes dead, and faw many fires along the foot of thehills to burn their dead men in.

The Rajah had, by this time, 7000 men engaged in this war, which expence hebegan to be tried of, and the lofs of his fhips and horfes was fome mortification tohim, befides the Saw Rajah had made an inroad into his northren borders, whichmade him incline very much towards a peace, and accordingly he fent a Brahman onboard the commodore of the fleet, to negotiate a peace. The commodore heardhim, and advifed him to make his overtures to Mr. Taylor; but he faid, that theRajah would by no means confent to treat with him, complaining, that he was notonly the occafion of that war, but even, before the war, had done fome detriment tohim and his fubjeccs, for receiving the Company’s pepper above ioo miles from thefactory. He made the fervants that went to receive the pepper, take certain quantitiesto fell out by retail in his villages, to the utter ruin of many poor inhabitants, thathad no other way to get their livelihood, but, by huckftering ; and becaufe the com-pany’s agreement with his forefathers and himfelf, gave them a free trade in allhis dominions, he paffed all over, but was forced to relieve the poor botickeers or{hop-keepers, who before could pay him taxes; however we being tired of war aswell as he, by the mediation of a Seid, who was a friend to both parties, in ten daysafter the firft overture was made, peace was proclaimed on eafy terms for bothparties.

There is one trick that the priefts yearly put upon the people in this country, thatwould puzzle the beft merry-andrews in Europe to imitate, and that is, about thelatter end of May, or the beginning of June, there is a feaft celebrated to the infernalgods, with a divination or conjuration to know the fate of the enfuing crop of corn.The ceremony I faw here, and at other places on the coaft of Canara. The prieftshaving perfuaded fome fools to bear a part in the farce, proclaim the feaft to be onfuch a day, at a certain grove, where feveral thoufands of people affemble, and in themiddle of the grove is placed a black ftone of 3 or 400 weight, without any de-figned fhape, but fome places bedaubed with red lead mixed in oil, to ferve for amouth, eyes and ears, with a little earthen pot of fire placed before the ftone, anda girl about ten years of age to attend it.

Some priefts, all naked, except a bit of cloth to hide their privities, run and danceround the ftone and fire for half an hour, like mad-men, making ftrange diftortions intheir phizes, and now and then bellowing like calves. This was the firft fcene. Thofepriefts had erected a fcaffold on two axle-trees, that had trucks fitted for them likethe carriage of (hip guns. In the middle of the fcaffold (which might be about 15foot long, and as broad) was erected a piece of wood about 15 feet high, with anotch cut in the upper end, like the cheeks of a lhip’s pump, with holes bored for abolt to pafs. through, as pump cheeks have. A tree hewn for their purpofe, about 40feet long, was laid about the middle in the notch, and a bolt paffing through thecheeks and that tree, like a pump-brake. At one end of the tree were placed twocrofs pieces, one at the very end, and the other about four feet without it. Each of