Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

37 6

ning, and cunning in catching wild beafts and fowl; but they have few or no fifhamong the mountains.

The inferior tribes have liberty of confcience in fancying their deities, and wor-fhipping them. I have feen at many Muckwas’ houfes a fquare flake of wood, witha few notches cut about it, and that flake drove into the ground, about two feet ofit being left above, and that is covered with fome cadjans or cocoa-nut tree leaves,and is a temple and a god to that family. Some worfhip the firft animal they fee inthe morning, let it be cat, dog or ferpent, and they pay their adorations to it thewhole day. Others choofe a tree of their father’s or fome dear friend’s planting, andthat he gets canfecrated, and it then becomes his god; but they all believe the immor-tality of the foul and tranfmigration, and the adoration of the great god, of whom theyhave many wild opinions.

The great god’s image they can neither fancy nor make, but believe, that he fent anhuge large fowl from heaven, that laid a Twinging egg in the fea, and, in procefs oftime, it was hatched by the fun, and forth came the world, with all animals, vege-tables, &c. that inhabit it and now, that poor Adam was fet alone on the top of anhigh mountain in Zealoan, which is called this day, Baba Adam, from that tradition;but, being tired of fo lonefome a life, he defcended into the plain, and there he metwith Hevah, whom he prefently knew to be his kinfwoman, and they ftruck hands,and were there married.

The great men of the clergy build temples, but they are neither large nor beautiful.Their images are all black, and deformed, according as they fancy the infernal godsto be fhaped, who, they believe, have fome hand in governing the world, particularlyabout the benign or malignant feafons that happen in the productions or fterility of theearth, for which reafon they pay a lateral adoration to them. Their images are all placedin dark temples, and are never feen but by lamp-light, that burns continually before them.

When criminal cafes are brought before the magiftrate, that want the evidence ofwitnefles to fupport them, the trial of truth is by ordeal. The acculed perfon isobliged to put his bare hand into a pot of boiling oil, and if any blifter appears, theparty is found guilty ; and I have been credibly informed, both by Englilh and Dutch gentlemen, as well as natives, that had feen the trial, that the innocent perfon has notbeen in the lead; affe&ed with the fcalding oil, and then the punilhment due to thecrime is inflicted on the accufer.

The Samorin entered into a war with the Dutch Eaft-India Company in anno1714; and the chief of the Englilh fadtory, who was a privy counfellor to theSamorin , had a great hand in promoting it. The quarrel began about a fmall fortthat the Dutch were building at Chitwa. The ground whereon it flood was a defertmorals by the river’s fide, and was claimed both by the King of Couchin and theSamorin. The King of Couchin made over his claim to the Dutch , who made fmallaccount who had the belt title, but carried on their work with diligence. TheSamorin , with and by the advice of his council, got fome of his foldiers to be enteredinto the Dutch fervice, under the difguife of daily labourers to carry ftones, mortar,&c. for building the fort, and to take their opportunity to lie in ambufcade in a morafsovergrown with reeds near the fort.

Two Dutch lieutenants, who had the overfeeing of the work, v were one eveningdiverting themfelves with a game at tables in a guard room about half a mile from thyfort. They had let fome of their Dutch foldiers go draggling abroad, and the fenti*nels were carelefs under the fecurity of friendlhip, which gave the difguifed work-men an opportunity to kill the fentinels, and make their fignal for the ambufcade, who,