548 lord’s discovery of the banians and persees.

ing, is obfervable ; as alfo, no lefs in their confirmation, and ordination to the prieft>hood : for firil, about the feventh year of their age, they are received to difcipline rbeing clean wafhed, to intimate the purity of that call; then they are received naked-,to fliew that they have ftripped off all other cares, to apply themfelves to ftudy; thentheir heads are fhaven, a long lock being only left on the hinder part of the head, tofhew that they muff not forfake their ftudy ; if they do, by that lock they fhall be drawn-back again. They are bound to a Pythagorean filence and attention, and prohibited'haulkirtg, fpitting, or coughing ; wearing about their loins a girdle of an antelope’s Ikin,.and another thong of the fame about their neck, defcending under the left arm. Aboutthe fourteenth year of their age, (if they be capable,) they are admitted to be Bramanes,.exchanging thofe leather thongs for four fealing threds that come over the rightfhoulder, and under the right arm, which they fleep withal, and never put off, butwear them in honour of God , and the three perfons Bremaw, Vyftney, and Ruddery,.and as the badge of their profeflion. In which ordination they are enjoined, firft, notto alter their call or tribe ; next to obferve all things enjoined in the Bramanes’ law 4laftly, not to communicate the myfteries of their laws to any of a- different religion-Thefe be the moft of the principal things obferved by thefe Bramanes.

Now for the more fpecial Bramane, by them called the Vertea ; he is fome man of thecall of the Shudderies, or merchant-men, who for devotion taketh this condition on him :he is one, that for his habit weareth a woollen garment of white, defcending to the middleof his thigh, leaving the lower parts naked : his head is always uncovered, as a witnefs ofhis perpetual reverence of God above. They do not lhave, but pluck oft' all the hairon their head, fave fome ftnall remainder on the crown the like they do from theirchin alfo.

Of this fort of Bramane there be feveral calls likewife ; one is called the Soncaes,and thefe go not to church, but perform divine rites at home.. Another is of theTuppaes; thefe go to church to pray. A third, is of the Curthuns, and thefe pray bythemfelves, without fociety, A fourth, called the Onkeleaus, and thefe indure notimages. A fifth called the Pulhaleaus, the moft ftridf of them all.

Thefe kind of Bramanes have a feftival called Putchefon, which is kept once everymonth, by five days folemnization, but betwixt each day of the five they keep a feaft :this feaft is kept at the ableft men’s houfes ; and commonly at thofe times a penfion isgiven, to reftrain the death of cattle, or other living creatures.

More ftrift they feem to be in many things than the common Bramanes, for the otherare not forbidden marriage as thefe are ; more abftinent they are in diet, for out of theformer feafts they eat nothing but what is given them, and referve nothing for anothermeal; more cautious they are for the prefervation of things animate, for they walldrink no water but boiled, that fo the vapour, which they fuppofe- the life of the water,may go out. They dilperfe their very dung and ordure with a befom, left it lhouldgenerate worms that be fubjedt to deftrudtion ; and they keep an hofpital of lameand maimed flying fowl, redeemed by a price, which they feek to reftore : they haveall things common, but place no faith in outward walkings, but rather embrace a care-lefs and fordid naftinefs. And this is fufticient to note concerning this kind of Bramane.

CHAP. XL — Concerning the fecond Tribe or Gaft , called the Cutterys ; prefenting themin their JlouriJhing Ejlate , their declining E/late, and their prefent Ejlate.

THE fecond call or tribe, being the Cutterys, had their denomination from Cuttery,the fecond fon of JPourous, who, becaufe domination and rule was committed unto him,

.3 therefore