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cloth about his waifl, his breafls gilt, and his eye-brows fhaved clofe. Before him on thedeck flood afigure reprefenting anoftrich,ora pelican, Ihave forgot which, of a large fize,and gilt with gold; on the back of which was a charger filled with rice dyed with turmeric.This fhip was full of people, and on the prow or forepart flood a man in a very anticdrefs, with a broad fword in his right hand, and a fhield on his left arm, in a chal-lenging or defying poflure ; while round the veflel were numbers of boats, and fmallveflels called guntins, that fired continually on pretence of attacking the large fhipwherein the bridegroom was. At length fhe was drove down to the houfe clofe to aflage that floated before the door, and a ladder was put down, by which at firfl cameout of this fhip twelve young women, with gold, filver, and brafs bowls, containing pre-fents for the bride, who fat on a throne in the houfe, at the upper end of the room : fhelikewife fent prefents to the bridegroom, who flopped at the door, and was met by thepriefl; who, after faying a few words, fcattered fome dyed rice over him as a token or anomen of plenty, which caufed a great fhout among the people, and an extraordinaryfiring of guns. Then he was condutted to the bride, and fat down on her right hand.After a little while all the people withdrew, and only they two were left together.This was his fecond wife, the firfl living with him alfo, for polygamy is no fin amongthem j and a man has the liberty of marrying as many wives as he can purchafe and,maintain. They all buy their wives, and on the leafl difgufl or offence they turn themhome to their parents again. A man indeed in any confiderable flation muff, for hisgrandeur, keep up the number of his wives : fo that if one is turned away, or dies, hemuff purchafe another ; and generally a young one, when perchance he is old enoughto be her grandfather.
On the 6th of Auguft we received a compliment of welcome from the Sultan of Ne-garree, with a fmall prefent of the fruit of that country ; for which we were obliged tomake a return, they always expetting fomething of greater confequence in lieu ofwhat they give, which is no more than a genteel way of begging. We were now-fettled in our floating houfe, where we had a vafl number of vifitants, which at firflwas troublefome to us, as well as a hindrance of our bufinefs. But we were forced tobear it patiently, becaufe it is a cuflom among the Banjareens to keep their houfes freeand open to one another. We were chiefly plagued with this inconveniency when wewere at dinner ; for then our firft room was crowded with a great number of them,who in a rude manner would have always fomething to fay to us. We had no otherplace to eat in, and to meet and agree with them, or to weigh our pepper. But weWere not long troubled at this rate, before we had a hog’s head roafled, without anydefign to affront them; which, when brought upon the table frightened them allaway, and we were left to ourfelves ; it being againft the principles of their religion tooat, touch, or even be where any fwine’s flefh is.
The Banjareens are the greatefl lovers of opium imaginable ; it works the fame eft'etton them as wine and other flrong liquors do on us. When it is taken moderately itexhilarates and revives the fpirits, and diflipates all drowfinefs or fleep ; but when takento excefs it caufes heavinefs, fleep, ftupidity, and illnefs. Their method of taking it isby boiling a quantity of opium in water to a thick confiftency; then fleeping theirtobacco in it, they roll it into fmall pellets as big as grains of peafe; and having thusprepared it, when they defign to be merry, a large difh is brought with a lighted lampm it round which the company fits crofs-legged in a circle ; the mafter of the feaftbegins, and taking a large pipe, puts into it one of thefe pellets and fmokes it, blowingthe fmoke out both at his mouth and noflrils, which feldom holds longer than threeCr whiffs at moff » then he gives the pipe (for they ufe but one, let them be never
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