of September 1585. and then master Iohn Newberie tooke
his iourney toward the citie of Lahor, determining
from thence to goe for Persia and then for Aleppo
or Constantinople, whether hee could get soonest passage
vnto, and directed me to goe for Bengala and for Pegu,
and did promise me, if it pleased God, to meete me
in Bengala within two yeeres with a shippe out of
England. [Sidenote: Wil. Leades serued the
king of Cambaia.] I left William Leades the ieweller
in seruice with the king Zelabdim Echebar in Fatepore,
who did entertaine him very well, and gaue him an house
and fiue slaues, an horse, and euery day sixe S. S.
in money. I went from Agra to Satagam in Bengala,
in the companie of one hundred and fourescore boates
laden with Salt, Opium, Hinge, Lead, Carpets, and
diuers other commodities, downe the riuer Iemena.
The chiefe marchants are Moores and Gentiles. [Sidenote:
The superstitious ceremonies of the Bramanes.] In
these countries they haue many strange ceremonies.
The Bramanes which are their priests, come to the
water and haue a string about their necks made with
great ceremonies, and lade vp water with both their
hands, and turne the string first with both their
hands within, and then one arme after the other out.
Though it be neuer so cold, they will wash themselues
in cold water or in, warme. These Gentiles will
eate no flesh nor kill any thing. They liue with
rice, butter, milke, and fruits. They pray in
the water naked, and dresse their meat and eate it
naked, and for their penance they lie flat vpon the
earth, and rise vp and turne themselues about 30.
or 40. times, and vse to heaue vp their hands to the
sunne, and to kisse the earth, with their armes and
legs stretched along out, and their right leg alwayes
before the left. Euery time they lie downe, they
make a score on the ground with their finger to know
when their stint is finished. The Bramanes marke
themselues in the foreheads, eares and throates with
a kind of yellow geare which they grind, and euery
morning they doe it. And they haue some old men
which go in the streetes with a boxe of yellow poudre,
and marke men on their heads and neckes as they meet
them. And their wiues do come by 10. 20. and 30.
together to the water side singing, and there do wash
themselues, and then vse their ceremonies, and marke
themselues in their foreheds and faces, and cary some
with them, and so depart singing. Their daughters
be marred, at, or before the age of 10 yeres.
The men may haue 7. wiues. They be a kind of
craftie people, worse then the Iewes. When they
salute one another, they heaue vp their hands to their
heads, and say Rame, Rame. [Sidenote: Ganges.]
From Agra I came to Prage, where the riuer Iemena entreth
into the mightie river Ganges, and Iemena looseth
his name. Ganges commeth out of the Northwest,
and runneth East into the gulfe of Bengala. In
those parts there are many Tigers and many partriges
and turtledoues, and much other foule. Here be
many beggars in these countries which goe naked, and