into dust with their feet, and throw it over their bodies with their trunks, to drive away the flies.  The males are usually mad once a year after the females, at which time they are extremely mischievous, and will strike any one who comes in their way, except their own keeper; and such is their vast strength, that they will kill a horse or a camel with one blow of their trunks.  This fury lasts only a few days; when they return to their usual docility.  At these times they are kept apart from all company, and fettered with strong chains to prevent mischief.  If by chance they get loose in their state of phrenzy, they run at everything they see in motion; and, in this case, the only possible means of stopping them is by lighting a kind of artificial fire-works called wild-fire, the sparkling and cracking of which make them stand still and tremble.

The king allows four females to each of his great elephants, which are called their wives.  The testes of the males are said to lie about his forehead, and the teats of the female are between her fore-legs.  She goes twelve months with young.  The elephant is thirty years old before he attains his full growth, and they live to seventy or eighty years of age.  Although very numerous, elephants are yet so highly prized in India, that some of the best are valued at a thousand pounds or more.

Sec.3. Of the People of Hindoostan, and their Manners and Customs.

The whole inhabitants of Hindoostan were anciently Gentiles, or notorious idolaters, generally denominated Hindoos, hot ever since the time of Tamerlane they have been mixed with Mahometans.[235] There are, besides, many Persians, Tartars, Abyssinians, and Arminians, and some few of almost every nation in Asia, if not in Europe, that reside here.  Among these are some Jews, but not esteemed, for their very name is proverbial, as a term of reproach.  In stature, the natives of Hindoostan are equal to ourselves, being in general very straight and well-made, for I never saw any deformed person in that country.  They are of a dark tawny or olive colour, having their hair as black as a raven, but not curled.  They love not to see either a man or a woman very fair, as they say that is the colour of lepers, which are common among them.  Most of the Mahometans, except their molahs or priests, or such as are old and retired, keep their chins shaved, but allow the hair on their upper-lips to grow long.  They usually shave all the hair from their heads, leaving only one lock on their crowns for Mahomet to pull them by up to heaven.  Both among the Gentiles and Mahometans they have excellent barbers.  The people often bathe and wash their bodies, and anoint themselves with perfumed oils.

[Footnote 235:  The Mahomedans made extensive conquests in India long before the era of Timor.—­E.]