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 the
people make great account of them: they call them Schesche. Here I sawe one
which was a monster among the rest. He would haue nothing vpon him, his
beard was very long, and with the haire of his head he couered his