An Empty
Can, Buffaloes, Donkeys, A Dog Or He-Goat Without Food In His Mouth, A
Monkey, A Loose Hart,
A goldsmith, a carpenter, a barber, a tailor, a
cotton-cleaner, a smith, a widow, a corpse, a person coming
From a funeral
without having washed or changed, men carrying butter, oil, sweet milk,
molasses, acids, iron, or weapons of war. Lucky objects to meet are an
elephant, a camel, a laden cart, an unladen horse, a cow or bullock laden
with water (if unladen 'tis an ill omen), a dog or he-goat with food in
the mouth, a cat on the right hand, one carrying meat, curds, or sugar,
etc., etc. (p. 91). (See also Sonnerat, I. 73.)
NOTE 5. - Chughi of course stands for JOGI, used loosely for any Hindu
ascetic. Arghun Khan of Persia (see Prologue, ch. xvii.), who was much
given to alchemy and secret science, had asked of the Indian Bakhshis how
they prolonged their lives to such an extent. They assured him that a
mixture of sulphur and mercury was the Elixir of Longevity. Arghun
accordingly took this precious potion for eight months; - and died shortly
after! (See Hammer, Ilkhans, I. 391-393, and Q.R. p. 194.) Bernier
mentions wandering Jogis who had the art of preparing mercury so admirably
that one or two grains taken every morning restored the body to perfect
health (II. 130). The Mercurius Vitae of Paracelsus, which, according to
him, renewed youth, was composed chiefly of mercury and antimony.
(Opera, II. 20.) Sulphur and mercury, combined under different
conditions and proportions, were regarded by the Alchemists both of East
and West as the origin of all the metals. Quicksilver was called the
mother of the metals, and sulphur the father. (See Vincent. Bellov. Spec.
Natur. VII. c. 60, 62, and Bl. Ain-i-Akbari, p. 40.)
[We read in Ma Huan's account of Cochin (J.R.A.S. April, 1896, p.
343): "Here also is another class of men, called Chokis (Yogi), who lead
austere lives like the Taoists of China, but who, however, are married.
These men from the time they are born do not have their heads shaved or
combed, but plait their hair into several tails, which hang over their
shoulders; they wear no clothes, but round their waists they fasten a
strip of rattan, over which they hang a piece of white calico; they carry
a conch-shell, which they blow as they go along the road; they are
accompanied by their wives, who simply wear a small bit of cotton cloth
round their loins. Alms of rice and money are given to them by the people
whose houses they visit."
(See F. Bernier, Voy., ed. 1699, II., Des Gentils de l'Hindoustan,
pp. 97, seqq.)
We read in the Nine Heavens of Amir Khusru (Elliot, III. p. 563): "A
jogi who could restrain his breath in this way (diminishing the daily
number of their expirations of breath) lived in an idol to an age of more
than three hundred and fifty years."
"I have read in a book that certain chiefs of Turkistan sent ambassadors
with letters to the Kings of India on the following mission, viz.: that
they, the chiefs, had been informed that in India drugs were procurable
which possessed the property of prolonging human life, by the use of which
the King of India attained to a very great age ... and the chiefs of
Turkistan begged that some of this medicine might be sent to them, and
also information as to the method by which the Rais preserved their health
so long." (Elliot, II. p. 174.) - H.C.]
"The worship of the ox is still common enough, but I can find no trace of
the use of the effigy worn on the forehead. The two Tam Pundits whom I
consulted, said that there was no trace of the custom in Tamil literature,
but they added that the usage was so truly Hindu in character, and was so
particularly described, that they had no doubt it prevailed in the time of
the person who described it." (MS. Note by the Rev. Dr. Caldwell.)
I may add that the Jangams, a Linga-worshipping sect of Southern India,
wear a copper or silver linga either round the neck or on the forehead.
The name of Jangam means "movable," and refers to their wearing and
worshipping the portable symbol instead of the fixed one like the proper
Saivas. (Wilson, Mack. Coll. II. 3; J.R.A.S. N.S.V. 142 seqq.)
NOTE 6. - In G.T. proques, which the Glossary to that edition absurdly
renders porc; it is some form apparently of pidocchio.
NOTE 7. - It would seem that there is no eccentricity of man in any part of
the world for which a close parallel shall not be found in some other
part. Such strange probation as is here spoken of, appears to have had too
close a parallel in the old Celtic Church, and perhaps even, at an earlier
date, in the Churches of Africa. (See Todd's Life of St. Patrick, p. 91,
note and references, and Saturday Review of 13th July, 1867, p. 65.) The
latter describes a system absolutely like that in the text, but does not
quote authorities.
[1] From Sola was formed apparently Sola-mandala, or Cholatnandala,
which the Portuguese made into Choromandel and the Dutch into
Coromandel.
[2] I may add that possibly the real reading may have been thoiach.
CHAPTER XXI.
CONCERNING THE CITY OF CAIL.
Cail is a great and noble city, and belongs to ASHAR, the eldest of the
five brother Kings. It is at this city that all the ships touch that come
from the west, as from Hormos and from Kis and from Aden, and all Arabia,
laden with horses and with other things for sale. And this brings a great
concourse of people from the country round about, and so there is great
business done in this city of Cail.[NOTE 1]
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