The Malabars Are Much Given To Soothsaying, And Have Lucky And Unlucky
Days.
They worship the sun moon and stars, the fire, cows, and the first
thing they meet on going out of a morning, believing every manner of
vanity.
The devil is often in them, but they say it is one of their gods
or _pagods_, as they call him. But whosoever or whatsoever it may be, it
constrains them to utter terrible words, which are believed by the king.
When the devil enters into a nayre, he goes with a naked sword before the
king, shaking and trembling and giving himself many wounds, saying, "I am
such or such a god, and am come to tell thee such and such a thing,"
crying out, and behaving himself like a madman or one possessed. If the
king makes any doubt of what he says, he continues to roar still louder
and to slash himself more severely, till the king gives credit to his
assertions. There are other tribes or lineages of people among the
Malabars, of various sects and divers customs, of whom it were too
tedious to speak in this place, who are all under obedience to the
several kings and nobles. The Moors alone are exempted from this
obedience, on account of the large customs they pay for their merchandize,
owing to which they are held in high estimation at Calicut.
Having come to anchor on the outside of the bar or reef of Calicut, the
general sent one of the Portuguese convicts on shore, in one of the
almadias which had conducted the ships to this port; instructing him to
see what kind of a place it was, and to make trial of what kind of a
reception might be looked for, seeing we were Christians, and as the
general believed that the people were likewise Christians.
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