them from doing harm, and these have the twentieth part of the pearls, the king getting the tenth part[2]; These oysters are only found from the beginning of April to the end of May in this place; but from the beginning of September to the middle of October, they are got in another place, about three hundred miles distant.  The king of this country goes naked, like the rest of his subjects, except that he wears some honourable marks of distinction, as a collar of precious stones about his neck, and a thread of silk hanging down to his breast, on which are strung 104 large fine pearls, by which he counts his prayers as with a rosary.  These prayers are merely the word Pacaupa, repeated 104 times over.  He wears a sort of bracelets on three places of his arms and on his legs, and rings on all his fingers and toes.  This king has a thousand concubines, and if any woman pleases his fancy, he takes her away from whoever she may happen to belong to.  He once did this unjust deed to his own brother, in consequence of which a civil war had nearly ensued; but as their mother threatened to cut off her own breasts if they continued their enmity, they were reconciled.  He has a numerous guard of horsemen, who are under a vow, when he dies, to throw themselves into the fire in which his body is consumed, that they may serve him in the next world.

This prince, and the other kings of Moabar, buy their horses from Ormus and other parts, as their country produces none, or if any happen to be bred there, they are ugly and useless[3].  Condemned persons often offer themselves to die in honour of a particular idol; on which the devotee puts himself to death with twelve knives, giving himself twelve deep wounds in various parts of his body, calling out aloud on the infliction of each, that he does this in honour of such or such an idol; and the last of all is through his own heart, after which his body is burned by his kindred.  The women of this country voluntarily burn themselves along with the bodies of their deceased husbands, and those who neglect to do this are held in disrepute.  They worship idols, and most of them hold cows in such high veneration, that they would not eat their holy flesh for any consideration on earth.  A certain tribe is called Gaui, who feed upon such oxen as die of themselves, but never kill any.  These Gaui are descended from the people who slew St Thomas, and dare not enter the shrine in which his body is preserved.  The people of this country sit on carpets on the ground, using no chairs or stools.  Their only grain is rice.  They are not a martial people, and kill no animals; but when they are inclined for animal food, they get the Saracens or some other people to kill for them.  Both men and women wash themselves twice a-day, and always before eating; and those who neglect this ceremony are reputed heretics.  They never touch their meat with their left hands, which they only employ for wiping themselves, or other unclean purposes.  Each drinks from his own pot, neither do they allow it to touch their mouths, but hold it above, and pour in the drink; and to strangers who have no pot, they pour liquor into their hands, from which they must drink, as they will not allow their pots to be touched by any other person.