DEDICATION. To the JESUITS of FRANCE.* Reverend Fathers, You OU'll find by the Letters fent us from Carnata, that in this new Miffion, as in all thofe of India, the Miffionaries are obliged to be continually upon their Guard, to prevent their being taken for Europeans; for this, alone, would defeat all their Labours, tho' they should meet with no other Obftacles in the Exercise of their fpiritual Functions. 'Tis to free themselves from thefe Sufpicions, that after having learnt the Language and Customs of the Country, they wear the Drefs of the Penitent Indians, and affume the Name of Sanias Romabouri, that is, Roman Priefts or Friars come from the North . For this Reason they fubmit to all the Indian ་་ Vol. X. of the Orginal begins here. The Jefuits are very much blamed for this by Mr. la Croze, who, pag. 447, oblerves, "That the Worshippers of Tchiven or furen rub their Foreheads, and fome other Parts of their "Bodies, with Ashes made of Cow-dung. They look upon "these Ashes as very holy, as being a public Confeffion of the "Zeal and Confidence they have in their Idol. The Jefuit Miffionaries in Madura, who, denying abfolutely their being "Pranguis, or European Chriflians, call themfelves Sanias or "Bramins come froin the North, rub themselves, and their 66 new Converts, with the Afhes in question. They likewife 46 wear the three Strings of the Bramins, by which these idolatrous Priests profefs themselves devoted to the Worship of the "three Deities who govern the Universe. These Millionaries "tell us, that this is one of the Marks of Nobility, as indeed "it is, but of a fuperftitious Nobility, which is grounded on I"dolatry. Thefe Things are practiced in the Miffion of Ma"dura, of which the Jefuits continue to publifh fo many Won"ders; tho' thefe, fo far from changing Paganism into true Re"ligion, Indian Cuftoms, however harsh and difagreeable; that they fit cross-legg'd upon the Ground; eat alfo fitting upon the Ground, without touching any Thing with the left Hand, which the Indians think quite rude and indecent; that they observe a continual Faft, never making but one Meal a Day, which confifts of fome Fruits, Pulfe or Roots, and a little Rice boiled in Water; you having heard that Bread, Wine, Meat, Eggs, and Fish, the usual Food of other Nations, are abfolutely forbid a Miffionary of the Eaft-Indies. Had the firft Miffionaries of Madura refufed ever fo little to devote themselves to this Kind of Life, in its utmoft Rigour, their Zeal would have been rendered fruitlefs; and they would not have converted feveral Bramins, and above an hundred and fifty thousand Idolaters. The like Care and Circumfpection were used in establishing the Miffion of Carnata. 'Tis fcarce poffible to conceive, whence should arife this infuperable Averfion which the Indians entertain for the Europeans. Certain Persons who are concerned for the Progrefs of the Gofpel in India, having defired fome Light into that Matter, I fhall fatisfy them here; and this, at the fame Time, will enable them to form a ftill better Idea of the Genius and Manners of the People in question. For this Purpose we must fuppofe two Things, which being but tranfiently mentioned in the fifth "ligion, don't fcruple to adopt the exterior Characteristics of "the Heathen Superftitions, and employ them openly in the se"veral Places where they refide and make Converts." As I was arraigning the Hypocrify of the Jefuits on thefe Occafions, to an ingenious Roman Catholic, a Friend of mine, his Opinion was, that thofe Fathers ought to be highly applauded for their Conduct, as it was the most likely Way of giving Succefs to their political Defigns, and was perfectly confonant to the Spirit which animates their Society; and that on the contrary, thofe Friars of other Orders who have been lefs flexible, only hewed their Simplicity and Ignorance of the World. Volume of these Letters*, it may not be improper to enlarge upon them here. First, that the Eaft Indians are divided into various Claffes, called by the Portugueze Castes †, of which there are three Principal. That of the Bra mins, who are the Nobility: The Cafte of the Kchatrys or Rajast, who are as the Gentry in Europe; and the Cafe of the Choutres, or common People. Befides thefe three Caftes, which are very numerous, there is a fourth called the Cafte of the Parias, including the Dregs of the Populace. This Cafle is confidered by all the reft, as quite vile; fo that nothing is thought fo infamous as to hold the leaft Correfpondence with them. The Parias are detefted to fuch a Degree, that all Things touched by them are inftantly polluted, and can never be used again. They are never spoke to but at a Distance, nor allowed to live in Towns or Cities, but inhabit Villages apart, at a certain Distance (which is limited) from the Habitations of the rest of the Indians. Each of these principal Caftes is fubdivided into other fubordinate Caftes, fome of which are alfo nobler than the reft. The Cafte of the Choutres has the greatest Number of thefe inferior Castes, it containing the Caftes of Tradefmen, Ploughmen, Goldfmiths, Carpenters, Mafons, Painters, Weavers, &c. Every Trade is confined to its Cafte; and those only who are Members thereof can follow fuch Trade. That is, of the original French. Sce Page 360. & feq. Vol. I. of the present Work. + Derived from the Portugueze Word Cafta, fignifying Progeny or Offspring. Thefe, in our Relations, are commonly called Rajaputes or Rafnboots; by which Names I alfo fhall term them in this Work. Thefe allo are called Banians. 1 Thus 1 Thus a Carpenter, who fhould concern himself with the Trade of a Goldsmith, would be feverely punished. However, there are certain Profeffions which a Member of any Caste among the Choutres may follow; fuch as thofe of the Soldier, Tradefman, or Ploughman. But there are others which infinitely debase those who exercise them; for Inftance, the Indians rank among the Parias, Fishermen, Shepherds, or Herdfmen, Shoemakers; and all in general concerned in the working or dreffing of Leather. The fecond Thing to be obferved is, no Indian can eat with a Member of a Cafte inferior to his own, without degrading himself; nor touch any Food dreffed by a Person of such a Caste. A Bramin, and not a Choutre, must drefs the Victuals of another Bramin. 'Tis the fame with regard to Matrimony, which no Person is allow'd to contract with another of a different Cafte: For any Perfon who fhould marry into a Caste inferior to his own, would be branded for ever; be looked upon as the vileft Wretch, and be totally expelled his Cafte. In fine, Words could never exprefs the extravagantly-high Opinion which the Bramins entertain of their own Nobility; the Fondness they have for their own Customs; and the Contempt in which they hold the Laws and Ufages of all other Nations.* You As Authors write variously concerning these Caftes, and Mr. la Croze having given us fome Account of them (from MSS, I believe, of the learned Mr. Ziegenbag) in his Hiftoire du Chrifianifme des Indes, p. 476, & feq. I fhall thence extract fome Particulars to our Purpose. The different Tribes, (ays he) or Caftes of the Indians, deferve a particular Attention. Among these Indians, no Perfon can rife above his Birth; a Son is oblig'd to continue in his Father's Tribe, and to follow, except in certain Cafes, which are very rare, his Trade or Profeffion. It may be fuppofed, that Policy first introduced this Cuftom it Egypt, whence it feems to have been brought into India, ano there You now may eafily perceive what it was that gave the Indians this infuperable Averfion to the Europeans there has degenerated into Superftition. Tho' there are but four chief Tribes, or Caftes, (being those whofe Origin they refer to the eleventh World) they nevertheless reckon, by various Subdivifions, ninety-eight, whofe Names and different Employments are mention'd by the Danish Miffionaries. The first is that of the Bramins; this is a facerdotal Tribe, which may be compar'd, in fome Measure, to that of Levi among the Jews. The Bramins are the Guardians of the facred Books, the Knowledge of which they conceal from the other Tribes. They alfo are the Chiefs of the Nation, and the Priests of the People, who rank, at the Head of all their Duties, that of contributing to their Support; an Obligation from which even their Kings are not exempt. The reft of the Caftes differ from one another by the Addition or Diminution of certain Prerogatives, which antient Cullom has eftablifh'd. They never marry into different Tribes, and frequently hate one another mortally. A Man of a fuperior Calte is polluted merely by the Touch of a Person of a different Tribe; and this Pollution is greater, in Proportion to the Meannels of fuch Perfon's Cafte. As they all in general bear an incredible Averfion to the Europeans, whom they call Franks, or Pranguis, and look upon them as the most infamous Nations of the World; every Indian who turns Chriflian is abfolutely expel.ed his Tribe, and expofed to the Infults of all his Countrymen. Accordingly, we don't find that the Chriftian Religion has made any great Progrefs in this Country, whatever the Romish Miffionaries may pretend. The fingle Cafle of the Barraves, who are fea faring Pe:fons, have embraced the Romih Religion on certain Conditions, which permit the Indians in Qeition to preferve Part of their antient Ufages. By the Way, this mutual Hatred of the Caftes is not abfolute y eftablith'd on the Principles of their Religion, tho' the Bramins foment it by their Inftructions; and that long Custom has loaded it with Ceremonies inexpreffibly fuperftitious and troublefome. Kaviler, one of their Prophets, complain'd of this, by obferving, that Biruma himfelf had a Concubine of the Tribe of the Baraians, now look'd upon as one of the moft intamous. To this he adds; "Does the Rain of Heaven fall with any Difference on Men? Does the Sun diftribute his Light unequally to them? Mankind are one, as God is one." The Gnaniguels, or Devotees in India, of whom we have spoke, have no Regard to this Distinction of Tribes. They eat indif criminately in all Houles, without enquiring into the Cafle of the Mallers of the.. "Are not we all (tays one of them) defcended from the fame Orginal? Have not all of us the fame Lan "guage |