Storia do Mogor 255.1.6

255.1.6

The men, armed with the order, and impelled by their desire to gain an overplus on the sum contracted for, go about seizing everybody and putting them to torture. For, without such pressure, no one would pay anything, experience in time past having proved to the subjects that, should any of them, through fear of punishment, make no difficulties about paying what is demanded, he does not thereby evade torture. For the financier and his agents always accept on account what the poor fellow has offered; but they infer that he who pays so readily, thinking more of torture than of his money, must have a deal more that he can give. This is why they demand from such a man as much again; and, if he refuses, he is subjected to torture to enforce payment. He is not released till he has paid all that has been demanded the second time. The tortures to which they subject these men are very severe. The first is made by water, and is very cruel. They place two pieces of wood at the bottom of a pond or a river bound to four posts driven into the ground. They lay the poor sufferer on the two pieces of wood with his arms bound, either behind, at his side, or in front. Then two or three men are seated upon him, and after leaving him like that for a time, he is extricated. They then ask him to agree to what they want. If he refuses, they resume the above treatment until he makes the required promise.