[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Storia do Mogor](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci) › [Storia do Mogor (Irvine)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine) › 265.29 # Storia do Mogor 265.29 Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 265.29 - **Language:** English ### [265.29.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29.1) Some months had passed, and news came of the husband's death ; he had been drowned. Thus was borne out what the old woman had said, and she earned much money through her renown as a diviner, and there was no lack of well-placed ladies who had recourse to her to find out their objects. In Madras was a rich widow who became anxious to know whom she would marry; so she sent for one of these old women, gave her a reward, and commanded her to perform her rites in her presence. For this purpose the old woman sent to fetch for her a clear glass phial, and breaking some eggs, poured them into it. The old woman prayed into the mouth of this bottle, and the eggs formed into a human shape with some letters showing the name of the person who was to become the widow's spouse. In those regions there was none who bore such a name. After some months there appeared a man who bore the name announced by the phial, and when the widow saw him, she declared he resembled him that she had seen, and she married him. I knew this man, and had many a talk with him. ### [265.29.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29.2) At Sao Thome there was another lady who sent for one of these old women diviners, and requested her to pray in her house in favour of a certain intention which she recommended to her. For the purpose a special chamber was set aside. After ten o'clock at night the old woman took her seat at a window, and engaged in prayer. Fancying she would hear a voice, according to her intention, there appeared instead in the middle of the room a face surrounded by white. On seeing it the old woman became speechless and was in a state of terror, sitting motionless, while the face remained stationary for some time. Finding that no question was put, it went out again by the same window. The old woman then fell down. The people of the house, hearing the fall, ran into the room, where they found the woman extended on the ground in a swoon. They raised her up, and with the help of medicines she came to herself by the morning; but she was unable to move one of her legs. Asking her what had happened, she explained that as the face passed out of the window, she felt it touch her on that leg. On inspection, they found the leg withered into a mere stick, and its flesh all shrivelled. Remedies were applied, but were not effective, and for the few years she survived it remained in the same condition. She ever repented herself of her deeds, for no one can fully understand an evil who has not actually experienced it. ### [265.29.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29.3) Not to put the reader out of humour, I will wind up, noting only four more instances very briefly. If I tried to state all those I have seen, it would take up much time to explain the differences and minutiae of all the similar doings of these old witches, who ruin women and young servant-girls. At the present time there is in Madras an old blind woman called Androza. She lived with the reputation of a saint, many women resorting to her to discover matters similar to those already stated. They bestowed liberal alms on her, by which she lived comfortably \[255\]. Through her fame for holiness, a whole village of fisher-folk had recourse to her, presenting to her good fish and some money. They enjoyed hearing her conversation, and did not come to church as usual. The vicar noticed their absence, while the alms that they usually brought to church at the time of mass and their other offerings were also missing. On his taking up the question, he discovered the pretensions of the blind Androza, who had imposed this superstition upon the whole fisher village. She was admonished, expelled from Madras, and her deceptions were unmasked. After these events Androza removed to Monte Grande, to the foot of a hermitage called Nossa Senhora \[da\] Comseicao (Our Lady of the Conception), where she lived on the alms given her by the devout. There she went on with her accustomed practices. ### [265.29.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29.4) In Sao Thome there was a lady who asked an old woman of a confraternity to inform her on some questions she wanted answered. In the depth of night, when the old woman was performing her ritual in the lady's house, there appeared an awe-inspiring monster, who seized the old woman by the hair and forced her out of the house, leaving her in the street half dead from the blows it applied. At the same time a ball of fire fell upon the house and all it contained was burnt, the inhabitants escaping with the greatest difficulty. The old woman found herself in the street, and on recovering her senses she repented herself, and decided never again to perform such rites. It took her a considerable time to recover health, and for the few years she lived she seemed to be in a state of fright, and trembled at the recollection of what had happened to her. It was a merited punishment for meddling in things that did not concern her. Not even by this example have they mended their ways, for they continue to act as before without any compunction and many of these old women have I seen die in misery. ### [265.29.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29.5) A young man had gone to buy fish from an old woman of this sort, and disagreeing about the price, he took it by force. After he had eaten it his stomach swelled, and he had acute pain which medicine did not cure. While he was in this condition they remarked that his breath smelt of stale fish, and his bowels discharged rotten fish. By these signs they recognised that it was some sorcery. Finding no cure for this, he died, and on opening his bowels they found a live fish. Many a time I have seen in cities and in camps, when there has been a robbery, that to recover what had been lost they went to sorcerers. These men take a brass bowl, and put into it some grains of uncooked rice and some flowers over which an incantation has been recited. Then they take another bowl of the same metal, and beating with a short stick, they say some words softly, and the first bowl with the flowers begins to move of itself very slowly. At last it arrives at the place where the thing lost is lying. The thief, seeing the crowd and hearing the sound of the basin, runs off, abandoning everything. The owner, after detailing the marks of his property, carries it away, while the rest of the fugitive's goods are seized by the police. ### [265.29.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29.6) There happened to be in Sao Thome a Portuguese called Manoel Macedo de Azevedo. This man dreamt several nights running that inside his house, in a godown (storehouse), was buried a treasure, close \[256\] to a pillar on which the house rested. To find out if the dream were true, he called in a sorcerer, to whom he set forth what he had dreamed. The sorcerer asked for three days to inquire and see if things were as he had dreamt. To find out by experiment whether the sorcerer knew how to divine what had been buried, the Portuguese placed some money and jewels in the earth at four places in his garden. When the three days had passed, the sorcerer came, and going into the garden, drew forth a small paper from his pocket, and took from it a certain black \[powder\] and anointed his eyes. Then the Portuguese led the sorcerer to the places where he had buried the things already referred to. The sorcerer halted, and described minutely what had been interred. ### [265.29.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29.7) The Portuguese now believed in the sorcerer through the proof that he had put him to, and took him to the middle of the godown of which he had dreamt. The sorcerer came and stood there, and displayed great astonishment, saying that in that spot was a large caldron full of gold ; but it was down seven cubits deep near the water-level. The caldron had two rings, and each ring was placed on the horn of an ox which upheld the caldron. On hearing this the Portuguese was delighted, and wanted to order the pot to be excavated and withdrawn. The sorcerer advised him it was inexpedient to touch it without having performed a sacrifice. In obedience to his counsel, goats and cocks were sacrificed ; then men were set to work to dig while the master stood by. As soon as they had dug down about four cubits and the work was still in progress, an announcement was made that the governor of the place had come to call on him (the Portuguese). ### [265.29.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29.8) The work was suspended, the labourers were turned out, and the door locked. Then the master went to greet the governor at his gate, and conducted him to the garden. While they were in conversation the house fell down, owing to the removal of the foundations of the pillar. Thereby the man saw how good God had been to him, and the net which the Devil had tried to spread for him. Repenting himself, he abandoned his attempt. All the city heard of the case, and of the unholy rites the man had performed. He was compelled to appear at Goa to defend himself before the Inquisition, from which he came out free. I am not yet satisfied with the accounts I have given of the superstitions and sorceries of the Indian people, for there still remains something for me to say, and thereby to give satisfaction to inquiring readers. In my time there was at Agrah a man called Hortencio Bronzony (Ortencio Bronzoni), a native of Venice, married to one of his slaves, a Hindu by birth. Her name was Suzana Borges, and she had a son by her \[first\] --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.29) · Pramāṇa