[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) › 265.8 # Storia do Mogor 265.8 Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 265.8 - **Language:** English ### [265.8.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8.1) There was a married man whose wife boasted that she could keep a secret. To test her whether it was so or not, one night he came home carrying beneath his cloak a wrapped-up napkin covered with blood, and told his wife that in it was the head of an enemy whom he had decapitated. It was desirable to bury it without anyone knowing. He prayed her to keep his secret, for if it came to be discovered it would cost him his life. They went together to the garden and secretly buried it. Some time elapsed when the wife, anxious to domineer over her husband, gave him some sharp answers, and did not show him the usual respect. Feigning apprehension, he caressed his wife and did as she wanted. The ungrateful creature admitted she was satisfied, but with her little sense went on aggravating her husband. Getting into a rage, he ignored his wife, and, imposing his authority, thrust her into a room and bolting the door, left the house. The servant-girl intimated to her mistress that master was gone out, and the door was bolted. The lady from inside gave an order to open, and as soon as she was out unlocked her boxes, drew out the best of her belongings, and carried herself and them off to the house of her mother. Next she went straight to the magistrate, and informed him how her husband had killed a man, had brought the dead man's head home and interred it. She described the spot, and protested she was innocent of the homicide. ### [265.8.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8.2) She was compelled to report it, for if the authorities learnt it through her she would escape punishment. The judge, supposing it to be true, went to the man's house along with the wife. She pointed out the spot, and he ordered it to be dug up. They found a sheep's head! Thus was brought to light the woman's disloyalty, and the husband had made a fool of her. I give the advice that no one disclose matters of importance to women, and thus be able to live without anxiety. \[Pages 184 and 185 are blank.\] ### [265.8.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8.3) \[186\] A fearful thing once happened. A well-born damsel married a youth of her own rank. At night, after they had withdrawn to their room, the people of the house heard great cries from the young lady calling for help. The people pretended not to hear, it being the general custom in India that young women on such occasions, be it veritable or pretence, should show that they are hurt. In the morning, when the bridegroom did not appear, they opened the door, and they beheld him pacing restlessly up and down the place, his eyes staring unnaturally; he was foaming at the mouth and mad. He fell upon the people, and they were obliged to secure him. They sought the bride, and found her in the room cut to pieces, her breasts gnawed, her eyes plucked out, her face and her whole body bitten. Within twenty-four hours the bridegroom died in agony, barking like an angry dog. The cause of this disaster was that nearly three months before the marriage a mad dog had bitten him on the leg. He did not have this attended to properly, and the night he was with his wife the poison overcame him, and he acted as described. From what I have experienced in India many times, to heal a man who has been bitten by a mad dog it is necessary to apply at once the actual cautery to the bite, and without any other treatment he recovers. Equally I have seen and tested that anyone bitten by such an animal, if he goes on a sea voyage is not affected by the poison. ### [265.8.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8.4) Since I have spoken of the town of Sao Thome, I will relate some things that happened there. I was told these stories by various old inhabitants, natives of the place. Formerly it was richer than all the other towns held by the Portuguese in India, owing to its great trade with China, Java, Malacca, et cetera. The merchants gained more than a thousand per cent. ; but this was before the Dutch came out to India. They received goods and paid for them by the para, which is a measure used in Europe to measure corn and vegetables. Nowadays they measure in those measures rice, lime, and other products. The coins for which these goods were exchanged are called pagodas, which are still current. These coins, which are of gold and weigh a drachm, are small and circular, stamped only on one side with the symbol of some idol. The ancients must have thought little of gold from the way they used it in painting and adorning various unnecessary places, such as beams, doorways, windows in their houses ; and for various purposes, such as on chests, escritoires, chests of drawers, benches, chairs, et cetera, adding nails and fastenings of gold and silver, or putting gold feet and other ornaments to their bedsteads of aloes-wood or of sandal-wood, also to the chairs and benches of the same woods. ### [265.8.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8.5) There was a lady called Justa Padrao who slept in a bed of which the head was adorned with little bells of gold and silver, and these served at times to amuse her. She was so rich that she had her own room swept with brooms of gold, and other places with brooms of silver. Brooms in India have handles of fine twigs (ydes) and are not like those of Europe. When this lady left the house, either to go to church or pay a visit, two women servants preceded her with two golden censers to incense her. She had other special censers of silver to lend to the church on solemn occasions. From the little that I have said the reader can conceive in what grandeur the greater part of these people lived. The woman spoken of above when she came to die was so miserably off that she had not even a piece of cloth to make a shroud, and at her burial she was wrapped in a reed-mat. This is the fate of him who so far forgets his Creator. ### [265.8.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8.6) It is patent to everybody that when the Portuguese were masters of this town (S. Thome) there were in it many oppressions and much injustice. They slew one another ; they dug and fortified trenches in the streets, furnishing them with cannon. Both sides had their rendezvous, and spent much money in maintaining soldiers. If anyone passed carelessly down the street, they shot at him with their matchlocks. They obtained reward for their evil deeds, paying no respect even to the Holy of Holies, shooting down men during religious processions. Owing to the risings in the town the convents and churches were barricaded. The friars were forced to go in person to fetch water, and, out of charity, carried into their house men of the weaker party, and from the other side at various times wrested matchlocks, of which they broke off the pans. Besides this, merely to see the laming of an innocent person who was passing in the street, he ordered his servant to fire his gun. This order he gave when praying, rosary in hand. The servant fired, and reported to his master that the passer-by was lamed. He took his station at the window, repeating " Our Father in heaven." He saw the injured man was wounded, and was making off on all fours in hopes of saving his life. He stopped saying the Lord's Prayer, and gave a second order to fire another bullet to finish killing the man. ### [265.8.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8.7) Among them was a man called Antonio de Viveros, who lived by the sale of poisons, raising false accusations against married women in the hope that the husbands might buy poison from him, and he draw profit from the money. If the husband had no money with which to pay, he would give the poison on credit. It was noted that twenty-nine married women had died of poison sold by this man to their husbands, among whom were friars and secular priests. A few days before the Mahomedans took the town, which was in the year one thousand six hundred and sixty-four (1664), the above fellow died, and as he had many relations, these all assembled. There were also many neighbours and acquaintances, who came to see if it were true. They were afraid he might be shamming to be dead, and they all rejoiced that he was really dead. ### [265.8.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8.8) Such a crowd filled his public room that, through their weight, the house being an old one, the whole of it collapsed \[188\], with the corpse and most of those present around it. Some of the men were killed, some had their legs or arms broken or injured. Others died smothered, for the godown (warehouse) beneath the sitting-room was full of lime; and this chunambo (chunám, lime) did great damage, blinding some and stifling others. Great uproar and lamentation ensued; and the greater part of the town said with tears: 'It was not enough for Antonio de Viveros to kill so many as he did in life, but he must needs destroy as many more at his death.' Instead of commending his soul to God, they wished it at the devil. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.265.8) · Pramāṇa