Storia do Mogor 353.4
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 353.4
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353.4.1
One day, while I was out on one of the above excursions, I amused myself in those gardens for longer than usual, and night came on before I had half completed my journey. By the light of the moon, which was not very bright, I observed coming towards me some strings of camels and oxen laden with goods, guarded by some mounted soldiers. To afford myself a bit of a game, I drew my sword and charged them, with shouts of 'Mora, mora !' [Mãro, mãro ! (Strike, strike !)]. On hearing my cries all the men fled and abandoned the animals. When I had arrived quite close, and found there was no one there, I rode my horse in all directions, crying out that I was only joking ; moreover, I was no thief, therefore let them return and look after their animals. My voice was given to the winds, since no one appeared. I resumed my journey, and made for my house. Afterwards I learnt that it was the baggage of a viceroy, who was proceeding to his government of [90] the province of Ajmer; but no one ever found out that it was I who had caused the stampede.
353.4.2
It is the custom in the Mogul country for the royal elephants, whether those meant for war or those which fight before the king, to be kept outside the city near the gardens. They stand in a field below some trees, they are bound with heavy chains, and their keepers live with them. I went once at night to tease these animals with fireworks. They broke their chains and rushed wildly over the fields, doing a great deal of damage. Next I received word that some cavalry soldiers had been posted on guard to seize the insolent intruder ; thus I forbore to molest the elephants any more. Just let the judicious reader imagine what would have been my punishment had I been taken, and into what disgrace I should have fallen. To-day, although now in old age, when I remember this and other similar escapades I committed, I never fail to sigh over them and grieve at my misdeeds. I have noticed that these people of India, generally those of low extraction, are not fitted for the drinking of wine, and when they drink they become like animals, both in body and in intellect. If they have drunk only a little, you can tell it by their hesitating speech. The following instance will serve as an example :
353.4.3
[91] In Masulipatam there was a Mahomedan, a seafaring man, of the caste of Chulia (Chuliã), men who follow no other occupation than that of sailor. This man gained a lot of money at that work, and in time became rich. He went to live in the kingdom of Pegu, where he grew still richer, and he married a woman of the country, who was both noble and handsome. Upon finding himself so well off, he began to drink the spirits of Pegu, made from the rice called polo, which are of rather good quality. Some time after his marriage his wife fell seriously ill, and died of that illness, to the great grief of her husband, he being very fond of her. All the same, he did not give up drinking. Three days after her death all the slaves in his household assembled dressed in mourning, and went to present themselves before him in the gardens, where he had been shut up the greater part of the night drinking. They made great demonstrations of affliction. When he saw this novel performance he asked what all this sorrow meant. They replied that they had lost a well-conducted mistress, a woman of great kindness, and they would never be able to find another like her.
353.4.4
The tipsy Chuliã then remarked to them : ' Do not be cast down. By the power of God the Messiah died and was brought to life, and I, too, will resuscitate your mistress by ordering her to arise.' He shouted at once for lights to be brought, and [92] he started for the cemetery, stumbling about first here and then there. When they reached the spot he caused the tomb to be opened, and the coffin containing the dead body was exhumed. The coffin was opened, and the grave-clothes loosened. He approached with the light ; he beheld his late wife with her tongue projecting from her mouth and quite black, her face horrible, and the whole emitting a strong, foetid odour. He fell into a swoon, from which he was unable to recover himself, and they were forced to carry him home in that condition. Then they returned to re-inter the deceased. Two days afterwards the Chulia opened his eyes ; he was in a state of terror, trembling all over, and unable to eat. After five days he died. This case was told to me by some Armenian merchants who were on the spot, and had several times dealt with the said Chuliã.
353.4.5
In this kingdom of Pegu is a province called Siriam, which is reached in boats through canals debouching into the river. It takes three days' travelling to reach the town where the merchandise has to be sold. The inhabitants of this country are accustomed to hold several festivals in the course of the year in honour of their idols. But the principal festivity is celebrated outside the city at the foot of great mountains. The idols are on the summit. This feast falls in the month of [93] February; it is called the Digum (? Dagon) festival, which means, 'Of the fire.' On that day the governor and the chief men of the place attend and the greater number of the inhabitants. They solemnize the festival by consuming a considerable quantity of spirits; there are also performances and dances and fireworks, which are discharged at night-time. In the preparation of these fireworks they labour for many days. The machine in which they enclose the powder is in shape and size like a large barrel, hooped with iron, and having a long tail. This barrel, in order that it may fly into the air, is attached to a high tree, of which there are plenty in the place, the forest being a vast one. Before the thing is set alight they resume their drinking, then the chief men draw near and bow to it as a mark of veneration.
353.4.6
Once when they were performing these solemn acts one of the officials of the law courts, being more tipsy than the rest, boasted that he could rise into the air along with the firework and come down to earth again unharmed. Over this assertion several wagers for large sums were entered into, because some believed and others disbelieved him. To sum up, to avoid any [94] fraud that the man might attempt, they bound him by his hands to the end of the firework. The end, shaped like a tail, is made out of a large tree called bambu, a great number of which grow in that forest, and they are eight cubits in length. When ten o'clock at night arrived, following their custom they set alight to the firework, and all the people began to run and shout as is their fashion. The next day they found the firework a league away from the place where fire had been applied to it, and the drunkard who had been tied to it was found to have been burnt.
353.4.7
The Jesuits at Pondicherry do not give over the performance of their extravagant comedies, one of which they produced the other day. In it they represented a knight of good family who had married a rich and noble lady. By gambling and other dissipation he came in a few years to the end of his wealth, and fell into extreme poverty. Oppressed by his needs, and finding no one would lend him any money, he had recourse to the Devil. Satan lent him the money on condition that, should he not find the wherewithal to satisfy the debt, he must make over his wife in payment. The term fixed having passed, the Devil appeared to demand his money ; but the knight, having nothing from which to pay the debt, contended for a long time with his creditor. Finally he agreed to produce his wife at a place appointed by the Devil. In order not to break his word the husband enticed his wife away from the house on a pretext of taking a walk in some gardens. On the way they passed close to a church, when the wife craved leave from her husband to enter and offer a prayer to Our Lady the Virgin Mary, for whom she felt great veneration.
353.4.8
Whilst the woman was at the foot of the altar engaged in prayer, it came to pass that the Virgin descended from the altar and said to her : ' Stop where you are, for your husband is taking you away deceitfully. I will take your place.' The Virgin issued from the church, joined the knight, and they continued the journey. Upon arriving at the place fixed upon, the knight said to the Devil : ' Here is my wife in place of the cash.' The Devil approached to seize the woman, but received a great shock of terror, and with a backward leap cried : ' This is not thy wife as thou promised me ; it is the Virgin Mary, whom I am impotent to lay hands on.' The knight assured him it was his wife ; but meanwhile the Virgin had disappeared. The character was played by a black man dressed in woman's clothes [96] . The Devil's and the knight's parts were taken by two white men, who now commenced to shoe-beat each other, and thus the play came to an end. This play was acted by the Jesuits in the month of July, 1705, in the presence of all the officials of the settlement, as also of the Malabãr population, to a noisy accompaniment of drums and trumpets and the discharge of fireworks.
353.4.9
From and to this port of Madras there go and come every year many ships trading with Bengal ; hence one of my friends promises to send me by these occasions a statement drawn up by a person worthy of credit, dealing with these subjects [i.e., the conduct of the Jesuits] . Should this reach me, I will without fail communicate it to the enquiring reader. In Manila in the year 1703 there was another ridiculous instance. Early in the month of August there set sail from this port of Madras a Portuguese vessel called Nossa Senhora do Rosário. Many merchants of different nations took passages in her. When these people reached Manila they took up their quarters in a town half a league from the city; its name is Santa Cruz. The greater number of the merchants live there as finding it [97] more agreeable. In the place is a church called Santa Cruz, belonging to the Jesuit fathers. They performed in it a representation of our Lord Jesus Christ's passion with living figures, being black men residents of the country. It took place in the middle of Lent, and they represented Christ carrying the cross on His shoulder. Upon that day, moved by piety, many of the merchants from this city of Madras, as well as many from Macao,