[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) › [Mongolicae legationis commentarius](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate) › [The Commentary of Father Monserrate (Hoyland)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland) › 2.2 # The Commentary of Father Monserrate 2.2 The Commentary of Father Monserrate (Hoyland) 2.2 - **Language:** English ### [2.2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.1) But though these people are bound by so many Jewish religious usages, still they worship Fire and the Sun, and build temples to Fire. They appoint priests, temple-guardians and soothsayers, and feed the sacred fire with fresh ghi or with precious sweet-smelling oil. If they are compelled to establish some statement by oath, they make water upon burning coals, which they regard as the most sacred form of oath. If they refuse to do this, no faith can be put in their word. On their feast days they pray in the morning, with a very loud voice and in a strange tongue. They have their own writing script. The scriptures of their religion are contained in a single volume, which only those who know the language in which it is written can understand. This volume has three parts, dealing with religious observances, the wisdom and legal enactments of the ancients, and the lore of the Magi (who are regarded by the Persians as a class of sages) regarding prophecy and divination. The diet of these people consists of milk, ghi, oil, vegetables, pulse and fruit. They drink no wine. They are allowed to divorce their wives at will. They cut off the noses of unchaste women, and permit them to become prostitutes. In conclusion, their character is so wild and savage that they seem to differ not at all from other heathen. For if any disaster happens to them they commit suicide in a horrible fashion. These are the customs of these Persians. ### [2.2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.2) The Fathers were compelled to stop at Surat for almost a month. For the ambassador was unwilling to begin his journey before the moon should have reached a favourable state. It is the custom of the Musalmans to take the auspices before they start upon any undertaking, and for this purpose to observe whether the moon shows herself to the sun after his rising. If she does so, they regard her as in an auspicious state. However this delay was neither useless nor unoccupied. For while the Musalmans rested idly, the Fathers applied themselves with diligence to the study of the Persian language. Very many visitors came to their lodgings to call upon them, inspired by curiosity and by the desire of seeing men of strange aspect, dress, speech and religion, who had been summoned on account of their reputation for wisdom and piety, to his court by that King whom they thought most powerful of all. The Fathers showed these visitors pictures of Jesus Christ and of the Virgin Mary, by which they were so much impressed that they not only kissed them devoutly, but placed them reverently upon their heads. So true is it that all men naturally regard as worthy of reverence that which is truly excellent, although many are frequently deceived in their judgment of excellence, or through obstinacy and prejudice rashly and insolently refuse to honour and worship it. ### [2.2.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.3) In this connection a wonderful, nay almost a miraculous, event occurred. For one of the Gabraeans, whom I regard as Jews or Samaritans, was obstinately opposing the Fathers in controversy. Meanwhile Rudolf chanced to open a casket in which were preserved certain relics of St. Stephen the Protomartyr, and of several other saints. The Gabraean immediately became terrified, uttered a loud shriek, started back, and exclaimed as though he had gone mad. "If there are bones of dead men here, I cannot stay, unless I tear off these garments in which I am clothed, and rend them to pieces." Rudolf answered him quietly, wisely and in the true spirit of Christianity, — "We do not carry about the bones of the dead, but of the living." Forthwith he shut up the casket. And the Gabraean, recovering from his terror, started again upon the interrupted controversy. ### [2.2.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.4) Surat stands on the river Taphaeus, which enters the sea six miles from the town. The citadel is in a naturally strong position, is well fortified, and is guarded by a garrison of two hundred mounted archers. The town is adorned by a lake, which is much the largest and the most beautiful (by reason of the pains which have been taken to embellish it artificially) of all the lakes that are to be seen in India. For the eye is delighted by the flights of marble steps which surround this lake in a broad sweep. These steps are two hundred feet wide, and are divided into several sections. In the centre rises a finely built tower which is reached by boat whenever the citizens resort thither to amuse themselves. The place is also dignified by the tomb of Qhoja Sopharis, who is frequently mentioned by our writers for his treachery and abandoned character. This tomb is rather an extraordinary structure, but is elaborately and expensively decorated. Close by is the grave of another worthless fellow, an Ethiopian renegade from, and enemy of Christianity, who was the leader of Qhoja Sopharis' troops. The common people revere him as a saint, solely because he was executed by Garsia of Tauora, Governor of Daman. The women bring wreaths and garlands of flowers to his tomb. Surat is thronged with merchants, and the near-by port is full of ships: for it is a safe anchorage, since the river extends deep and broad from the sea right up to the city. ### [2.2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.5) At last the ambassador, having got favourable auspices from the moon, led his company out of Surat, and pitched his camp outside the town near the gates. Camels and other means of transport had been provided to carry provisions and merchandise. On the next day, i.e. January 24th, they set out, greatly to the delight of the Fathers, who did not approve of this delay and its superstitious cause, and were inexpressibly eager to reach the King's court; for they were confident that he would embrace Christianity. Having moved one mile, across the river Mophis (i.e. the Taphi), to a spot near Rhaenerum, the company encamped. This Rhaenerum, which is commonly called Raynel by the Portuguese, is a celebrated military fortress opposite Surat, to which it bears the same relation as Abydos does to Sestos. Its citizens have frequently defended themselves most manfully against the Portuguese, although they have been overcome. ### [2.2.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.6) On the next day the travellers set out from this place, whereupon two of the Fathers and the rest of the Christians fell into no small danger. One of the priests was being carried in a litter, as he was ill. His bearers, eager to get rid of their burden, had gone on at a rapid pace far ahead of the rest of the company. The governor of Surat met them, surrounded by a band of guards. The priest saluted the governor, who asked him what party was coming behind. Meanwhile the governor's followers went on ahead, and perceiving the foreign appearance of the rest of the company fell upon them savagely, with intent to kill them all, shouting 'Franks, Franks.' However the governor and the ambassador whipped up their horses, reached the spot from opposite directions, and by the mercy of God succeeded in quelling the riot before a single Musalman had been slain by the Portuguese. If one had so perished, we should all have been killed. The two Fathers who had been in such danger thought that the one who had gone on ahead must certainly have been killed. When they caught him up they embraced him as though he had been restored to them from heaven. ### [2.2.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.7) On the next day they came to a fort built out of the debris of some Hindu temples which the Musalmans had destroyed. Such destruction would have been a praiseworthy action if many of their other actions had not been so abominable. The camp was pitched on the bank of the Taphi. On the same day the Hindus expatiate their sins of the past years in the following manner. A cocoanut shell is scraped out and filled with oil. A wick inserted and lighted. The Hindu then strips off his clothes and enters the river with the lighted lamp on his head. He slowly submerges himself till the lamp, caught by the current, is carried away. They regard themselves as purified from sin by this process. This festival is called by the Hindus the Satamia because it is held on the seventh day of the moon in the eleventh month, which in their reckoning is January. Leaving the bank of the river the company reached Sultanpurum (i.e. King's town) on the ninth day form Surat. This was the day on which the Musalmans perform their sacrifices. A three days' halt was made at Sultanpurum, as the ambassador desired to wait there on account of this festival. Thence they crossed the Avazus range and reached Cenduanum four days later. The Avazus extends for 75 miles eastward from the sea, and is 16 miles wide. It is crossed by a narrow and difficult track. The camels have to be led in single file; and the carts are carried on men's shoulders. ### [2.2.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.8) The jungle on each side is exceedingly dense, and the ground broken and rough. There one of the ambassador's guards was killed by robbers, and no revenge could be taken. The inhabitants of these mountains worship ghosts. They are ruled by three kings, of whom one is the master of the other two and is as it were their emperor. They are constantly at war with the Mongols. When one of their tribes is pacified, and a treaty made with the Mongols, the other two tribes carry on the wild and savage warfare, and frequently defeat their great enemy. Occasionally these battles are drawn; but the Mongols can never inflict on the mountaineers a decisive defeat. These mountaineers are wild, barbarous and degraded. They are addicted to brigandage, and have no weapons except bows made of bamboo and short arrows with rusty points. Yet they are exceedingly fierce, intractable, greedy of spoil, and headstrong. They have no cavalry and no artillery, but are vastly aided by the nature of their country, which is remarkable for its deep jungles and precipitous crags. They fortify these natural strongholds with intrenchments and stockades. They assail the enemy from ambuscades, which they lay in thickets and thorny places. Their attack may be open or concealed; but they hesitate to come to close quarters. The extreme narrowness of the tracks, and the steep cliffs on either side, enable a very few of them easily to hold the enemy at bay. ### [2.2.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2.9) If in spite of this a determined attack is made upon them which they cannot withstand, they successfully conceal themselves in the dense and craggy jungle. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.monserrate~en-hoyland.2.2) · Pramāṇa