Travels in India (Tavernier) 35.3.5

35.3.5

As the soldiers had been nearly three days without eating they forthwith took so much food that they all had fever on the following day, so that to cure themselves they had to fast afterwards, dieting being in India the sovereign remedy for all kinds of ills. After they had eaten they wished to pursue their way, but the Brahmins made them understand that the forest extended very far, and that the leeches would take their lives if they did not find some place to protect themselves from these insects, and advised them to remain there the whole night, and that the following day they should start early. This they did, according to their advice. This night heavy rain fell, and one of the Banian priests made a sign to them to follow him to his house. Having arrived there he made them enter a hole under the house, which he besought them not to touch ; and though he brought them food, they were unwilling to eat it for fear of increasing the fever with which they were attacked. When it was quite dark these poor people came out of the hole, and went out upon the terrace of the house in order to sleep more at their ease. To avoid being caught there they did not fail to return to the hole at break of day, and the Brahmin, master of the house, took them again to the Pagoda, where he ordered them to be given food.