Travels in India (Tavernier) 41.1.5

41.1.5

and before reaching it they had to cross a river, which during the summer contains but little water and may be forded anywhere. But when it rains in India the water falls in such quantity that it appears like a deluge, and in less than an hour or two, small streams rise 2 or 3 feet in depth. The rain having surprised these pilgrims, this river increased so quickly that it was impossible to cross it that day. It is not necessary that those who travel in India should provide themselves with food beforehand, — especially is this the case with the idolaters, who do not eat anything which has had life — because even in the smallest villages they always find in abundance rice, flour, butter, milk, beans, and other vegetables, sugar and other sweetmeats, dry and liquid. This multitude of people, who had no food with them, were much astonished on arrival at the bank of this river to see it so high and swollen, and at not being able to cross in order to go to the village, which was on the other side, where they intended to make their halt. They had nothing to give their children to eat, and nothing was to be heard save lamentations among this crowd. In this extremity the chief of their priests sat down in the middle of them, and causing himself to be covered with a large sheet began to call those who wished for food to approach him. He asked each what he wanted, whether rice or flour, and for how many persons;