1754.

The INHABITANTS, &c. defcribed.

ther animals, the elephants are remarkable for their fize, being larger than any other over all India. Here alfo are tygers, bears, civit cats, monkeys, &c. But another kind of advantage, is its cinnamon, the beft in all Afia; this and all other fpices are in the hands of the Dutch East India company, and which A they turn to excellent account, in furnishing all other parts of Europe.

Cinnamon is properly the inward bark of a tree, the leaves whereof both in figure and dimentions are not unlike thofe of a laurel; there are three forts of it, the fine is ftripped from young trees, a coarfer taken from the old trees, and Jaftly, wild cinnamon. The company likewife has a confiderable trade in cinnamon oil, which bears a great price: Its gains from the fale of precious stones, as rubies, faphires, white and blue topazes, &c. which are found in this Inland, likewife run very high.

B

D

There is a fine pearl fifhery off the Inland Manar, and Tokecorin, of vaft produce. It is farmed twice a year to certain dealers in negroes; the pearl oyfters lie at the bottom of the fea, and are fished for only in fine weather, and a perfect calm; a rope faftened to the boat is flung under the diver's arms, who also has at his feet a large flone to accelerate his defcent, with a bag about his waift to put the oysters in; of thefe he picks up as many as he can within his reach, and when he is for being drawn up, he gives a pull at another rope than that which is under his arm, upon which his mates run him up with the utmost expedition, he untying the ftone at his feet to lighten his weight. The boats being loaded, the Negro merchants fell E the oysters along the coafts by the hundred: This is a kind of hazardous trade to the buyers, for if fometimes they light upon a pearl of value, they often find none at all, or very fmall ones.

A confiderable profit likewife accrues to the company from the mullins, chints, and other stuffs; but most of the muflins & in Europe come from the coaft of Malabar.

The inhabitants of Ceylon are called Cinglaffes; they are generally tall and well made, a fwarthy complexion, with exceffive long ears, which is owing to heavy ornaments dangling at them; they are full of courage, live hard, and confequently make good foldiers. Mahome-G tanifm is the established religion; but fome among them are fo ftupid, as to worship cows and calves. So far from making any account of the Dutch, that they treat them with a kind of contempt,

467

calling them their guards de coaft; but the Dutch have the prudence to overlook fuch trifles, minding the main chance, the amity of the king of Canny, that he may not take it into his head to break with them, which would be a very fenfible wound to their commerce in this charming Island; yet this the king might do without any danger, from either their fhips or foldiery, their territories being feparated by a large rapid river, and by thick forefts, as would foon make Europeans fick of an attempt to cut a passage thro' them. The inhabitants of this Inland are ingenious in every thing, but particularly in taming and managing elephants, which in peaceable times they ufe as beafts of burden, and turn to very good fervice in war.

The Dutch drive a confiderable trade with the inhabitants of the Maldives, for those little fhells called cowries, where are prodigious quantities of them, and not only on the fhore, but in the very ground, being probably depofited there at the time of the flood, and left there when the ocean receded from the land. What we call money being arbitrary, and its nature and value depending on a tacit convention betwixt men, thefe fhells, in feveral parts of Afia and Africa, are accounted current money, with a value aligned to them. This is eftablished by a reciprocal confent, and those who are pleafed to fhew a contempt of them, do not reflect that fhells are as fit for a common standard of pecuniary value, as either gold or filver; they certainly forget that they themselves are obliged to do what they ridicule, and ' take them for ready money, in 1740, 2400 cowles were equal to a rupee, or about a crown at three guilders in our money.

But their great currency is on the coaft of Africa, particularly Guinea, where the Negroes value them as much as gold and filver, and call them bougies. An inftance of the great confumption of thefe shells, that the French merchants of the kingdom of Whydah ufually give 40° pounds of thefe cowries for every piece of common linen, manufactured by the natives, and proportionably for the products of the country, as wax, ivory, gold, &c. The company it is which fupplies the European nations with the far greater part of this Negro money, if I may be indulged the expreflion. The esteem in which thefe fhells are on the coast of Guinea, muft appear furpri fing; they are not only, like gold and filver, the measure and instrument of cornmerce betwixt the Negroes, but worn as Nana

463

Ceremony of a NUN's taking the Veil.

helis

ornaments in necklaces and bracelets,
frung in one or more rows, which looks
fomething odd, yet not amifs, by the
contraft of the whitenefs of the
with the blackness, of their skins.
Formerly 12,000 weight of these cow-
ries would purchase a cargo of 5 or 600
Negroes; but thofe lucrative times are now A
no more; and the Negroes now fet fuch
a value on their countrymen, that there
is no fuch thing as having a cargo under
12 or 14 tuns of cowries.

As payments in this kind of fpecie are
attended with fome intricacy, the Ne-
groes, though fo fimple as to fell one an
other for Thells, have contrived a kind
of copper veffel, holding exactly ro8 B
pounds, which is a great dispatch to bu-
finefs. However, the Maldives must not.
be thought the only place which affords
thefe fhells; they are also found in the
Philippine Inlands, but they do not
come up to the Maldivian either in co-
lour or clearness.

The chief European

market for these fhells is at Amfterdam, C where are fpacious warehouses of them, the French and English merchants buying them up to fend to Africa.

With this account of the Inland of Ceylon, which I know to be authentick, I muft conclude my ramble to India; my curiofity of visiting Java, and other of our eastern poffeffions, having been cut short by an important recal home, where by God's bletfing, after a mixture of diftrefs and pleafure, I fafely arrived; but with I had found it in a more tranquil fituation.

From the Weekly Advertiser and Inspector,
October 5.

The following Defcription of the Ceremony
fed in Popifh Countries, at the Nun's taking
she Veil, is extracted from Mr. Drum-
mond's Travels.

O&

further end of the church; near this place was a table for prayer, covered with crimson velvet, and furnished with a cushion of the fame, upon which the kneeled for a little time; then, while an anthem was performing, the walked flowly up to the great altar, preceded by three priests, two old nuns being on each fide, in a particular drefs, calculatedfor that purpofe, and followed by feveral perfons belonging to the church, one of whom carried the facred habit. She kneelled a little while at the altar, and, after having been asked by the priest, if the came there with a voluntary intention and defire of being wedded to Jesus Christ, the removed to a place of prayer, covered with crimfon velvet, flowered with gold, that food upon the left fide of the altar, being still accompanied by the four old nuns. She was dreffed with the utmoft gaiety, in a white tabby of a particular make, with an infinity of jewels in her hair, about her neck, and upon her breast. When the firft entered the church, I felt fome uneasiness; but, during the flow folemn proceffion to the altar, I was feized with a melancholy compassion, and fympathetick forrow. She was young and handfome, and with an appearance of sweetness and innocence much more agreeable than real beauty, and walked with fuch compofure and refignation, that, had he been really a victim de ftined for the flaughter, I doubt if I should have felt more tenderness and pity for the poor deluded creature, more affliction for her unhappy fate, or more inveteracy against the authors of fuch a damnable: inftitution. Prieftcraft was certainly the origo mali, but the parents are focii criE minis; for their curfod pride will not permit their daughters to marry with merchants, however rich, and feldom with ftrangers, even tho' noble; and, that the grandeur of the family may be the better maintained, the younger fons are not allowed to marry, except when there is no probability that the eldest will have children; but they indulge their lewd paffions by becoming priests, cicifbei, and pimps, while the poor girls are defrauded of their liberty, and those innocent joys for which they are so wel adapted by nature.

ONE day went to St. Daniel's church in Venice, to fee the young Donna Conteffa Emilia Benson take the religious habit of an Augustin nun, by the name of Maria Rofa, in the monåstery of that F shurch.

Tho' I had been in a great many counaries where the Roman catholick religion prevails, I never before had an opportunity of feeing a nun take the veil. We placed ourselves near the altar, so as that we should have a diftinct view of every thing that paffed, and had not long continued in that fituation, when the mufick, confifting of 22 performers, vocal and inftrumental, began an overture; after which the young lady entered the gate next the monaftery, which was at the

G

The ceremony was hatefully tedious, but at length the dear little victim came to the altar, accompanied by the four hags, resembling the witches in Macbeth, with white handkerchiefs upon their heads, which were thrust thro' holes in pieces of black ftuffs, which hung down upon the breaft and back, and under which they wore gowns of cream colour

ed

1

1754. DESCRIPTION of NORMANDY.

ed crape; there kneeling, the received
the facrament: After which they pinned
a crown of thorns upon her Mead, put
a crucifix (which the kiffed) in her right
hand, and in her left a large, lighted,
wax taper, both being adorned with
red, white, and variegated rofes, in al-
lufion to the name the had affumed: A
Then an anthem was performed, while
the walked with the fame folemnity to
the gate of the monaftery, (her habit
being carried behind her) attended by a
great number of gentlemen and ladies,
1 myfelf making part of the retinue:
There the flood fome time knocking, un-
til the gate being opened, fhe was re-
ceived by the lady abbefs. Upon her B
admittance, the grated door was shut;
and fhe, amidst a proceffion of nuns,
walked thro' the gallery into the hall
of the convent, which is divided from
she body of the church by gilded grates,
and was at that time stuck round with
rofes.

469

spects, especially thofe near the Seine. whofe ftream above Rouen is about as wide as the Thames at Datehet, but fo fhallow as only to admit of flat-bottomed boats. The country is finely wooded, and has great plenty of game. Lower Normandy has fewer orchards than the Upper, but has a greater quantity of grafs, and confequently much larger herds of oxen, and very confiderable flocks of theep. The cows are but fmall; the sheep of the fame fize as thofe at Newmarket, and full as good. The Norman horfes are very fine ones, well shaped and strong, and greatly valued every where. They have all long tails, which their owners are wifer than to cut off as we do. Theis affes and mules are much larger than ours. We faw fome vines, but not many, cyder being the chief liquor of the country; I tafted fome several times, but it is made fo weak, even at gentlemens houses, that you run in danger of the colick by drinking it. The great towns are populous, but the country is thinly inhabited. The crops of corn we saw were thin and fhort, which I am apt to think is not fo much owing to the nature of the ground, as to the oppreffions which the people labour under; for as the tenant is obliged to difcharge all taxes (which taxes are impofed upon him in Dout a due regard to his rent) if he hapan almost arbitrary manner, and withpens to have a better crop than ordinary, he is fure to pay for it, and therefore is not very anxious after improvements; but those who are not under thofe hardfhips, viz. the farmers of lands belonging to religious houfes, have as good crops as any I ever faw in England. Moft E of the villages are fituated in bottoms; the poor peoples houfes (if I may venture to call them houfes) are made with mud walls, and are covered with thatch; the houfes are mofily built with plaifter, and a great deal of timber running upwards, downwards, and cross-ways; the first Rory projecting beyond the ground floor, as the fecond does beyond the first; the roofs pointed with large tacks of brick chimneys at each end of the house. We fee many fuch houfes in Hertfordshire, Rutland hire, and other counties in England; and indeed Notmandy does fo nearly refemble Old EngJand, that we could fcarce believe ourfelves to be in France. The better fort of people dwell chiefly in the cities and great towns, in houfes built with stone; for which reafon, in that part of Normandy thro' which we pailed, we faw but very few gentlemens feats.

The lady abbefs was feared in her ab-C batical chair of ftate, her crofter being held by a nun who stood upon her right hand. Before this reverend female, the mistaken votary kneeled, while the of ficious hands of all prefent were employed in stripping her of all her gaudy ornaments, and putting on the confecrated habit. I was furprifed at the tranquillity that appeared in her countenance, which was not at all altered when the rofe to let her embroidered petticoat fall off; and the fmiled with feeming pleafure, when above her veil fhe was again Crowned with thorns. The priest exhorted her in a brief difcourfe, after which we went away, leaving the poor young em thufiaft to repent at leisure. For a year and a day her fate is not irretrievable; but during that term of probation, they are fo affiduously careffed, that very few, if any of them, are known to retract.

Extralt from an Account of the present State

of Normandy, suritten by a Gentleman lately returned from bis Travels in ebut F Part of France.

From the WzEKLY INSPECTOR.

N

ORMANDY is a fertile and pleasant country, full of large orchards well stocked with fruit, Upper Normandy especially, where the appletrees in many places are regularly planted G før miles together, on each fide the roads, which are every where wide and pleafant, and paved only where the ground is boggy; there are in many parts of the country high hills which afford fine pro

FANNY,

fcarcely feems to know: Unfkill'd in arts of woman

Poetical Ess AYS in OCTOBER, 1754. 471
A New COUNTRY DANCE.

The TAYLORS MEASURE.

The first man caft off and foot it and takes the fecond woman with his right hand, and his partner takes the fecond man, and all four lead up to the top in a line, foot it, and turn all four, the three first couple change fides, foot it, and turn your partner on their own fides, back to back and turn till proper

Poetical ESSAYS in OCTOBER,

[ven! M