ABSTRACT

In the house of the king of Calicut there are many cham­ bers, in which as soon as evening comes they have ten or twelve vases made in the form of a fountain, which are com­ posed of cast metal, and are as high as a man. Each of these vases has three hollow places for holding oil, about two spans high from the ground. And, first, there is a vase in which is oil with cotton wicks lighted all round. And above this there is another vase more narrow, but with the same kind of lights, and on the top of the second vase there stands another yet smaller, but with oil and lights ignited. The foot o f this vase is formed in a triangle, and on each of the faces of the foot there are three devils in relief, and they are very fearful to behold. These are the squires who hold

such reverence among these Pagans, that i f they should happen to kill one of them, they will look upon it as an expiable [inexpiable ?] crime, a n d to forbode some great misfortune.” C h u r c h i l l ’ s Collection, vol. iii. p. 651.