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manners and customs, and have always observed them burn the bodies of their dead: but this strange assertion is wonderfully illustrated by the following passage in Moore's Hindu Pantheon: "Not only do the Hindoos, even the Brahmins, eat flesh; but they eat, one sect at least, human flesh. They do not, I conclude, kill human subjects to eat; but they eat such as they find in or about the Ganges, and perhaps other rivers. The name of the sect is Paramahansa ; and I have received authentic information of individuals of this sect being not very unusually seen about Benares, floating down the river on, and feeding on a corpse. Nor is this a low despicable tribe; but, on the contrary, esteemed, by themselves at least, as a very high one; and my information stated that the human brain is judged by these epicurian cannibals as the most delicious morsel of their unsocial banquet. It may be difficult for the English reader to believe this hitherto unrecorded story of the flesh-abhorring Hindoos; as well, perhaps, as the now fully-authenticated facts of their prodigality of human life. Anecdotes to a considerable extent night easily be collected of the sanguinary propensity of these people; such as would startle those who have imbibed certain opinions from the relations of travellers, on the character and habits of the abstinent and flesh-abhorring Hindoos, and Brahmins with souls as unspotted as the robes they wear."

In many Indian customs mentioned by the Greek historian, we find the same traits of character as among the modern Hindoos; others appear so extremely dissimilar that little credit is given them: such for instance are the Padæi, whom he describes as leading a

pastoral life, and living on raw flesh; when any man was diseased, he was put to death by his nearest connections; if a woman was ill her female relations treated her in the same manner: the more aged among them were regularly killed and eaten; few indeed attained to old age, because in case of sickness they put every one to death.

It is well known that in some of the districts near Bengal, there are a tribe of people called Sheep-eaters, who seize the animal alive, and actually devour wool, skin, flesh, and entrails, until nothing remains but the skeleton. Lady Anstruther, who made a valuable collection of drawings during her residence in India, has a set of paintings in water-colours, done by a native, which contain the whole process of these extraordinary gluttons, from the first seizure of the unfortunate animal, until it is completely devoured.

Herodotus further says, that in India is a set of people, who, entirely different from the Padæi, put no animal to death, sow no grain, have no fixed habitation, and live solely upon vegetables. These were no doubt Yogees, Senassees, and wandering Gymnosophists, who live entirely in the same manner at the present day. The Massagetæ and Nasamenes of Africa who were allowed promiscuous marriage, and during cohabitation with an individual, fixed a staff before the door, resemble in that respect the Nairs of Malabar.

About a fourth part of the inhabitants of Malabar are Moplahs, or Mahomedans, descended from the Moors and Arabians, who have settled there at different times, and married Malabar women: they are the principal merchants in the country, both for foreign and home trade; many are the proprietors of trading vessels,

navigated by Mahomedan commanders and seamen, in which they make an annual voyage to the Persian and Arabian gulfs; and after disposing of pepper, cassia, cardamoms, cotton-cloth, coir-ropes, and other productions of Malabar, they return with coffee, drugs, dates, and dried fruits. Those on the sea-coast use a corrupt language between the Arabic and Malabar: the Koran, and the few books they possess, are written in Arabic. The Moplahs engaged in commerce, and enjoying an intercourse with other people, are tolerably courteous and orderly; those in the interior, who are too proud to work or engage in agricultural pursuits, are generally an idle worthless race; parading about the country with a broadsword, or murdering time in the swing. These are of a most turbulent revengeful spirit, prone to mischief, especially against the Nairs, whom they consider as infidels, proud and haughty as themselves. When intoxicated with bhang, or opium, they frequently run amuck, and in a dreadful state of phrenzy, kill every person they meet, until they are overpowered and destroyed.

The Nairs are at constant variance with the Moplahs; and the king of Travencore, jealous of their ambitious revengeful temper, keeps them in great subjection, and levies frequent contributions on their property; to which they reluctantly submit, from knowing they would experience the same treatment from other governments. At one period the Moplahs created great commotions in Travencore, and towards the end of the seventeenth century massacred the chief of Anjengo, and all the English gentlemen belonging to the settlement, when on a public visit to the queen of Attinga :

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the sanguinary deed was committed near her palace; some were even murdered in her presence, whom she in vain attempted to rescue from their fury, although at that time sovereign of the country.

There was still a nominal queen of Attinga when I resided at Anjengo; who, like the rajah sovereign of the Mahrattas, was little more than a state prisoner, while the king of Travencore, the usurper of her dominions, imitating the peshwa of Poonah, styled himself duan, or minister to the queen of Attinga.

The Syriac churches, or Christians of St. Thomé, settled in Travencore, are objects of great interest and curiosity. They were not unknown to Vasco de Gama, and the first navigators to India: to whom the unexpected discovery of Christians on the Malabar coast, was a matter of the greatest surprise and satisfaction; for they were not more enthusiastic in extending their military glory and conquests, than in propagating their religion among the infidels in the remotest quarters of the world. Their exultation, however, was temporary; for, upon nearer investigation, they found that these Christians followed the doctrine of Nestorius, and acknowledged, instead of the Pope, the patriarch of that sect residing in Syria, for their ecclesiastical supreme chief.

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They are indiscriminately called St. Thomé Christians, (from Mar Thomé, who was, according to their tradition, their first bishop, and founder of their religion in these countries,) Nestorians, Syrians, and sometimes the Malabar Christians of the mountains, by the Portugueze writers of that time, and by the subsequent missionaries from Rome. The most com

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mon name given to them by the Hindoos of the country, is that of Nazaranee, Mapila, and more frequently Surians, or Surianee Mapila.

"They made at first some proselytes among the Brahmins and Nairs, and were on that account much respected by the native princes; and many preserve the manners and mode of life of the Brahmins as to cleanliness, and abstaining from animal food.

"They possessed upwards of one hundred villages, situated mostly in the mountainous part of the southern division of Malabar. Their habitations were distinguished from those of the Hindoos by being solid buildings, and collected in villages. They paid a very moderate tribute to the different rajahs in whose territory they lived, but were subject to their archbishop in all ecclesiastical and civil matters. They all wore swords and targets, and some of them had firelocks; they were great marksmen, and from their eighth year frequented the firing schools: husbandry and trade were their principal occupations, and, next to the Brahmins, the St. Thomé Christians furnished the greatest quantity of pepper to the Portugueze.

"They admitted no images of saints in their churches, where the Holy Cross alone was to be seen. They had only three sacraments, baptism, eucharist, and the orders; and would not admit of transubstantiation in the manner the Roman Catholics do. They knew nothing of purgatory; and the saints they said were not admitted to the presence of GOD, but were kept in a third place till the day of judgment. Their priests were permitted to marry at least once in their life. Their rite was the Chaldæan, or Syrian."

Dr. Claudius Buchanan, who visited the Syrian