135 fishermen with no other trade than fishing. Some sail on Mouros’ and other gentiles’ vessels, and they are very much at home at sea. They live in separate villages where they go tofish; some of them are very base; they are shameless thieves. They get married; their children inherit their possessions. Their wives are very loose, they sleep with whoever they want, without their husbands minding. They have their own idolatry; they are the king’s and nairs’ slaves. They do not pay any duty on fresh fish. If they dry it, they pay four per cent. Thus, fish is very cheap and is their staple diet, for they eat very little meat, and there is not much livestock in this region. Some of them are very rich and wealthy, with large houses and assets, which the king takes whenever he wants and they make loud appeals to the governors for him not to take them. There is another low caste people in this country of Malabar, called Vettuvan, whose sole occupations are to make salt and sow rice. Their houses stand in thefields some distance away from the paths which the nobles do not use. They have their own idolatry; they are the king’s and nairs’ slaves. They live in poverty. The nairs make them keep a great distance and speak to them from afar. They do not speak to anyone else; they get married; their children inherit their possessions. There is another low caste and base people in this country, called Paneens, who are great sorcerers. This is their only means of earning their bread; they clearly speak to devils, some of whom possess them and make them say incredible things. When the king falls ill, he sends for these men and women, ten or twelve households of which come with their wives and children, the most talented and in tune with the devil,. They set up a tent of coloured cloths at the palace door, which they stay in until they are called by some other lord if they are needed. They paint their bodies in many different colours, make paper crowns and other inventions withflowers and grasses. They build large bonfires and light oil-lamps. They bring drums; trumpets and cymbals to play; then they leave the tents in pairs carrying bare
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