A Momentous Journey

59 is because the Mouros defend them. They wear a lot of earrings with precious stones in them and rings on their fingers, and gold belts over their clothes. These gentiles’ wives are beautiful; delicate and have fine figures. Their skin is a pale brown; their clothes are made of silk and are as long as their husbands’. They wear silk bodices with tight sleeves and which are open at the back and other large cloths they call chaddars, which they throw over themselves like shawls when they go out. They do not put anything on their heads, other than their hair, which they tie up tightly. They always go barefoot and they wear thick anklets of silver and gold, and many rings on their fingers and toes. They have great holes pierced in their ears, big enough for an egg tofit through, which they put thick gold and silver rings in. They are very shy and retiring women, who rarely leave their homes, and when they do, they cover their heads with those large cloths like our women do with their shawls. There is another caste of gentiles called brahmins, who are their priests and the people who administer and govern their temples and idolatries. Their temples are very large and collect large sums in revenue, and there are many that are maintained through alms. They have a lot of wooden; stone, and copper idols in them. They hold many cerimonies in these houses or monasteries, and celebrate with playing and singing, with many candles and oil-lamps and bells like ours. These brahmin gentiles have many things which are similar to the Holy Trinity, they worship the number three in triune and always pray to God, who they confess and adore as the true God, creator and maker of all things, who is three people in one God, and they have many other Gods who rule on his behalf, who they also believe in; wherever they are, these brahmins and gentiles go into our churches; pray and worship our images, always asking for Saint Mary, like men who have some knowledge and information about this and as they worship the church as we do,

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