‘The perillous and most unhappy voyages of John Struys, through Italy, Greece, Lifeland, Moscovia, Tartary, Media, Persia, East-India, Japan, and other places in Europe, Africa and Asia. Containing, I. Most accurate remarks and observations of the distinct qualities, religion, politie, customs, laws and properties of the inhabitants: II. A due description of the several cities, towns, forts and places of trust, as to their site and strength, fortifications by nature, or art, &c. with other things worthy of note: and III. An exact memorial of the most disastrous calamities which befell the author in those parts (viz) by ship-wrack, robberies, slavery, hunger, tortures, with other incommodities and hardships’ [‎21] (60/470)

C h a p , IL The V oyagcs of John Struys. 21
poflefled, do only caufe a Slave to carry it away and hide it a while, c r »
\X and foon after fetch it home again : affoon as they have got it home a- 1 ^
, ^ ^ gain,they Sacrifice fome beaft,or Fo\vl 3 or perhaps fhut it up in a Hen-
L, ^ P £t rooft, thinking thereby to afl wage and moderate the ill temper of the
childs fp'ir it, which otherwife would lead him to fome unhappy end.
The Religion of the Madagafcars , is hardly worth recounting;,
nil P ^ they being wholly Strangers both to Houfes of Worfhip , and alfo Kf 5 "" 1
to Prayer. They beleeve that there is a God who hath made both
Heaven and Earth , but neither adore norfervehim, yet growing
old or fick , they make a kind of Confeflion to him. They alio
'Wor lit beleeve that there is a Devil,who is the Occallon of all evil, having the
b power of Life and Death in his hand , and that they muft conlerve
K J' Otkc a perpetual Peace with him, by Worihip and Sacrifice. Befides their
1 ® vitl Opinion that there is a God and an evilSpirit,they have a thirdPower,
®which they call Dia» tJManam, or Lord of Wealth, at whofe difpofing
ffiBAe,® will , they think that they are maderichandprofper in their affairs.
^ it is k They leem alfo to have fome light of invifible Angels, and of the firft
Wot peopling of the W orld,after the Creation by ^yfdam the re-
uriKtiafii peopling thereof,after the great Deluge by Noah-,as alfo fome glance of
rdifptdic a Saviour, who was madea P'uculumjov fome great offence committed
# ^ by allmankind in general.They have alfo their Fafts and Holy-days,
fntkt, oi Circumcifion is alfo a rite m ufe with them, which they do at one
kek#t certain time of the year , with great folemnity. The day before
,o/iIjifflirtk all the Friends and Acquaintance meet together , and drink Me-
ittajai theglin till they grow raging mad : and then draw up upon the
km 0 beating of a Drum,exercifing with their Darts and * Affagays > the *
lyfaid> Youn g inen a "d V/omenall the time dancing in Mafquerado , and A%a^
alive« the Evening conclude with a luxurious Banquet , and open table
'iiesM - r pleafs to come. At night the mother takes the child tO call it, is
y tbenil« bed with her, in a little Ho ufe made for that purpofe, about a moneth
]? e ^> r e the day of Gircumcifion , by the Father and Uncles of theJ' Zr
the ri Child. The next morning by break of day, the Woman rifeth , and
very Pf S ^ er 1 afterwards her child : which done fhe dreffes it with hn Z'
. don* ^ orra '- and Precious ftones, and thereupon they fall a drumming
1 Yeic# a S ain ' afo* which a great faience is made, and all the Guefls which
J. are there, mull withdraw , as alfo all fuch as have any thing about
! 0 (# their body that is red j thinking that if fuch were prefent„the blood
would