Chuckerwutty (whom Mahommed had dignified with the title of Sultaun Tauje ul Herid) is mentioned in ZEIRREDDIEN's book to have died on his return, on the fia day of the first year of the Hejira, answering to the 16th of July, of the year of our Lord 622, after, however, addreffing recommendatory letters to the chiefs in Malabar in favour of fundry of his Muffulman brethren, who were thereby enabled to conftruct the first mofque or temple of their new faith in that country as early as the 21ft year of the Hejira, or A. D. 642.

XII.But although ZEIRREDDIEN (the author I am now quoting) deemed it fit to allow a place in his work to the traditions that he found thus locally to obtain, he fairly avows his own disbelief in them; more especially as to what relates to the fuppofed converfion of Shermanoo Permaloo,* and his journey to vifit the Prophet in Arabia; fubjoining alfo his own opinion, that the Muffulman religion did not acquire any footing, either permanent or extenfive, in Malabar till towards the latter end of the second century of the Mahommedan æra.

XIII. ZEIRREDDIEN next enters into fome defcription of the exifting manners of the Malabarians as he found them; after premifing that the Malabar country was then divided into a number of more or less extenfive independencies; in which there were chieftains, commanding from one to two and three hundred, and up to a thousand, and to five, ten, and thirty thousand; and even (which is perhaps an undue amplification) to a lack of men, and upwards; and defcribing that in fome

of

From this improbability, joined to the unlikely accounts delivered by the Hindus themselves, as to the departure of their chief governor, it may not perhaps be deemed too uncharitable, to suspect that Shermanoo disappeared like Romulus in a storm, as being, perhaps, found inconvenient to the new situation of independence that the Malabar Princes admit to have, on this occasion, either assumed, or been promoted to.

of these countries there were at the fame time two Hakims, or rulers; in others three; and in fome even more; having dictinet bodies of men attached to them respectively; whence hatred and warfare were, he obferves, fometimes generated between them, which never, however, terminated in any entire feparation between the parties; and adding, that at that time the three greatest powers were the Colaftrian Rajah to the north; the Samoory, or Zamorin, in the centre; and farther fouth a Prince who ruled from the town of Kolum, or Coulim, to Cape Comorin, comprehending the ftates now held by the Rajah of Travancore.

XIV. The author next proceeds to an enumeration of what he confidered as the chief peculiarities in the manners of the Malabarians, from which I fhall literally transcribe, into the body of this narrative, the following particulars from the tranflation of ZEIRREDDIEN'S original work; fubjoining in notes, fuch particulars as my own enquiries, or other information, may tend to corroborate, define, or illuftrate, in refpect to fome of the circumstances he has related.

be

1ft. If their ruler be flain in,war, his army "come quite desperate, and will fo violently attack "and prefs upon their said deceased ruler's enemy, and "upon the troops of the latter, and fo obftinately

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perfevere in forcing their way into his country, and "to ruin it, that either they will completely in this 66 way affect their revenge, or continue their efforts till "none of them furvive; and therefore the killing of a "ruler is greatly dreaded, and never commanded; and

this is a very ancient cuftom of theirs, which in mo"dern times has, however, fallen with the majority "into difuetude.

2d. "The rulers of Malabar are of two claffes or "parties, one of which acts in fupport of the Samoory

"Rajah,

"Rajah, whilft the other party acts in concert with "the Hakim of Cochin; which is the general system, "and only deviated from occafionally from particular "caufes; but as foon as thefe ceafe to operate, the

66

party naturally returns again to the ancient ufage. "These leaders are never guilty of backwardness or "failure in war, but will fix a day to fight on, and "punctually adhere thereto; nor will they commit "treachery in the conduct of it.

3d. "On the death of any principal or fuperior 66 perfon among them, fuch as father, mother, and "elder brother, in the caft of Bráhmens, (whilst among

66

carpenters, and the lower cafts, the fuperiors and "principal perfons are the mother and mother's "brother, or one's own elder brother, as among the "Nayrs,) when any one dies of the defcription of a "fuperior, as above mentioned, his furviving relative "is to remain apart for a twelvemonth; during which "time he is not to cohabit with his wife, or to eat "the flesh of animals, or to chew the beetle leaf, or "cut the hair of his head, or his nails: Nor can any "deviation be admitted from this practice, which is "reckoned for the good of the defunct.

4th. It is certain that among the body of Nayrs, " and their relatives, the right of fucceffion and in"heritance vefts in the brother of the mother, or goes "otherwife to the fifter's fon, or to fome of the ma"ternal relations; for the fon is not to obtain the

property, country, or fucceffion of the father; which "cuftom hath for a long time prevailed; and I (the "author) fay, that among the Molems of Cannanore "they do not bequeath or give their heritage to their "fons, which is alfo the rule with the inhabitants in "that vicinity, notwithstanding that these faid per"fons, who do thus exclude their fons, be well read "in the Koran, and have imbibed its precepts, and

"are men of ftudy and piety. However, among "the Brahmens, goldfmiths, carpenters, and iron"fmiths, and Teers, or lower orders of hufbandmen, "and fishermen, &c. the fon does fucceed to the rights "and property of the father; and marriage is prac"tifed among these cafts.

5th." But the Nayrs practife not marriage, except

as far as may be implied from their tying a thread "round the neck of the woman at the firft occafion; "wherefore the acts and practical maxims of this fect 66 are fuited to their condition, and they look upon the "exiftence or non-existence of the matrimonial con"tract as equally indifferent.

6th. Among the Bráhmens, where there are more "brothers than one, only their elder, or the oldest of "all of them, will marry, provided he have had, "or be likely to have, male iffue; but these brothers "who thus maintain celibacy, do nevertheless cohabit. "with Nayr women, without marriage, in the way "of the Nayrs; and if, through fuch intercourse, a "fon fhould be born, they will not make fuch child "their heir. But when it becomes known that the "elder married brother (in a family of Bráhmens) will "not have a fon, then another of the brothers enters "into the ftate of matrimony.

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7th. Among the Nayrs it is the custom for one "Nayr woman to have attached to her two males, or four, or perhaps more; † and among these a "diftribution

* I have, however, reason to believe, that this rule and custom is now wearing out among the Mapillas, or Malabar Mahommedans; continuing, however, to be still more particularly observed at Cannanore and Tellicherry: but, even in this last mentioned place, I was informed by KARIAT MOOSA, a principal merchant of this sect, that it is evaded by fathers dividing among their sons much of their property during their life-time.

This description ought, I believe, to be understood of the Nayrs inhabiting the more southern parts of Malabar, from the Toorecherie, or Cotta River, to Cape Comorin; for to the northward of the said river the Nayr women are said to be prohibited

from

"diftribution of time is made fo as to afford to each "one night, in like manner as a fimilar diftribution "of time is made among the true believers of Malabar "for cohabiting with their wives; and it but rarely "happens that enmity and jealoufy break out among ❝ them on this account.

8. "The lower cafts, fuch as carpenters, ironfmiths, and others, have fallen into the imitation of "their fuperiors, the Nayrs, with this difference, "however, that the joint concern in a female is, 66 among these laft, limited to the brethren and male "relations by blood,* to the end that no alienation 66 may take place in the course of the fucceffion and the "right of inheritance.

9th. "Among the Nayrs the whole body is kept "uncovered, except a little about the middle. They "make no difference in male or female attire; and "among

from having more than one male connection at a time; for failure in which she is liable to chastisement; without, however, incur ́ring loss of cast, unless the paramour be of a lower tribe than her

own.

* "Alone in lewdness, riotous and free,

"No spousal rights withhold, and no degree:
"In unendear'd embraces free they blend,
"Yet but the husband's kindred may ascend

"The nuptial couch. Alas! too blest, they know

"Nor jealousy's suspense, nor burning woe;

"The bitter drops which oft from dear affection flow." MICKLE'S CAMOEN'S, Book vii.

This custom prevails among the five low casts of Teer; of Agaree, or carpenters; Muzalie, or brass-founders; Tattam, or goldsmiths; and Kollen Perimcollen, or blacksmiths; who live promiscuously with one or more women: and sometimes two, three, four, or more brothers cohabit with one woman. The child, or children, who are the offspring of this connection, inherit the property of the whole fraternity; and whenever the female of the house is engaged with either of the brethren, his knife is said to be hung up at the door of the apartment as a signal of its being occupied. It is, however, but justice to add, that this custom is said to be local, and practised only in a few of the southern districts; and even among these five casts there is no prohibitionagainst any man's keeping for himself, either one or as many women as he can maintain.