When they intend to remove it to the Hoynabs or burying Place, they exactly observe the Setting of the Sun; at which Time comes the chief Priest, attended by all those who have a Right to be buried in these Places (for no others must assist upon these Occasions) and drawing out a sharp Instrument, which they call a Mockdoo, and which serves the Use of a Knife, he opens the Body of the deceas’d, takes out the Heart, and delivers it into the Hands of the nearest Relation, who stands ready for that Purpose, at the Priest’s right Hand; when this is done, the Body is carried to the lower End of the Hall, where a Fire is prepared in a Hole, five Foot deep in the Ground, and about as many broad; the Body is put into the said Fire, where it is consumed; then the Heart is again delivered into the Hands of the Priest, who places it in a little Stone-Pot, and puts it into the Fire, where it remains till it is dried to a Powder; then the Ashes of the Body being dried up, are put into the Booze, as is also the Heart; after which, they proceed to the Hoynatz, the nearest Relation carrying the Booze. When they arrive at the Moorzack, which upon this Occasion is all illuminated, the Booze is again delivered into the Hands of the Priest, who going into the Moorzack alone, shuts the Door after him, he remains a Quarter of an Hour, places the Booze upon the Pedestal prepared for it, and then returns, which makes an End of the whole Ceremony.
All this is done without a Word; nor is there any Sign of Sorrow or Lamentation amongst the Kindred, of the deceas’d, nor is it the Custom ever to speak of him, or name him at all after he is dead.
Thus we have given an Account of the Order and Ceremonies of their Funerals, and of the Magnificence of their Monuments, which make a most glorious Shew at a Distance, nor are they less beautiful when near, the Materials of which they are built being very fine, and their Scituation delightful.
But as to their Religion we can give but imperfect Accounts, for they scarce know what it is themselves; they never ask’d the Molotto one Word concerning his Religion, and when he enquired of theirs, they had very little to say about it, but told such an incoherent Story, that he could make neither Head nor Tail of it. There is a Mosque or Temple about half a Mile out of the City, of which they give a fabulous Account, as that it was built in one Night, but no Man could tell how, or by whom; but their general Opinion was, that it was built by Hios God of the Sea, and at certain Times they used to flock, and pay a Kind of Devotion there, but they could not tell why or wherefore. However by the best Observations our Molotto could make, it appear’d to him as if they had several Worships amongst them, for he took Notice that some paid their Devotions to a little Image, not unlike a Wolf, which they kept in their Houses, and which are so common, that the poorer Sort of People make them of Bits of Wood, of about four or five Inches long, and sell them about the Streets.
They bear no Sort of Hatred or Antipathy to Christians, as Christians, as we see the Turks and most of the Sects of Mahomet do; but the Truth on’t is, they do not know what a Christian is, yet (as we observed before) they are bred up in a Notion that white Men are all a Kind of Monsters, and they hate and detest them, as we do Toads or other poisonous Creatures, not for their Religion, but their Colour. In Respect to one another they observe the Laws of Society very well, and perhaps there is less Fraud and fewer Acts of Injustice committed amongst them, than in any Christian Country we can name. So that our Molotto who was now in a Manner naturaliz’d amongst them, and whose Complexion was black enough not to appear odious and terrible to them, was as well used as the rest of the Passaus or Guards, or any other Person of equal Rank with him.
It is certain he once flattered himself with the Hopes of being placed in a better Condition of Life amongst them, or being set at full Liberty, by Way of Recompence, for his instructing them in some useful Things, which proved of publick Advantage to them, but he had long laid aside those vain Thoughts, for he found the Accabo had no Notion of Generosity, or Gratitude: He, therefore, with a Kind of Philosophy, seem’d to confine his Wishes to that melancholy quiet Life he was obliged to lead within the Limits of the Moorzacks, till an Accident fell out, which quite changed his Sentiments in this Respect, and which proves how natural the Love of Liberty is to Man.
It happened that the Hamman or Governor of the Town of Saeni, a Place about twenty Leagues to the Eastward of Magadoxa, in the same Kingdom of Zanguebar, having committed some Violences, by which he got the ill Will of the People, they rose against him, and kill’d him. This News was no sooner brought to Magadoxa, than the Accabo, tho’ he keeps no Army or Guards, except the Passaus to watch the Moorzacks, immediately rais’d a Body of two thousand Men, arm’d with Bows and Arrows, and march’d in Person at the Head of them, to suppress the Rebels. The second Days March, Advice was brought him that the Schabew or Ship had been seen near a little Town call’d Bandan, ten Leagues Eastward of Saeni, and thirty of Magadoxa: Upon which Intelligence, he forthwith commanded six Men to march back to the Moorzacks as expeditiously as they could, in order to fetch our Molotto, and with him to join the Army as soon as they could. They found him upon his Duty, and commanded him to march away immediately, with his Bow and Arrows, which were the Arms that belonged to him, as a Passau or Guard of the Moorzacks, so that he seem’d to march as a Soldier more than a Prisoner.
After two Days hard March they came up with the Army which had made a Halt, at some Distance from the Town of Saeni, and the Accabo having sent out a Detachment to lie in Ambuscade near the Town, they took some Prisoners, who being brought in, declared that all the Inhabitants had abandoned the Town upon the News of the King’s Approach, and were fled away for Fear. At the same Time they gave such Instances of the Tyranny of the late Hamman or Governor, and of the Necessity they were under of doing as they did, that the King appeared satisfied with their Behaviour; and to lay aside all Resentment, ordered several of them to go and find out the Rest, and give them Notice, that they might return to their Habitations, for that all was pardon’d, and that he would send them a better Governor. And, as if all had been over, the next Day he began to move with his Army back towards Magadoxa, but marched extreamly slow; towards Night, they came near a great Wood, into which he commanded his whole Army to enter, in order to lie that Night; the next Morning he gave Orders that no Man upon Pain of Death should go out of the Wood.
In the mean Time the scattered Inhabitants of Saeni having heard the good News, were returning to their Habitations; but no sooner was it dark that Night, but the Accabo gave Orders for a March, and making all the Expedition they could, they silently enter’d the Town of Saeni before Morning, while the Inhabitants newly return’d were all asleep; however, they were alarm’d, and running into the Streets, the Accabo commanded his Men to fall upon them, who killed a great Number of them, whilst a great many favoured by the Darkness of the Night, had the good Luck to make their Escape; but of those that could not escape by Flight, there were only forty three made Prisoners, all the Rest being kill’d.
Our Molotto happen’d to fall into Discourse with one of these Prisoners, who lamenting the hard Fate, of his poor Townsmen, and giving him an Account of their Flight from the City, and their Return back, told him, that as they went near the Sea-side, about ten Leagues from thence, and a League or two from Bandon, they saw a Schabew or Ship, and so described him the Way to the Place where she lay; the Molotto perceiv’d it was directly East of the Place they were then at, viz. Saeni, he ask’d several Questions concerning the Size of the Ship, the Prisoner answer’d him to the best of his Understanding; and in his Manner of describing her, gave the Molotto to understand, that her Yards and Topmasts were down, which was a Sign she designed to lye there some Time; he then desired to know of him when he had seen her last, he answered him two Days before.