Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/257

HINDU TEMPLES AT CALICUT 213 gave us some white earth, which the Christians of this country are in the habit of putting on their foreheads, breasts, around the neck, and on the forearms. They threw holy water upon the captain-major and gave him some of the earth, which he gave in charge of some one, giving them to understand that he would put it on later. Many other saints are painted on the walls of the church, wearing crowns. They were painted vari- ously, with teeth protruding an inch from the mouth, and four or five arms. Below this church there was a large masonry tank, similar to many others which we had seen along the road. After we had left that place, and had arrived at the entrance to the city (of Calicut), we were shown an- other church (Hindu temple), where we saw things like those described above. Here the crowd grew so dense that progress along the street became next to impos- sible, and for this reason they put the captain (Vasco da Gama) into a house, and us with him. The king sent a brother of the bale, who was a lord of this coun- try, to accompany the captain, and he was attended by men beating drums, blowing anafils and bagpipes, and firing off matchlocks. In conducting the captain they showed us much respect, more than is shown in Spain to a king. The number of people was countless, for in addition to those who surrounded us, and among whom there were two thousand armed men, they crowded the roofs and houses. The further we advanced in the direction of the