think him a worfe criminal that torments a poor creature while liveing, than a man that shal take away its life and murder it. Though the Mahometans, generally speaking, be a cruel fect, this proceeds chiefly, if not wholely, from their religious tenets, and is principally fhewn in their facrificeës, and toward those of a different perfuafion. So far as religion is out of the question, the Turks, in particular, have the character of a humane dispofition; and individuals may be found among all nations which profefs the musfulman faith, who have giveën the strongest proofs of a tender and feeling heart. Such a one was Moulana Nafereddin Amer, one of the moft venerable doctors of the court of Timour (improperly call'd Tamerlane), who could never confent fo much as to kil a fingle fheep. Doctor Smith found the Turks excesfively pityful and good-nature'd toward dumb creatures, foon puting them out of their pain, if they were necesfitateëd to kil them. Some, he fays, buy birds on purpofe to let them fly away, and return to the liberty of the woods and open air.t The Gentoos are fociable, humane, and hospi History of Timur Bec, II, 54. table, and dureing my refidence in their country, fays M. de Pagés, i never had occafion to obferve a single inftance of violence or dispute. They rear numerous herds of cattle; but fuch is their veneration for these animals, on account of their useful and patient serviceës to man, that to kil or even maim one of them is deem'd a capital offence. Naufary, a small town, as we are told by the fame traveler, has a fort, which belongs to the Marattas, and is furrounded with pagodas, gardens, and beautyful flower-plots. The unusual familiarity, common in this country, among all the different tribes of animals, which sport before us with the most careless indifference, is not a little surpriseing to a firanger. The birds of the air, undismay'd by our approach, perch upon the trees, and fwarm among the branches, as if they conceive'd man to be of a nature equally quiet and inoffensive with themselves; while the monkey and squirrel climb the wall, gambol on the house-top, and leap with confidence and alacrity from one bough to another over our heads. Even the moft formidable quadrupeds feem to have loft their natural ferocity in the fame harmless dispofitions; and hence the ap *Travels thro' the world, II, 27. Р ། prehenfions commonly occafion'd by the proximity of such neighbours, no longer disquiet the minds of the natives. Hapy effect of those mild and innocent manners, whence have arisen peace and protection to all the inferior animals.* "The people of Cambaia," fays Pietro della Valle, "are moft part gentiles, and here, more than elsewhere, their vain fuperftitions are obferve'd with rigour: wherefor we cause'd ourselves to be conducted to fee a famous hofpital of birds of all forts, which, for being fick, lame, deprive'd of their mates, or otherwise needing food and cure, are kept and tended there with diligence; the men allfo who take care of them are maintain'd by the publick alms; the Indian gentiles conceiveing it no less a work of charity to do good to beasts than to men. The most curious thing i faw were certain little mice, which, being found orphans without fire or dam to tend them, were put into this hofpital; and a venerable old man with a white beard, keeping them in a box amongst cotton, very diligently tended them with his fpectacles on his nofe, giveing them milk to eat with a birds feather, because they were fo little as yet they could eat nothing else; and, as he told us, he intended, when they were *bi, 22. grown up, to let them go free whither they please'd.* "The next morning," continues this intelligent. traveler, going about the city, we faw another hofpital of goats, kids, fheep, and wethers, either fick or lame, and there were allfo fome cocks, peacocks, and other animals, needing the fame help, and kept together quietly enough in a great court; nor wanted there men and women lodge'd in little rooms of the fame hospital, who had the care of them. In another place, we saw another hospital of cows and calves. Among the beasts there was allfo a Mahometan thief, who had both his hands cut off. Moreover, without one of the gates of the city, we faw another great troop of cows, calves, and goats, properly maintain'd at the publick charge.†" * P. 35. prepares a fet banquet for † P. 36, 37. See a further account of this hospital in Stavorinuses Voyagees to the E. Indies, II, 488; and of others, for the fame purpose, in Ovingtons Voyage to Surat, p. 300; and Niebuhrs Travels, II, 405. "Once a year," ads the former," the charitable banian all the flys that are in his house, and fets down before them, upon the floor or table, large fhallow dishes of fweet milk and fugar mixt together, the most delicious fare of that liquorish little creature. At other times he extends his liberality to the pismires, and walks, with a bag of rice under his arm, two In the city of Amedabad, in the province of Guzerat, according to M. Thevenot, was a hospital for birds, wherein the gentiles lodge'd all the fick birds they found, and fed them as long as they live'd, if they were indispofe'd. Fourfooted beafts had theirs allfo. "I faw in it," fays he, feveral oxen, camels, horfeës, and other wounded beafts, who were look'd after, and wel fed."* "The bramins and banians, who religiously obferve the law, not to kil any thing which has life and fenfation, wil make the most moveing petitions, even in favour of loathfome vermin."t The Gentoos never tafte the flesh of any thing that has breathe'd the common air, nor pollute themselves with feeding on any thing endue'd with life; and are ftruck with aftonishment at or three miles foreward into the country, and ftops, as he proceeds, at each ant-hill that he meets with, to leave behind him his benevolence, a handful or two of rice ftraw'd upon the ground, which is the belove'd dainty on which the hungrey pismires feed, and their beft referve and ftore in time of need." * Travels in the Indies, p. 11. See allfo in The voyage and travaile of fir John Maundevile, c. 19, "of the monkes that zeven here releef to babewynes, apes, and marmesettes, and to other beftes." + Toreens Voyage to Surat. |