Page 338
An.1686
Their Religion. A Gong.
fell their lives as dear as they can; for there is fel- dom any quarter given, but the Conquerour cuts and hacks his Enemies to pieces.
The Religion of these people is Mahometanism. Friday is their Sabbath; but I did never see any difference that they make between this day and a- ny other day, only the Sultan himself goes then to his Mosque twice. Raja Laut never goes to the Mosque, but prays at certain hours, 8 or 10 times in a day; where-ever he is, he is very punctual to his Canonical hours, and if he be aboard will go ashore, on purpose to pray. For no business nor company hinders him from this Duty. Whether he is at home or abroad, in a house or in the field, he leaves all his Company and goes about 100 yards off, and there kneels down to his Devotion. He first kisses the ground, then prays aloud, and divers times in his Prayers he kisses the ground, and does the same when he leaves off: His Servants, and his Wives and Children talk and sing, or play how they please all the time, but himself is very serious. The meaner sort of people have little De- votion: I did never fee any of them at their Pray- ers, or go into a Mosque.
In the Sultans Mosque there is a great Drum with but one Head, called a Gong; which is in- stead of a Clock. This Gong is beaten at 12 a Clock, at 3, 6, and 9; a man being appointed for that service. He has a stick as big as a mans arm, with a great knob at the end, bigger than a mans fist, made with Cotton, bound fast with small Cords: With this he strikes the Gong as hard as he can, about 20 strokes; beginning to strike leisurely the first 5 or 6 strokes; then he strikes faster, and at last strikes as fast as he can: and then he strikes again flower and flower so many more strokes: thus he rises and falls 3 times, and then leaves off till 3 hours after. This is done night and day.
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