272 AN EARLY DUTCH ACCOUNT OF INDIA
night, for that he found her in the place where he was
wont to find his wife, and the mother thought that he
was her husband. But when this Bramin discovered
the sin which he had done, he unmanned himself and
went to drown himself. However, he was haled out
and cured, for that he had done it unwittingly.
It must be noted, nevertheless, that in the reckon-
ing of blood kinship and affinity, within which it is
A TAMIL BATHING - PLACE AT TBICHINOPOLI.
permitted to wed or not, these heathen differ much
from us and from other nations. For among them it
is allowed to marry a wife's sister, yea, to have two,
three, and more sisters together; but that two brothers
should each have a sister, that is not permitted among
them and would be incest. They may also wed the
daughter of their father's sister, but not the daughter
of their father's brother; likewise the daughter of their
sister, but not the daughter of their brother. But the
Bramin Padmanaba said that, notwithstanding that
