the world,
and the most truthful, for they would not tell a lie for anything on
earth. [If a foreign merchant who does not know the ways of the country
applies to them and entrusts his goods to them, they will take charge of
these, and sell them in the most loyal manner, seeking zealously the
profit of the foreigner and asking no commission except what he pleases to
bestow.] They eat no flesh, and drink no wine, and live a life of great
chastity, having intercourse with no women except with their wives; nor
would they on any account take what belongs to another; so their law
commands. And they are all distinguished by wearing a thread of cotton
over one shoulder and tied under the other arm, so that it crosses the
breast and the back.

They have a rich and powerful King who is eager to purchase precious
stones and large pearls; and he sends these Abraiaman merchants into the
kingdom of Maabar called Soli, which is the best and noblest Province of
India, and where the best pearls are found, to fetch him as many of these
as they can get, and he pays them double the cost price for all. So in
this way he has a vast treasure of such valuables.[NOTE 2]

These Abraiaman are Idolaters; and they pay greater heed to signs and
omens than any people that exists. I will mention as an example one of
their customs. To every day of the week they assign an augury of this
sort. Suppose that there is some purchase in hand, he who proposes to buy,
when he gets up in the morning takes note of his own shadow in the sun,
which he says ought to be on that day of such and such a length; and if
his shadow be of the proper length for the day he completes his purchase;
if not, he will on no account do so, but waits till his shadow corresponds
with that prescribed. For there is a length established for the shadow for
every individual day of the week; and the merchant will complete no
business unless he finds his shadow of the length set down for that
particular day. [Also to each day in the week they assign one unlucky
hour, which they term _Choiach_. For example, on Monday the hour of
Half-tierce, on Tuesday that of Tierce, on Wednesday Nones, and so
on.[NOTE 3]]

Again, if one of them is in the house, and is meditating a purchase,
should he see a tarantula (such as are very common in that country) on the
wall, provided it advances from a quarter that he deems lucky, he will
complete his purchase at once; but if it comes from a quarter that he