Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/324

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