And in this kingdom of Bisnaga there is a class of men,natives of the country,namely Brahmans,who the most part of them never kill or eat any live thing,and these are the best that there are amongst them.They are honest men,given to merchandise,very acute and of much talent,very good at accounts,lean men and well-formed,but little fit for hard work.By these and by the duties they undertake the kingdom is carried on.They believe that there are Three Persons and only One God,and they call the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity "TRICEBEMCA."There is another class who are Canarese who have pagodas in which are (images of?)monkeys,and cows,and buffaloes,and devils,to whom they pay much honour,and these idols and monkeys which they adore they say that in former times this land belonged all to the monkeys,and that in those days they could speak.They have books full of fine stories of chivalry,and many foolish tales about their idols,such as it is out of reason for men to believe.But because of this,neither in the kingdom of Bisnaga nor in all the land of the heathen are any monkeys killed,and there are so many in this country that they cover the mountains.There is another class of men called Telumgalle;[648]when these die their wives are buried alive with them.
The King of Bisnaga is a Brahman;[649]every day he hears the preaching of a learned Brahman,who never married nor ever touched a woman.He urges in his preaching (obedience to)the commandments of God,that is to say,that one must not kill any living thing,nor take anything belonging to another,and as with these so with the rest of the commandments.These people have such devotion to cows that they kiss them every day,some they say even on the rump --a thing I do not assert for their honour --and with the droppings of these cows they absolve themselves from their sins as if with holy water.They have for a commandment to confess their sins to the Brahman priests,but they do not do it,except only those who are very religious (AMIGUOS DE DIOS).They give in excuse that they feel a shame to confess themselves to another man,and say that it is sufficient to confess themselves alone after approaching God,for he who does not do so does not acquire grace;thus they fulfil the command in one way or another.But they do it so seldom (in reality)that they (may be said to)neglect this command to confess.