The four principal castes (or tribes) are the Bramins who spring from the head of Brumma, the Kettrys, soldiers or Kings who spring from the heart of Brumma, the Byses (labourers, money-lenders, merchants) who spring from the stomach of Brumma, and lastly the Soudders who spring from the feet of Brumma, who constitute the artisans, workers, domestics and servants.

There are Bramins of various degrees of excellence, who have the care of religion allotted to them. These are held sacred by the rest: they swear by their heads, they kiss their feet, and the bramins have the entire government of their minds, and as such do not follow any worldly pursuits, and are supported by the rest, which is a great burden upon the land. It is difficult to draw a general charachter of the Bramins, as they vary so much in their different pursuits and in their degrees of knowledge.

The highest Bramins cannot eat anything that has life. If with the help of a microscope, you show them the insects in the fruits, and in the milk which they eat and drink, they will tell you that it is a mistake on your part; that the seen object is in the glass and not in what they eat. Their abstinence from all meat, comes no doubt from the doctrine of metempsychosis, but how to reconcile this opinion with the permission which the other Gentiles have, and many of the Bramins eat many kinds of fish, mutton of goat and nearly all kinds of wild beasts? Certain terrestrial or aquatic animals that are permitted to one caste are forbidden to another, there are none but the last, that is to say, a fifth caste formed by those called halalkhors or pariahs, who are allowed to eat anything, but they are always regarded as impure.

The only sacred animals are the cow, the bull, the calf and certain wild birds. The domestic fowl is regarded as impure among the Gentiles, even more than the pig among the Moors. I have said that it was permitted among certain Bramins to eat certain meats. I had in my service one who daily ate the meat of the goat. As for the rest, it is, I think, according to the circumstances in which the Bramin finds himself.

The majority of the Gentiles live on milk, rice and seasonal vegetables, seasones with spices. They are happy with this diet, not so much on account of their religion but because it is cheap, because with the exception of the Bramins and one or two other castes, they are permitted fish and certain meats; also those who are in a position to produce these delicacies rarely, deny themselves. There are certain castes, among whom one sees entire families, who however rich, are noted for observing the restrictions on diet even more scrupulously than Bramins, whether out of devotion, or ostentation. They do not permit even the burning of tallow because it is derived from animals. They must, therefore, you will say, also abstain from milk and woollen clothing. But there is a difference; milk and wool are taken from the animal without causing any suffering.

When the Indians travel by river, and particularly on the Ganges, they cannot cook their meals on the boat. They sustain themselves throughout the journey by chewing betel, dry fruits, and some rice or other grains cooked over a fire in the evening. When evening falls, the boat is brought to the shore, so that the cooking can be done, but the precautions are as elaborate as those observed by the Bramins. It is here that i have had occasion to observe them several times while sailing on the Ganges with a considerable fleet. Some times I had with me more than a thousand rowers, of whom three fourths were Gentiles.