They are all bred to the war, even from the seventh year of age, when they begin to anoint their limbs with certain ointments, to render the nerves pliable, which makes them very active and nimble, and the best wrestlers in the world. They are not only well acquainted with the use of bows and arrows, but also with mulkets and grea cannon; for I have seen them give a salvo with the same order and dexterity as our best-disciplined troops in Europe, and they are of late years arrived to that perfection, that they make their own gun-barrels, gunpowder, and matches. They commonly engage naked, having only a piece of stutt wrapp’d about the middle: being very nimble they often turn their backs, but soon return to the charge, when they find the least opportunity of having an advantage against their enemies. On the hilts of their swords they wear certain pieces of metal, which making a noise as they move, serves them for a certain musick : they are very dextrous in defending their bodies with their shields; and consequently are better at handy blows than at firing, for they commonly fire too high.
Dutch minister Philippus Baldaeus on Nairs of Kollam (then Venad)