'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎90] (761/1024)

Dehli and Agra capital
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~~~~ white Marble it appears all red, as if all were nothing elfe but great Tables of red Marble,
though it be nothing elfe but a hone very eafie to cut, and which even flaketh off in
time & 1 (hall add by the by, that if it be true what is faid of the quarries of this done,
5 tis remarkable, that it grows again every year i whether it be by a petrefcent water
yearly tilling it, or otherwife, I decide not. _ .. ^ t . t ^
This Mofquee it is to which the King repaireth every Friday ( which is the Sunday
of the Mahumetans ) to pay his devotion. Before he goes out of the Fortrefs, the
Streets he is to pafs, are conftantly watered becaufe of the heat and dull. Two or
three hundred Mufquetiers are toftand and make a lane about the Gate of the Fortrefs,
and as many more on the tides of a great Street that ends at the Mofquee. Their Muf-
quets are ftnall, but well wrought, and they have a kind of Scarlet-cafe with a little
dreamer upon them. Befides there muff be five or fix Cavaliers well mounted ready at
the Gate, and ride at a good diftance before the King, for fear of raiting dud i and their
office is to keep off the people. Things being thus prepared, the King is fecn to come
out of the Fortrefs feated upon an Elephant richly hamaffed, under a Canopy with
Pillars painted and guilded or elfe on a Throne (hining of Gold and Azure, upon two
beams, covered with Scarlet or purfled Gold, carried by eight chofen and well accou
tred men. The King is followed by a body of Gmrahs, fome of which are on horfe-
back, feme in a Palekey. Among thefe Omrahs there are many Manfeb-dars^nd Mace-
Bearers' fuch as 1 have before fpoken of. And though this be not that fplendid and
magnificent ProcdTion, or rather Mafcarade of the Grand Seignior, (I have no pro-
perer name for it ) nor the warlike order of our Kings, it^ being altogether of another
faftiion, yet for all that there is fomething great and royal in it.
The otkr thing 1 had forgot to acquaint you with, is an Edifice in the City, called
the Karvanfarah of thePiincefs i the renowned Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. -Saheb^ddcft Daughter of CM-
Jehan, having caufed it to be built at her charges, and willing to contribute fomething
to the decoration ol the Town, as all the Omrahs ffrove to do to pleafe Cbab-Jehan.
This is another great Square, arched like our Bdlace-B-oytil^ but ffill with this difierence,
that one Arch is feparate from the other by a wall, and that in the bottom of every
Arch there is a little Chamber *, and befides that, above the Arches there is a Gallery
which rangeth round about the building, to enter into as many high Chambers, as
there are below. This Place is the Rendezvous of all the great Merchants, Perfians,
Vsbeckj^ and other Strangers that ordinarily do tbere had empty Chambers convenient
enough, to ftay in for fome time in great fafety, the Gate being (hut every night. If
there were a fcore of fuch Structures in divers parts of Paris, Strangers newly arri
ving would not be in that trouble, as often they are to find fafe Lodgings i for there
they might be until they had feen their Acquaintance, and looked for good Accomoda
tion : betides that they would ferve for Magazins of all forts of Commodities, and for
the Rendezvous of all Merchants Strangers. # .
Before we leave l fhall add a few lines in reference to this quefhon, which
doubtlefs you’l make, viz. Whether in Vebli there be as much People and Gallantry
as at Paris ? Certainly when 1 confider thofe three nr four Cities of P arts that are one a-
bove another, all thofe Chambers and other Rooms full from top to bottom j when
farther conlldcr that incredible throng and confution of Men and Women, of nor e rocn
and Paffcngers on foot, of Chariots, Sedans and Coaches, and that there are but tew
great Piazzas and Gardens in Paris > this City feems to me a Nurfery of the V/orld,and
l ean hardly believe, that there are as many People in M/f. Yetnotwithftanding
when I rpfied upon that multitude of Shops on one fide of Vebli, and on the other, upon
the vaft extent of that City, and that there are never lefs in it then 35000 Cavaliers,
not tofpeak of the Houfes of the Omrahs that of all thefe Cavaliers, there are very
few but have Wives and Children, and a great number of Servants having their Houles
apart as their Mafters •, and that all thefe Houfes fwarm with Women and Children : tnat
in many places of though the Streets be broad, and there be but few Chariots and
no Coaches, yet at the hours when the heat fuffers People to come abroad tor their
bulinefs, there is great confufion '.When ( 1 fay ) l confider all this on the other an ,
do not well know what to determine about the queftion, and I imagine, that it there e
not altogether fo much People in Vebli as in Paris, at leaft there wants not much of if.
Concerning the number of gallant People, it muff be acknowledged, that t er ^
this difference between thofe of Paris and Vebli, that of ten Perfons met with upon
Streets of Paris, you (hall fee feven or eight well cloathed and of fome faunon, w 1