'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.' [‎120] (791/1024)

A Voyage to Kachemire,
The Piinceffes, and the great Ladies of the Seraglio are alfo carried in fundry fa(h-
ions j fome are carried, like the King, on mens (boulders, in a ‘Tchaudoule, which is a
kind of ‘Tattravan, painted, guilded, and cover’d with great and coftly Net-work of
Sj]k of divers colours, enriched with Embroidery, Fringe, and thick pendant tufts. 0-
thers are carried in a very handfome Palelys clofed, that are likewife painted and guil
ded, and covered with that rich (ilken net-work. Some are carried in large Litters by
two ftrongCamels, or by two fmall Elephants, inftead of Mules : and in this manner
I have fometimes feen carried Rauchenara- Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. i when l alfo obferved, that in the
fore-part of her Litter, being open, there was a little She-flave, that with a peacocks-
tail kept oif from her the Flyes and Dub. Laftly, others are carried upon Elephants
richly harneffed, and cover’d with embroider’d deckings, and great Silver-bells,
where thefe Ladies fit, ralfed, as ’twere, into the middle region of the Air, four and
four in Mfy-detnbers latticed, which always are cover’d with filken Network, and
are nolefs fplendid and ftately than the Tchaudoules and Vfattravans.'
I cannot forbear relating here, that ill this Voyage I took a particular pleafure in be
holding and confidering this pompous march of the Seraglio. And certainly nothing
more (lately can be imagined, than to fee Raucbenara- Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. march firfi, mounted upon
a lu fly Elephant of Pegu in aMikcdember, alUhiningof Gold andAzur, attended by five
or fix other Elephants with their Mi^dembers^ almoft as fplendid as hers, filled with the
principal She-Officcrs of her Houfei fome of the moll confiderable Eunuchs, richly a-
dorned, and advantagioufly mounted, riding on her fide, each with a Cane in his hand j
a Troup of ‘Tartarian &yd Kachemirian Maids, of Honour about her, odly and fantallically
drelied, and riding pm very pretty Hackney-horfes i and lallly, many other Eunuchs
on Horfeback accompanied with (lore of Pages and Lackeys, with great Hicks in their
hands, to make way afar off. Mtex fids Raucbenara- Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. , 1 faw pafs one of the prin
cipal Ladies of the Court, mounted and attended in proportion : And after this,a third
in the fame falhion i and then another, and fo on to fifteen or fixteen all, (moreor lefs)
bravely mounted and accompanied accordiug to their quality, pay, and office. Indeed
this long file of Elephants to the number of fifty, or fixty, or more, thus gravely
marching with paces, as’twcre, counted, and withal this gallant train and equipage,
does reprefent fomething that is Great and Royaland ifl had not beheld this Pomp
with a kind of philofophical indifference, I know not, whether I (hould not have fuffer-
ed my felf to be carried away to tfiofe extravagant fentimentsof moll of the Indian Po
ets, who will have it, that all thefe Elephants carry as many hidden Goddeffes. Tis
true, one can hardly fee them, and they are almolt inacceffible by men , it would be a
great misfortune to any poor Cavalier whofoever, to be found in the F ield too near them
in the march i all'thofe Eunuchs, and all the cruc of Servants are to the higheft degree
infolent, and delire nothing more than fuch apretext andoccafion to fall upon a man and
give him fome Baftinadoes. I remember, I was once thus unfortunately furprized, and
certainly I had been very ill ufed, as well as many other Cavaliers, if at length I had not
rcfolved to make my way out by my fword, rather than fuffer my felf to be thus maim
ed as they began to order the matter and if by good luck I had not been provided with
a good Horfe, that carried me vigoronfly out of the prefs, when I put him on thorow
a torrent of people, that was to be repaffed. And it is grown in a manner a common
Proverb of thefe Armies, That, above all, one muff beware of three things: Firfi,
Not to let one felf to be engaged amongfi the troups of the chofen led Horfe, they ne
ver failing to firike : Secondly, not to come into the places of Hunting : Thirdly, not to
Approach too near the Women of the Seraglio. Yet notwithftandingby whatl hear,
it is much leis dangerous here than in Perfiab for there’tis death to be found in the
field in fight of the Eunuchs that attend them, though you were half a league dilfant
from them. It is required, that as many men as there are in the Villages and Burroughs,
where they pafs, do all abandon them and retire afar off.
As to the Hunting of the King, I knew not firft how to imagine what is commonly
faid, which is, that the Great Mogol goes to hunt with an hundred thoufand men: But
now I fee, it may very well be faid, that he goes to hunt with above two hundred
thoufand j nor is it a thing hard to comprehend. In the neighbouring places to Agra
and Df/?/r, along the river Gemna as tax as to the mountains, and even on both (ides ot
the high way to Labor, there is abundance of untilled Lands, fome of Copfe-woo ,
and fome of Grafs above a mans height: In all thefe places there are great numbers ot
Guards, unceffantly roving up and down, and hindering all other people from huntin