'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.' [‎17] (336/1024)

Book I. Travels I n d i a. .. i 7
/
Chap. ii. : ,
af the Cufloms. Money, Exchange, Weights and Meafures
J ; of the INDIANS.
' ' ' • » “ ' • . ' . '
HHO avoid Repetitions, which cannot be flitimi’d in the Courfe of long Travels;
it behoves me to let the Reader underftand what belongs to the Cuftom-’
tafe. Money, Exchange, Weights and Meafures of the Indians.
When your Commodities are unladen at Suratt, you mult carry them to the
titftotmhoufe adjoyning to the tort. They arc very fevere, and very exad in
fearching the People. Particular Merchants pay from four to five ?er Cent, at the
Cuftom-houfe for all forts of Ware. But for the Enghfc and Ho/W-Company,
they pay lefs: But 1 believe if they did but call up what it cofts them m Depu-
fations and Prefents which they are oblig’d every year to fend to the Court,, they
^ould notpay muchlefs for their Wares, then particular Merchants. .
Chid and Silver pay two in the hundred, and when it is brought into the
Ctiftom-houfe, the Mailer of the Mint comes and takes it, and Coins it into the
Ifaey of the Gountrey. Thev agree with him upon the day wherein he will un-
dmake to return the new Pieces: And for fo many days as he makes them flay
after that, he pays them Interelb, according to the proportion of the Silver
Which he receives. The Indians are very fubtil and crafty in matters pi Money
and Payments ^ three or four years after the Silver is coind, it loles half pet"
Cm. and goes at the fame race as old Silver ^ for, fay they, it is impoffible but
thatit fhould lofe in palling through fo many hands. You may carry all forts of
Iwer into the Dr ninions of the Great Mgitl. For in all the Frontier Cities
there is a Mint where it is purified to the higiieft perfection, as is all the Gold
v and Silver in India^ by the Kings Command,and coin d into Money. Silver in Bais,
or old Plate, which is bought without paying for the falhion, is the Silver by
Which you lhall lofe leail • tor as for coin d Silver, there is no avoiding the lois
tf the Coinage. All their bargains are made, with a condition to pay in com d
Silver within the prefent year. And it yon make payment in old Silver , you
mull refolve to lofe according to the time fifice it was firfl Coin’d. In all places
far remote from Cities, where the vulgar People have no great knowledg in Sil
ver: and where there are no Changers , they will not receive a piece cl Silver,
without putting it into the fire, to try whether it be good or no; And this is the
Common practice at all Ferries and Palfages over Rivers. In regard their Boats
are only made of Ofier, covered over with an Ox-hide, and by confequence are
Very light ^ they keep them in the Woods, and wdll not take them upon their
Shoulders, till they have received their Money. ^ . . •.
As for their Gold, the Merchants have fo many cunning tricks to hide it, thatit
feldom comes to the knowledg of the Cultomers. They do all they can to Ihift off
paying the Cuftomsj and that, fo much the rather, becaufe they do notrunfotnudi
hazard as at the cStom-houfe of Europe. For in the Indian Cuftom-houfes, if
man be caught in the fraud, he is quitted by paying double } ten in the hundred.
Mead of fi ve : the King comparing the venture of the Merchant to a game at
Hazard , where he plays quit or double. The King had granted to the Enghjh
Captains, that they ihould not be fearched when they camea-lhore. Bat one day
one of the Enghjh Captains going toT^,one of the greateft Cities in India^ a
little above the Mouth of the River lndou 0 as he was going to pafs the River, he
ivas Hop’d by the Officers of the Cuftom-houfe, who fearch’d and rifl’d him ,
What-ever he could alledge to the contrary. They found Gold about him, of
Which he had already carried off feveral quantities, at feveral times, that he had
gone from his Ship to the City j but they quitted him, upon paying the ufual
Cuilom. The Engiijh-m^ vhx’dat fuch an affront, refolv’d to revenge himfelr,
which he did after a very pleafant manner. He caus’d a fucking-pig to beroafled,-
and putting it together with the dripping, and fawce, in a Cto^-platter, covered
with a Imnen-cloath, he gave it a Slave to bring along after him to the City^
* D imagining