'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.' [‎19] (338/1024)

Book I. Travels in India.
widi thefe Weights they weigh all the Gold and Silver at once, providedlta-
mount not to above a hundred Tolies. For tHe Changers have no other weights’’
but from one TolU to a hundred ^ and a hundred TolUs come to 38 Ounces^
21 Deneers, and 8 Grains. As for the Gold and Silver which is not coin’d, if
there be much, they eflay if, and having put it to the Touch, they bid to the
utmoll yalue to out-vye one another.
In regard there are fome Merchants that have above forty or fifty thou-
find Ducats at a time, the Indians weigh them with a weight which is juft
the weight of a hundred Ducats, which is alfo mark’d with the Kings Mark5
and if the hundred Ducats weigh lefs than the weights, they put in fo many lit
tle Hones till the Scales are even \ and after all is weigh’d, they make good to the
Changer the weight of thofe little Hones. But before they weigh thefe Gold-
Coins* whether they be Ducats or other Pieces, they put the whole quantity in
to a Charcoal-fire, till they be red-hot} and then quench the Fire with water ,and
take them out again. This they do to find out them which are falfe,and to melt off
the Wax and Gum,which is cunningly dropt upon them to make them weigh the
more. But becaufe there are fome Pieces fo artfully hollow’d and ftopt up again,
that you cannot perceive it, though they have been in the fire, the Changers take
the Pieces, and bend them-, by which they know whether they be good or no 3
and thofe which they fufped they cut in pieces. After they have viewed them all,
they refine thofe which they do not take to be good, and pay for fo much as proves
to be good, as for good Ducats. All this Gold they Coin into that fort of Money
which they call Roupies of Gold ^ except thofe Ducats, which are ftamp’d only up
on one fide, which they fell to the Merchants that come from Tartary % and other
Northern Parts, as from the Kingdoms of Boittan^Afen^ and other remote parts*
With thefe Ducats the Women of thofe Countries chiefly adorn themfelves,
hanging them upon their Head-attire, and fixing them upon their foreheads. As
for the other Ducats, that have no figures, they are not fo much as enquir’d after
by the Northern Merchants.
As for all the other Pieces of Gold , there are great quantities of them Sold
to the Goldfmiths, to the Gold-wyar-drawers, and in general to all that work
in Gold. For if they could put their Metal unmade into Roupies, they would
never Coin * which they can only do at the Coronation of their Kings, to throw
Silver Roupies among the Peopley or to fell them to the Governours of the
Provinces,/and other Grandees of the Court, who then want great quantities
of them to prefent to the new King at his firft coming to his Throne. For
they have not always Jewels or other things rich enough to prefent him, as
well at that time, as at another Feftival, of which I lhall fpeak in diie place,
when they weigh the King every year. At fuch times 1 fay, they are very
glad of Gold Roupies} us alfo to prefent to fuch Favourites at the Court, by
whofe intereft they hope to gain higher Commands, and more confiderable Go
vernments. j - i! \ _ : \ .: /
In one of my Travels, I found by experience the vertue of thefe Roupies of
Gold. Cha-jehan^ Father of Orang-z.eb who now Reigns, had given to one of the
Lords of his Court, the Government of the Province of Tata , whereof Symdi
is the Metropolis. Now though the very firft year of his Government, there
were very great complaints made againft him, by reafon of the Tyranny which
he exercifed over his People, and his great extortions, the King fuffered him
to continue four years, and then recalled him. All the People of were
overjoy’d, believing the King had called him away, only to put him to death 7
wit it fell out quite otherwife} for the King carefs’d him, and gave him the
Government of Halabas , more confiderable than that which he had quitted.
ms kind reception, which he had at the Kings hands, proceeded from this,
that before he came to Agra, he had fent before him a prefent of 50000 Roupies
0 Gold, and about 20000 Roupies of Gold more to Begum Courteous or formal title for (usually Muslim) women of elite status, especially of Turko-Mongol lineage. -Saheb^ who had then
t e whole Power in her hands j as alfo to other Ladies and Lords at the Court,
0 upport his Reputation. All the Courtiers are very defirous to have a great
quantity of Gold ^ becaufe it lies in a little room, and then becaufe they covet,
ss a great Honour, to leave vaft Sums behind them, td their Wives and Chil-
ten, of which the King moft not know. For as I fliall tell you in another place,
* 3 D ^ N when