'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.' [‎100] (419/1024)

IOO
Travels in India.
Pa rt II,
every two Leagues there are little Huts, where there are men bIwotT T
who are engag’d to run away immediately; fo that when one of thefem
carries the Letters, comes to one of thefe Huts, he throws the Letters • lat
Hut, and then he that is appointed, runs with them to the next Stage 6
look upon it as an ill Omen, to give the Letters into the Meffengers h \i *
but they muft be thrown at his feet, and he muft gather them up i • ’
beobferv’dalfo, that the high ways in moft parts of India, are like Wal^ 'f
Trees; and that where there are no Trees, at every five hundred par! a-
fiance there are fet up little Heaps of Stones, which the Inhabitants of,)!’
next Villages are bound to white-wafli from time to time, to the end
Letter-Carriers may not mifs their ways in dark and Rainy nights. While we ft °ta
with the Nahab, certain Officers came to tell him, that they had broushr^
tain Offenders to the door of his Tent. He was above half an hour heLV?'
return d them any anfwer,writing on,and giving inftrudiions to his Secret!*!
but by and by, all of a hidden he commanded the Offenders to be brought in
and after he had examin’d them, and made them confefs the crime of whirl!
they flood accus’d, he was above an hour before he faid a word, ftill writin!
on, and employing his Secretaries. In the mean while feveral of the Officers
of the Army came to tender their refpedts to him in a very fubmiffive manner
all whom he anfwer’d only with a nod. There was one of the Offenders which’
were brought before him, had broken into a Houfe, and had kill’d the Mother
and three Children. He was condemned upon the fpot to have his Hands and
Feet cut off, and to be call: out into the high way, there to end his davs
in mifery. Another had rob’d upon the Highway; for which the Nahab or-
der d his Belly to be ript up, and himfelf to be caft upon the Dunghill. I know
not what crimes the other two had committed, but their heads were both
cut off. When we perceiv’d him at a little leifure, we ask’d him whether he
had any other Commands, to lay upon us, and whether he thought our Com-
modities fitting to be ihew’n to the King. He anfwer’d, that we might go to
Golconda^nA that he would write to his Son in our behalf,and that his Letter would
be there fooner than we. And in order to our journey, he order’d us lixteen
Horfemen to convoy ns, and to provide us neceflaries upon the Road, till we
came to a River,thirteen Leagues from Gandicot, which no perfons are to pafs
unleis they have the Nahabs Pafsport^ to keep the Soldiers from running from
their Colours.
CHAR XIX.
The Road from Gandicot to Golconda.
X H ? in the morning, we fet out of Gmdicot, accompanied with
the greateft part of the Canoneers,who brought us the firfl days journey up
on our way; and that day having travel’d feven Leagues, we came to lye at
CotepsJi.
. "^e feventeenth, the Canoneers took their leaves of us} and we kept on ouf
journey with our Horfemen y and having travel’d fix Leagues, we lay at a
Village calld Coteen, on the other fide of the River, which is very broad. So
loon as we had crofs’d it, the Horlemen took their leaves of us; and though
we made them a prefent of Roupies, to buy them Tobacco and Betle, yet we
could not perlwade them’to take it. Their Ferry-Boats wherewith they crofs
the River, arc like broad bottom’d Wicker Flaskets, cover’d without with Oxe’s
Hides y at the bottom whereof they lay certain Faggots, over which they ipread
a piece of old Tapeltry, to keep the Wares and Merchandife from the wet. As
vim i ir loaches and Waggons, they fallen them between two Boats, by the
Wheels and the Pole ; the Horfes fwimming all ths while, one man whip
ping them on behind, while another in the Boat holds them up by the Head-