'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.' [‎128] (447/1024)

12 $
Travels in India.
Tvoisled-Cotton*
C Otton twifted and untwifted comes from the Provinces of Br^mpour 2nd
zerat. Untwifled Cotton is never tranfported into Europe, being too cum-
berfome, and of little value *, only they fend it to Or?nus^Balfara y and fometime^
to the Ehilippine-lfands, and the Iflands of Swde. As for the twifted Cottons"
the EtigHfl* ^nd Hillonders tranfport a good quantity, not of the fineftjbut of that
fort which is priz’d from fifteen to fifty Mamoudis : Itferves for wicks for Can
dles, for Packfaddles,and for the ground ofSilk-ftuffs.
India 0.
O
I Ndigo comes from feveral parts of the great Mogul % Empire *, and according
to the diverfity of the places it differs in quality, and consequently in price. °
In the firft place, it comes from the Territories of Buna, Jndoua, and Corf# a
day or two’s journey from Agra: which is efteemM the beft of all. It is made
alfo eight days journey from Surat, in a Village call’d Sarquefs, two leagues
diftance from Amadahat. Here the fiat Indigo is made. There is alfo Indigo lit
tle inferior in goodnefs and price, which comes from the King of G’o/co^’s Ter
ritories. The Mein of Surat, which contains 42 Serre's, or 34 and a half of our
pounds, is valu’d from 15 to 20 Roupies. They make as good as this at Barode.
That which is made up about Agra is made up in half Ballsjand is the moft fought
for in all India. It is fold by the Afc/'w,which in thofe places contains 60 Sems
c or 51 and three quarters of our pounds. The ufual price is from 36 to 40 P v ou-
pieS. There grows alfo Indico fome 3d leagues from Brampour, about a great
Village call’d ^^o/^,and round about the neighbouring Towns in the road to Surat:
of which the Natives ufually make above a hiftider’d-thoufand Roupies.
There comes Indigo alfo from Bengala ,which the A/o/ZW-Company tranfports
for Mafipatan. But they buy this Indigo, and that of ‘Brampour and Amaddat,
cheaper by twenty four in the hunder’d > than that of Agra.
Indigo is made of an Herb which they low every year after the rains are over;
which when it is grown up, is very like our Hemp. They cut it three times a
year; firft when it is about two or three foot high 3 and they cut it within haii
a foot of the ground 3 the firft: cutting far exceeds the two latter. The fecon 4
cutting is worfe than the firft: by ten or^ twelve in the hunder’d, and the third
worfe than the fecond by twelve in the hunder’d. The difference is found
by breaking a piece of the Pafte, and obferving the colour. The colour of
that Indigo which is made of the firft; cutting, is a violet-blue, but more brisk
and lively than the two others .* and that which is made of the fecond is more
lively than the third.
> When they have cut the Herb, they throw it unto Pits which they make v^ith
^ime, which becomes fo hard, that you would judg it to be one intire piece of
Marble. They are generally fourfcore or a hunder’d paces in circuit} and being
half full of water, they fill them quite up with the Herb. Then they bruife and
jumble it in the water tilf the leaf, for the ftalk is worth nothing, become like a
kind of thick mud. This being done,they let it fettle for fome days 3 and when
the fettling is all at the bottom, and the water clear above, they let out all the
water. When the water is as drain’d out,they fill feverai baskets wit hthis dime,
and in a plain Field you fhall fee feveral men at work, every one at his own bas
ket, making up little pieces of Indigo flat at the bottom,at the top fharp like ^
Though at Amadabat they make their pieces quite fiat like a fmall cake.
Here you are to take particular notice, that the Merchants, becaufe they would
not pay cuftom for an unncceflary weight, before they tranfport their Indigo out
of Afia into Europe, are very careful to caufe it to be lifted, to feperate the duft
from it 3 which they fell afterwards to the Natives of the Countrey to dye theft
Calicuts, They that lift this Indigo muft be careful to keep a Linnen-cloath be
fore their faces,andthat their noftrilsbe weil-ftapt,kaving only two littles kok$
for their eyes. Befides, they muft every half hour be fare to drink milk,whfth
is a great prefervative againft the piercing quality of the duft. Yet notwfth-
~ ‘ 0 ^ 4 Handing