'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.' [‎130] (449/1024)

Travels in India.
Tis obfervable of the Nutmeg, that the Tree which bears it is never pianteri
which has been confirm'd to me by feveral perfons that have liv’d feveral year*
in the Countrey. They related to me, that the Nutmeg being ripe, feveral Birds
come from the Iflands toward the South, and devour it whole, but are forc’d to
throw it up again before it be digefted. The Nutmeg then -heftnear’d with a
vifcous matter, felling to the ground takes rpot, and produces a Tree, which*
would never thrive were it planted. This puts me in mind of making one
obfervation upon the Birds of Paradife. Thefe Birds being very greedy after
Nutmegs, come in flights to gorge themfeves with the pleafing Spice, at the
feafon, like Felfares in Vintage time * but the ftrength of the Nutmeg fo intoxi
cates them, that they fall dead drunk to the Earth, where the Emets in a Ihort
time eat off their Legs. Hence it comes, that the Birds of Paradife are faid to
have no Feet; which is not true however, for I have feen three or four that
had Feet j and a French Merchant fent one from Aleppo as a Prefent to Lewk
the Thirteenth that had Feet j of which the King made great account,as being
a very lovely Fowl, 6
But notwithftanding all the Hollanders Proje&s, you may buy Cloves at
Macajfar without purchafing them of the Hollander in regard the Iflanders
buy them of the Dutch Captains and Soldiers, which the Hollanders have in
thofe places where the Cloves grow, giving them in exchange Rice, and other
<toeceflaries for the fupportoflife, without which they would ftarve, being very
fadly provided for.
When the Natives of Macajfar are thus furnifh’d of Cloves, they barter
them in Exchange for fuch Commodities as are brought them } fometines they
give Tortoife-Shells in exchange, and Gold Duff ^ by which the Merchant gains
fix dr feven in the hundred, being better than the Money of the Ifland, though
it be Gold, by reafon the King ofttimes enhances the value of it. The places
where Cloves grow, are Amboyna y Ellias^ Seram y and Bonro.
The Iflands of Banda alfo, in number fix, vhc. Nero, Lotttour, Foulcay, Rofe*
gmn ? and Grenapms y bear Nutmegs, in great abundance. The Ifland of Grm-
fnis 'is about fix Leagues in compafs, and ends in a (harp point, where there is
a continual fire burning out of the Earth. The Ifland of Damtn'e y where there
grows great ftore of Nutmegs, and very ^ big, was dilcover’d in the year 1647,
by Abel Tajman, zDntch Commander.
The price of Cloves and Nutmegs, as I have known them fold to the Hoi*
landers at Sarat y was as follows. #
The Mein of Surat contains forty Serres, which make thirty-four of our
Pounds, at fixteen Ounces to the Pound.
A Mein of Cloves was fold for a hundred and there Matnoudi’s and a half
A Mein of Mace was fold for a hundred and fifty-feven Mamoudf $ and a
4 :« 7 «* fn/v* «/. n. .
half.
Nutmegs for fifty-fix Mamoudf s and a half.
Cinnamon comes at Prefent from the Ifland of CeyUn. The Tree that bears
it h very much like the Willow, and has three Barks. They never take off bn*
the firft and fecond, which is accounted the belt. They never meddle with th£
third, for fhouid the Knife enter that, the Tree would dye. So that it is an
art to take off the Cinnamon, which they learn from their youth. The Cinna
mon Spice is much dearer to the Hollanders than people think } for the King
ofCeyiarij otherwife cail’d King of Candy y from the name of his principal City,
being a fworn Enemy to the Hollander 's y fends his Forces with an intention to
furprize them, when they gather their Cinnamon ; fo that they are forc’d to
bring feven or eight hundred men together to defend as many more that are at
work. Which great expence of theirs very much enhances the price of the
Cinnamon. There grows upon the Cinnamon Tree a certain fruit like an Olive,
though not to be eaten. This the Bortugals were wont to put into a Caldron
of Water, together with the tops of the Branches, and boil'd it till the Water
;Was all confum’d. When it was cold, the upper part became a Pafte like white
Wax ; of which they made Tapers to fet up in their Churches, for no fooner
were the Tapers lighted, but all the Church was perfum’d. Formerly the
tagaU brought Cinnamon out of other Countries, belonging to the Rajas aborit