'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.' [‎139] (458/1024)

Book II.
Travels in I
N d i a»
chap. xni.
A Continuation of the Authors Travels to the Diamond Mines,
»
T come to the third Mine, which is the molt ancient ofalljn the Kingdom
of Bengali* You may give it the name of Soumel^our^ which is the name of
the Town next to the place where the Diamonds are found ; or rather Gond
which is the name of the River in the Sand whereof they feek for the Stones*
The Territories through which this River runs, belong to a Raja King , who was
anciently tributary to the Great but revolted in the time of the Wars
between Sha-jehan and Gehan-guir his Father. So foon as Sha-jehan came to
the Empire, he fent to demand his Tribute of this Raja King ^ as well for the time
pah, as to come ; who finding that his Revenues were not fufficient to pay him
quitted his Country, and retir’d into the fountains with his Subjeds. Upon
his refu&I; Sha-jeban believing he would.ftand it out, fent a great Army againft
him, perfwading himfelf that he Ihould find great ftore of Diamonds in his
Country. But he found neither Diamonds, nor Teople, nor Viduals, the Raid
having bufnt all the Corn which his Subjeds could not carry away ^ fo that
the greateft part of Sha-jeham Army perifh’d for hunger. At length the Raja King
return’d into his Country, upon condition to pay the Moral fome flight
Tribute.
: ' 5 T 'lyi T'he Way from Agra to this Mine,
From Agra to HAlabas, colter 130
From Halahas to Banaroas, coftes 33
From Agra to S afar on, coftes 4
From Agra to Safer on you travel Eaftward; but from Safer on to the Mine
you mull wind to the South, coming ftrfl: to a great Town, codes 21
This 1 own belongs to the Raja King I have Ipoke of. From thence you go to
a Fortrefs call’d Rodas, coftes 4
Thisis one of the ftrongeft places in zWAfia, featedupon a Mountain for-
tifrd with fix Baftions, and twenty-feven pieces of Cannon, with three Moats
fullof Water, wherein there are good Fifh. There is but one way to*come
to the top of the Mountain, where there is a Plain half a League in compafs,
wherein they fow Cotn and Rice. There is above twenty Springs that water
that Plain; but all the reft of that Mountain from top to bottom is nothing
but a fteep Precipice cover’d with over-grown Woods. The Raja King 's formerly
us d to live in this Fort with a Garrifbn of feven or eight hundred men. But
the Great has it now; having taken that Fort by the policy of the fa
mous Mirgimola, which all the Kings of India could never take before. The
Raja King left three Sons, who betray’d one another ^ the eldeft was poifon’d, the
fecond went and ferv’d the Great Mogul, who gave him the command of four
thoufand Horfe } the third poflefles his Fathers Territories, paying the Mo?id
a fmall Tribute. , . r / ,
From the Fortrefs of Rodas to Soumelpour^ coftes 30
Somelpour^ is a great Town, the Houfes whereof are built of Earth, andco-
ver d only with Branches of Coco-trees. All thefe thirty Leagues you travel
through Woods, which is a very dangerous pafiage, as being very much pefter’d
with Robbers. The Raja King lives half a League from the Town, in Tents fet upon
atair riling ground, at the foot whereof runs the Gone/, defending from the
Southern Mountains, and falling into Ganges,
,. this River they find the Diamonds. For after the great Rains are over,
which is ufually in December, they ftay all January till the River be clear } by
reaion that by that time in fome places it is not above two foot deep, ana
o* t^T 1 ^ ac . cs ^ anc ^ ^ es above the water. About the end of January,
r the beginning of February, there flock together out of the great Town,
* T 2 and