'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.' [‎154] (481/1024)

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Travels in I n d i a.
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the maw of the Goat. It is ihap’d according to the form of the buds or tops of
the branches which the Goats eat.- which is the reafon there are fomany fhap es
of Bezoar-Stones.' The Natives, by feeling the belly of the Goat, know how
many Stones Ihe has within, and fell the Goat according to the quantity. This
they will find out by ilidingtheir hands under their bellies, and then lhaking both
fides of the paunch; for the Stones will fall into the middle, where they may
eafily count them all by their feeling.
The rarity of Bezoar is in the bignefs; though the final 1 Bezoar has.the faint
vertue as that which is larger. Bnt there is more deceit in the large Bezoar; for
the Natives have got a trick to add to the bignefs of the Stone, with a certain
Pafte compos’d of Gum, and fomething elfe of the colour of Bezoar. And they
are fo cunning too r to lhape it juft like natural Bezoar. The cheat is found out
two ways ^ the firft is by weighing the Bezoar, and then fteepingit in warm wa
ter; if neither the water change colour, nor the Bezoar lofe any thing of its
weight, the Stone is right. The other way is to thruft a red-hot Bodkin of Iron
into the Stone; if the Bodkin enters, and caufes it to fry, there is a mixture. Be-
2oar is dearer according to the bignefs of the Stones,advancing in price like Dia
monds. For if five or fix Bezoars weigh an ounce,an ounce will be worth fifteen
or eighteen Franks; but if it be a Stone of one ounce, that very ounce is well
worth too Franks. I have fold one of four ounces and a half for 2000 Lj-
vres.
I have been very curious to inform my felf of all things that concern’d the
nature of Bezoar ; but could never learn in what part of the body of the Goat
it was to be found. One time among the reft,having oblig’d feveral Native Mer
chants by putting off for them a great quantity of Bezoar ; upon my requeft,
though it be death without mercy to tranfport any of thefe Goats out of the
Countrey, they brought me fix Goats by Health to my lodging. When I ask’d
the price of them, I was furpriz’d, when they told me one was worth but three
Roupies; that the two other were worth four Roupies} and the. three others
four and three quarters a piece. I ask’d them why fome were more worth than
others ; but 1 found afterwards that the firft had but one Bezoar, that the reft
had two,or three, or four. The fix Goats had in all feventeen Bezoars in them,
and a half one, as big as the half of a Hazel-nut. The infide was like the foft
ordure of the Goat, the Bezoar lyingamong the dung, which is in the belly of
the Goat. Some avert’d that they grew right againft the liver, others right
againft the heart, but I could never find out die truth.
As well in the Eaft, as Weft, there are a great quantity of Bezoars that breed
in the fame manner in Cows } of which there have been fome that have weigh’d
feventeen or eighteen ounces; For there w&s fuch a one that was giv’n to the Great
Duke of Tufcany. But thofe Bezoars are little efteem’d, fix grains of the other
Bezoar working more powerfully than thirty of this.
As for the Bezoar which breeds in Apes,as fome belive,it is fo ftrong, that two
grains work as effedually as fix of Goat’s-Bezoar.- but it is very fcarce, as being
only found in thofe Apes that breed in the Ifland ofMacaJfar. This fort of Be
zoar is round, whereas the other is of feveral fafhions, as I faid before. As the
Apes Bezoar is ftronger, and fcarccrthan the-Goats, fo it is dearer, and more
fought after; a piece as bigas a nut,being fometimes worth a hunder’d Crowns
The Portugals make great account of this Bezoar, Handing always upon their
guard for fear of being poifon’d.
There is another Stone in great efteem, that is call’d the Porcupine’s-Stone,
which tfiat creature is faid to carry in its head,and is more precious than Bezoar
againft poifon. If it be fteep’d in water a quarter ofan hour,the water becomes
io bitter,that nothing can be more bitter. There is alfo a Stone fometimes found
in the belly of that creature of the fame nature \ and as good as that which comps
from the head v neverthelefs with this difference, that being fteep’d in water,it
lofes nothing of its weight nor bulk, as the other does. I have bought in my
time three of thofe Stones. Oneofthem coftme 500 Crowns, and I exchang e
it to advantage. I paid four-hunder’d Crowns for the other, which I kept, tne
other was fold me for 200 Crowns, Which I prefented to a friend.
There