'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.' [‎80] (751/1024)

8o
Dehli and Agra capital
of St. Denis i I know not whether there be any fuch in all /Ifia* And even as to the
moft fine and the moft rich Stuffs, they are commonly but in the Magazins, their Shops
are not furnifiit with them : So that for one Shop that maketh any (hew, that is, where
there are fold thofe fine forts of Linnen, thofe Stuffs of Silk ftreaked with Gold and Sil
ver, Cloth of Gold, Turbands embroidered with Gold, and other Commodities of
great price j you (hall always find five and twenty and more, that are filled with nothing
but Pots of Oyl and Butter, and Panniers one upon another full of Rice, Barley, Peafe
Corn, and many other forts of Grain and Legume s which are the ordinary Food not
only of all the Gentiles^ that never eat any meat, but alfo of the meaner fort of the Ma-
bumetans^ and of a good part of thofe of the Souldiery.
It is true that there is a Fruit-market that maketh feme (hew. One may there fee in
Summer abundance of Shops full of dry Fruit, that come out of Balk, Bobgra, and
Samarkand, as Almonds, Pifiaches, fmall Nuts, Raifins, Prunes, Apricocks, and the like.
And in Winter there are found excellent Raifins frelh, black and white, brought from
the fame Countries, well wrapt up in Cotton i alfo Apples and Pears of three or four
forts, and of thefe admirable Melons that lafi: all Winter. But all this Fruit is very
dear i I have feen Melons fold even for a Crown and an half a piece. And they are in
deed the great delicacy and expence of the Omrahs, I have often feen in the Houfe of
ray Aga, that there was eaten in Melons in one morning for more than twenty Crowns.
There are none but the Melons of the Country that are cheap in Summer, but thofe are
not fo good. The Grandees only, that take care to fend for Seed out of Ferfia, and to
get the Ground well fitted 'for them, may eat good ones i yet that but rarely neither,
* the Ground being not fo proper but that the Seed degenerateth the very firft year.
It is true, there is yet another Fruit called Amba, or Mangue, which in its feafon,
during two Summer months, is found in great plenty and very cheap •> but thofe of
Dehli are none of the belt, being very loofe and fiafhly : thofe oi Bengal a, Golkpnda, and
Gea, are admirable. It hath a certain fweetnefs fo peculiar, that I doubt whether there
be any Comfit in the World fo pleafant. There are alfo Fateques, or Water-Melons in
abundance, and almoff all the year long i but they alfo do not thrive well at Debit j they
never have their meat fo ruddy, firm and fuggary *, and if there be any good, they are
not to be found but amongft the Great ones, who take the pains of making them grow
as Melons, with extraordinary care and coil.
There be alfo up and (fown in Dehli Shops of Comfit- makers i b,ut all their Comfits are
very ill done, being fullof Duft and Flyes.
There are befides many Shops of Bread every where, but becaufe they have no Ovens
like ours, it is never well baked: yet in the Fortrefs there is fold fome that isreafona-
bly good i and the Omrahs caufe fuch to be made in their Houfes that is very delicate,
fparing no new Butter, Milk, nor Eggs: yet though they leaven it, it is always much
inferior in goodnefs to our Bread of GoneJJe, and to thofe other forts of excellent Bread
of Paris, it favouring always of the Cake or Simnel.
In thefe Bazars there are alfo fome Tents, where they trade in Roft-meat, and in
dreffing I know not how many forts of Difhes i but all that is but beggarly, na|iy, and
ill meat. I fear you fometimes meet with the fielh of Camels, Horfes, or Oxen, dead
of (icknefs : I do not much truft them j fo that if you will eat any thing wortheating,
you muft have it dreffed at home. ^
There are alfo many Shops every where where they fell Fleflh ■> but you muft take heed,
left they give you Mutton for Kid i the Mutton and Beef, but efpecially Mutton, though
well enough tafted, being here very hot, windy, and of ill digeftion. The beft meat
here is young Kid, but it is very rarely fold in the Market by Quarters i fo that if you
have a mind to eat any, you muft buy a whole and a live one i which is inconvenient
enough, becaufe the meat is fpoiled between one morning and evening, and is common
ly fo lean, that it is tafielefs. Ordinarily you find in the Shambles nothing but the
quarters,of great Kids, which often alfo are very lean and hard. It is true, that fince I
have learned fomething of the manner of the Country, I find both Meat and Bread good
enough, becaufe I fend my Servant to the Fortrefs to the King’s Caterers, whoare've-
ry ready to let him have what is good for good payment, though it coft them nothing.
And it was in reference to this, that one day I made my Agah fmile, when I told him
that I had 1 know not how many years lived by artifice and dealing, and that for all the
150 Crowns pay he monthly allowed me, I was ready to be ftarved > whereas in France
for half a Roupy, I could every day eat as good a bit of meat as the King.
They