'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.' [‎89] (760/1024)

Cities of Indoftan.
, v They raife a wall of earth three or four foot broad, and five or fix foot hfoh. The
two Elephants that are to fight, meet one another face to face,one on the one fide of the
wall, the other on the other, each having two Riders upon him, thatfo, if the firft
who fi s on his fhoulders (havmg a great pointed iron in his hand, to turn the Bead on
he right or left hand) (hould fall, the other, who fits backward, may caft himfelf into
h / ^ h£fe RlcJcis Guides, do animate their Elephants to the Combat
and vigoroufly to fall upon their enemy, now flattering them, and by and by chid inf'
them as cowards, and very rude£ Kicking them with their heels. After they have been
a good while thus chafed and puflit on, then you (hall fee thefe two bulky mafles come
to the wall, and bluntly afiault one another, and give fuch cruel blows with their teeth
head and trunk, that you would think they would foon firike one another dead. This
fightcontmues a while, then ceafeth, and begins afrefh fevcral times, until the mud-
wall being overthrown, the flouteft of the two pafleth upon the other, maketh him
turn his bac.-s, purfucth him with blows of his teeth and trunk, and gets fuch an hold-
aft upon him, that there is no means of feperating them, except it be with the Cber-
(yrt, that is, certain artificial fires caft betwixt them, this Animal being very fearful
of fire: whence it comes, that fince Fire-arms have been ufed in Armies, Elephants do
almoft nogood at all. Itistrue indeed, that fome of thofe brave ones that come out of
CeihH) are not fo timerous i but that is not till they have been whole years accuftomed
toit bydiichargmg every day Muskets before them, and by carting fquibs between
their legs. Meantime, this contfkSt of the Elephants would be no fuch difpleafing light
iht were not fo crue^t often happening, that fome of thofe poor Guides are trod
under toot and pe«m : for the Elephants in the combat have this malice, that they Itrive
above all things to (trike with their trunk, and to pull down the conductor of their ad-
verfary * and thence it is,that on the day when thefe poor Riders know they are to make
the Elephants fight, they bid farewel to their Wives and Children, as if they were con
demned to death. That which encourages and comforts them, is, that if they efcape and
quit themfelves well of their doty, the King increafcs their pay, and commands a
lack of P eyfjas, which amounts to about fifty French Li vres, to be forthwith given them
or if they be killed upon the fpot, he orders that pay to be made to the Widow, and
the Office to be given to his Son, if he have any. There is another mifehief, which of
ten accompameth this combat i which is, that in this great throng there are always
tome perfons overthrown by the Elephant, or trod under foot by the Horfes and .People^
that on a fudden run away all at once,and fall one upon another,when the Elephants are
enraged, and the one purfueth the other, fo that then one cannot at any nearnefs look
on but with danger. For my part, the fecond time I faw it, I did fufficiently repent for
having approached fo nigh, and if I had not had a good Horfe, and two good Servants,
1 believe 1 mould have paid for my curiohty as dear as others.
But tis time we (hould leave the F ortrefs, and return into the City, there to obferve
to you two things I had forgot. The firft is the great Mofqnee' feen afar off in the
midft of the Town, (landing upon a rock, flatted to build upon, and to make round a-
bout a large place for four long and fair Streets to end upon, and anfwering to the. four
tides of the Mofquee, viz. one to the principal Gate, or Frontifpiece, another behind
that, and the two others to the two Gates that are in the middle of the two regaining
hdes. To come to the Gates, there are twenty five or thirty fteps of fair and large
otones going round about, except the back-part, which is covered with other great
Qyarry-ftones to cover the unevenefs of the cut Rock: which contributes much to make
thisFabrick make a (hew. The three Entries are (lately, there is nothing but Marble,
and their large Gates are covered with Copper Plates exceedingly well wrought. Above
me principal Gate, which is much ftatelier than the two others, there are many fmall
lurrets of white Marble as well without as within i that in the middle is much big
ger and higher than the two others. All the reft of the Mofquee, I mean from thefe
t itee Domes unto the great Gate, is without covering, becaufcof the heat of the Coun
try i and the whole Pavement is of large (quares of Marble. I grant willingly, that
• I s j. r _ uc ^ ure not according to the rules and orders of Architecture, which we efteem
is indifpenfably to be followed i yet I obferve nothing in it that offends the eye i but
rather find all to be well contrived, and well proportioned : And I do even believe
mat if In p*™ we had a Church of this way of Architecture, it would not be diiliked’
i there were nothing elfe in it but that’tis of an extraordinary and furprifing afpect*
nd becaufe that, excepting the three great Domes and all the Turrets, which are of