'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.' [‎126] (797/1024)

A Foyage to Kachemire,
three or four great Raits, and many Omrahf, are to day hereaoout for a guard, during
three or four months, , until the King do return after the great heats are over. Some
(hall po to dtefs their Tents on the one lide of the River Ichcnan, others in the neigh
bouring Towns and Burroughs, and others will be obliged to camp here in this Fhe of
B The Ring for fear of ftarving this ftnall Kingdom of Kachemire, firft carries with him
the lead number of Women he can, the greatell Ladies, the belt friends oiRauchman-
£» aTthofe that are mod neceffary for fervice. Nor doth he carry more of the
OmrahnnA Militia than he needs mud: And the Omrabs that have leave to come with
him cannot take with them all fhe Cavaiiets, but only 2 5 ot 100, yet without compre
hending therein the particular Officers of their Family. And that is to be religioufly
obferv’d becaufe there is an Omrah upon the Guard at the entry of the Mountains, that
reckons all that pafs, one by one, and hindefs the paffing of that great number of M»»,
fcb-Jars and other Cavaliers, that would fain go and enjoy the cool Air of Kachemin ;
as alfoallthofe fmall Merchants and little people 6f Baarr that feek to gain a lively hood.
Th' King for the carriage of neceffaries and the Women of the Seragl/c, takethwith
him fome of the dronged and bed Elephants: Thefe Beads, though grofs and unwiel
dy, are vfcry fure-footed, and in ill way they march very warily, affur.ng themfelves
(3rdof one foot before they remove the other. He taketh alfo fome Mules with htm;
but Camels the mod neceffary, he cannot make ufe of 111 this paflage i thefe Mountains
being too deep and ctaggy for their long (hanked and diff leggs : Porters mud fupply
their places i and what number you think mud there be, if the King alone, as they fay,
hath above fix thoufand for his occafions, and I, a private man, though 1 have left at
Labor my ordinary Tent and much of my baggage as every one hath done even the
King himfelf and-the Omrabt, find my felf obliged to have three of them ? Pis believ
ed there are already no lefs here than fifteen thoufand, partly ot thofe whfch theGo-
vernour of Kachemin and the Ra)as here about have compelled to be here, partly of thofe
that come hither of their own accord out of the neighbouring Villages to earn fome-
thing i for a man is obliged, following the Rings order, to give them ten Crowns for
an hundred pound weight. Tis faid, that, in all, there are above thirty thoufand
of them, without reckoning that a month ago the King and the Omrabs lent away lome
baggage before, and the Merchants, all forts of Commodities.
the ninth letter.
Jv exact defer, ptio» of the Kingdom of Kachemire, andthe prefent Suteef
the Neighbouring Mountains ; together mth an An fiver to five conjidei Me
Qmfiions of a Friend,
SIR,
T H E Hiftories of the Ancient Kings of Kachemire tt\\ us, that all that Gountrey
was formerly nothing but a great Lake » and that there was an old o y
ed Kacheb, that gave an outlet to the Waters by a Miraculous Cut he made in tne
tain of Baramoule, This may be feen in the Abridgment ot thefe Hi ones, w
Jehan-Guire caufed to be made, and which I am tranflating out of tncPerpan ot g •
For my part, 1 would not deny, all this Land to have once been cover a wit i *
the like is affirmed of Thejjaly, and fome other Countries i but tishar to e >
that this opening is the work of one man, becaufe the Mountain is very I 8 an ,. n.
high. I (hould rather think, that fome great Earthquake (thofe parts being u ) _
enough to them) had open’d fome Cavern under ground, which the
fink into, after the fame manner as the opening of Babel-Mandel is made (i it
what the Arabians of that Countrey fay of it; and as whole Towns and oun
have been feen to be fwallow’d up in great Lakes.
, but a very fair Campagne, diverfiHed
However it be, Kachemire is no Lake now, „
by many little Hillocks, about 30 Leagues long, and 10, or 12 Leagues
fituated in the extream of North of Labor, lock’d up within t^e , c e
of Cancafus, between thofe of the Kings of the great Libet, the a ale 1 e ,
Raja King Gamon, its next Neighbours. , D1 . e 0 f a
Thefirft Mountains furrounding it, Lmean thofe that are next tot e am,
middle height, all gr c cn with Trees ©r Pafture, full of all forts of Catte , a