194 TORE EN'S VOYAGE. 



which wanted to be fovereign in the eaftem 

 and weilern oceans. But, notwithstanding 

 this, many thoufand rupees pafs through the 

 hands of the merchants for Perfian and Chinefe 

 fillcs, and white ftriped checkered cottons ; 

 likewife for camboya, agates,, and Ceylon 

 Hones, which are always foft ; alfo for dia- 

 monds from Vija Poor and Golconda, and for 

 many other goods. The Moors get a conside- 

 rable part of the profit, becaufe they enjoy 

 rhe greatefl protection from the government ; 

 but the Banians are the moil cunning mer- 

 chants in all the world, which is nothing ex- 

 traordinary, fmce they have for a long fpace 

 of time improved and derived down their 

 fkill in mercantile affairs from father to fon. 

 If what I have been told is true, they mud 

 certainly be enormous ufurers : for they are 

 faid to take one rupee intereft per month for 

 nine rupees. Hence it is certainly not to be 

 wondered at that Shab Al>bas mould expell 

 them out of Ifpahan, in order to admit a far 

 more honed people, namely, the Armenians, 

 It is pretty plain that the merchants have 

 opportunities of gaining confiderable fortunes 

 here, when one of them had nineteen mips at 

 fea on his own account : but it was looked 

 upon by the Mahometans as a clear proof of 



the 



