1 8 Travels in India. Part II. 



imagining what would fall out. As it pafs'd before the Ciiftoni-hoiife, while the 

 Governors or the Cha-bander, and the Mint-Mafter were fitting in the Divan, 

 they faifd not to ftop him; and as the Slave went forward with the Plate cover'd' 

 they told his Matter that he mutt come into the Cuftom-houfe, and that they 

 mult lee what he carried. The more the EngLJh-mdn cry'd, that the Slave car- 

 ried nothing that paid any duties, the lefs he was believ'd ; fo that after a long 

 debate he took the Plate from his Slave, and carried it himfclf into the Divan- 

 the Govcrnour and the Cha-bandcr, gravely ask'd him, why he would not be obe- 

 dient to the Laws ? Upon w r hich the EngUJlo-m.m, replying in a great heat, that he 

 carried nothing which paid any duty, threw the Pigg among them with fiich a fu- 

 ry, that the Sawce and Pigg flew all upon their Garments. Now in regard that 

 Swines-flefh is an abomination to the Mahometans, who believe every thing de- 

 lil'd that touches it j they were fore'd to change their Clothes, take down the 

 Tapeftry of the Divan, to pull down the Divan it felf, and build another, not da- 

 ring to fay any thing to the Engli/Jo-mdn j for the Cha-bander, and Mint-matter 

 are very obfervant to the Company, by whom they reap a great deal of profit. 

 As for what concerns the Heads of the Companies, as well EngUJh, as Dutch, and 

 their Aflbciates, they have fo great a refpect for them, that they never fearch 

 them at all, when they come a-fhore ; though they will not [tick to conceal their 

 Gold, like particular Merchants, and to carry it about them. The Trade of Tata, 

 formerly very great,begins now to decay, becaufe the Mouth of the Rivers grows 

 more dangerous, and full of (hallows every day more than other, the Sand-hills 

 having almoft choak'd it up. * 



The EngUJh finding they had learn'd the trick of rifling their Clothes, ftudi'd out 

 other little ways and contrivances to conceal their Gold : And the fafhion of wear- 

 ing Perriwigs being newly come out of Europe, they hid their Jacobus's, Rofe- 

 Nobles, and Ducats in the net of their Perriwigs, every time they came a-fhore. 



There was a Merchant that had a mind to convey fbme boxes of Coral into 

 Suratt, without the knowledg of the Cuftomers. He fwam then into the Town, 

 ibme days before the Ship was unladed, when it might be done fecurely before 

 the Cuftomers had any fufpition of any thing. But the Merchant repented him 

 afterwards, the Commodity being fpol'd. For the water of Suratt River being al- 

 ways thick and muddy, there clung to the Coral, which had Iain a long time in 

 the water, a flimeiike a white cruft or skin, which was difficult to be got off; fo 

 that after the Coral was polifh'd, he loft by it above twelve per Cent. 



I come now to the Mofley which goes for currant through the whole extent of 

 the Great Mogul's Dominions 5 and to all the forts of Gold and Silver, w r hichis 

 carri'd thither in Ingots to make profit thereof. 



In the firft place you mutt obferve that it is very profitable to buy Gold and 

 Silver which has been wrought, to melt it into Ingots, and to refine it to the 

 higheft purity : For being refin'd, you pay not for the portage of the Alloy, which 

 was mix'd with it before : And carrying the Gold and Silver in wedges, you pay 

 neither to the Prince nor to the Mint what they exact for Coinage. If you carry 

 coin'd Gold, the beft pieces are Jacobus's, Rofe-Nobles, Albertus's, and other anci- 

 ent Pieces, as well of Portugal, as of other Countreys., and all forts of Gold that 

 have been coin'd in former Ages. For by all thofe old Pieces the Merchant is 

 fure to gain. You may alio reckon for good Gold, and which is proper to be car- 

 ri'd thither, all the Ducats of Germany, zs well thofe coin'd by the feveral Prin- 

 ces, as by the Imperial Towns, together with the Ducats of Poland, Hungary, 

 Swedeland and Danemart^-, and indeed all forts of Ducats are taken to be of the 

 fame goodnefs. The Venetian Ducats of Gold formerly pafs'd for the beft, and 

 were worth four or five of our Sous, more than any others ; but about a dozen 

 years ago they feem to have been alter'd, not going now for any more than the 

 reft. There are alfo Ducats which the Grand Seignior coins at Cairo, and thofe of 

 Sally > and Morocco : But thefe three forts are not fo good as the others, and arc 

 riot worth fo much as they by four Sous of our Money. 



Overall the Empire of the Great Mogul, all the Gold and Silver is weigh'd 

 with weights, which they call Tolla j which weigh nine Deneers, and eight grains 

 of our weights. When they have any quantity of Gold and Silver to fell, the In- 

 dians ufe yellow Copper- weights, with the King's mark, to avoid coufenage. And 



with 



