Book I Travels in India. i^ 



w ith thefe weights they weigh all the Gold and Silver at once, provided it a- * 

 mount not to above a hunder'd TolUs. For the Changers have no other weights, 

 but from one Tolla to a hunder'd; and a hunder'd Tulles come to 38 Ounces, 

 21 Deneers, and 8 Grains. As for the Gold and Silver which is not coin'd, 

 if there be much, they efTay it ; and having put it to the touch, they bid to 

 the utmoft value to out-vye one another. 



In regard there are fome Merchants that have above forty or fifty thou- 

 fand Ducats at a time, the Indians weigh them with a weight which is ;ufl? 

 the weight of a hunder'd Ducats, which is alfo mark'd with the Kings Mark; 

 and if the hundred Ducats weigh left than the weights, they put in (0 many little 

 ftones till the Scales are even ; and after all is weigh'd, they make good to the 

 Chancer the weight of thofe little ftones. But before they weigh thefe Gold- 

 Coins, whether they be Ducats or other Pieces, they put the whole quantity into 

 a Charcoal-fire,til! they be red-hot $ and then quench the fire with water,and take 

 them out again. This they do to find out them which are fa)fe,and to melt off the 

 Wax and Gum,which is cunningly dropt upon them to make them weigh the more, 

 Butbecaufe there are fome Pieces fo artfully hollow'd and ftopt up again, that you 

 cannot perceive it,though they have been in tke fire,tfie Changers take the Pieces, 

 and bend thereby which they know whether they are good or nojand thofe which 

 they fufpect they cut in pieces. After they have viewed them all, they refine 

 thole which they do not take to be good, and pay for fo much as proves to be 

 good, as for good Ducats. All this Gold they coin into that fort of Money which 

 they callRotrpies of Gold; except thofe Ducats, which are itaflip'd only upon 

 onefide, which they fell to the Merchants that come from Tartarj, and other 

 Northern Parts, as from the Kingdoms of JBoutai/, Afcn t and other remote parts. 

 With thefe Ducats the Women of thofe Countries chiefly adorn thcmfelves, 

 hanging them upon their Head-attire, and fixing them upon their forheads. As 

 for the other Ducats, that have no figures, they are not fo much as enquir'd after 

 by the Northern Merchants. 



As for all the other Pieces of Gold, there are great quantities of them fold 

 to the Goldfmiths, to the Gold-wyar-drawers, and in general to all that work 

 in Gold. For if they could put their Metal unmade into Roupies, they would 

 never coin ; which they can only do at the Coronation of their Kings, to throw 

 Silver Roupies among the people 5 or to fell them to the Governours of the 

 Provinces, and other Grandees of the Court, who then want great quantities 

 of them to preterit to the new King at hrs frrft coming to his Throne. For 

 they have not always Jewels or other things rich enough to prefent ham, as 

 well as that time, as at another Feftival, of which 1 fhaH {peak in due place,, 

 when they weigh the King every year. At fuch times I lay, they are very 

 "lad of Gold Roupies ; as alio to prefent to fuch Favourites at the Court, by 

 whofe intereft they hope to gain higher Commands, and more confiderable Go- 

 vernments. 



In one of my Travels, I found by experience the venue of thefe Roupies of 

 Gold. Cha-jehan, Father of Orang-^cb who now reigns, had given to one of the 

 Lords of his Court, the Government of the Province of Tata, whereof Symdi 

 is the MetropcdfS. Now though the very firlt year of his Government, there 

 were very great complaints made againit him, by reafon of the Tyranny which 

 he exerciled over his people, and his great extortions, tic King fuffer'd him 

 to continue four years, and then recall'd him. All the people of Tata were 

 overjoy'd, believing the King had call'd him away, only to put him to death ; 

 but it fell out quite otherwife 5 for the King carefs'd him, and gave him the 

 Government of Hdlabas y more confiderable than that which he had quitted. 

 This kind reception, which he had at the Kings hands, proceeded from this, 

 that before he came to j4gra 3 he had lent before him a prefent of coooo Roupies ot 

 Gold, and about 20000 Roupies of Gold more to Bcgum-Sahcb, who had then 

 the Whole power in her hands ; as alfo to other Ladies and Lords at the 

 Court,, to fupport his Reputation. All the Courtiers arc very defiruus to have 

 a great quantity of Gold ; becatife it lies in a little room, and then becaufe they 

 covet, as a great Honour,to leave vaft Sums behind them, to their Wives and Chil- 

 dren, of which the King muft not know, For as I (hall tell you in another place, 



* D 2 when 



