64 Travels in India. Part II 



Court iurrounded with Portico's, under which lies the King's Guards. Out of 

 this Court you pals into another, built after the lame form, encoflipaft with (c- 

 veral fair Apartments, the Roofs ay hereof are terrafs'd. Upon which, as upon 

 thole where the Elephants are kept, there are very fair Gardens, wherein there 

 grow Trees of that bigncls, that it is a thing of great wonder, how thole Arches 

 mould bear Co vail a burthen. 



About fifty years fince, they began to build a magnificent Pagod in the City 

 which would have been the faireft in all India ^ had it been finilh'd. The Stones 

 are to be adtnir'd for their bignefs : And that wherein the Nich is made, which is 

 on that fide where they, fay their Prayers, is an entire Rock, of fuch a prodigious 

 bulk, that it was five years before five or fix-hunder'd men, continually employed 

 could hew itout of its place. They were fore'd alfo to rowl it along upon an En- 

 gine with wheels, upon which they brought it to the Pagod 5 and f eVcral affirm'd 

 to me, that there were fourteen-hunder'd Oxen to drawit. I will tell yon here- 

 after the reafon it remains imperfeft: For had it been finifh'd, in all realon it had 

 excell'd all the boldeft Structures of Af* 



On the other fide of the City, as you go to Maflipatan, there arc two great 

 Lakes, being each about a league in compafs, wherein there ride leveral Pinks 

 richly adorn'd for the King's Pleaiure ; and upon the Banks are leveral fair Houles 

 that belong to the Principal Lords of the Court. 



Upon three fides vf the City Hands a very fair Mofquec, wherein are the Tombs 

 of the Kings of Golconda : and about four in the afternoon there is a Dole of 

 Bread and Pilau to ail the Poor that come. If you would fee any thing that is 

 rare, you mult go do view thele Tombs upon a Feftival-day. For then from 

 morning till night they are hung with rich Tapeftry. 



As for the Government and Policy which is obferv'd in this City : In the firft 

 place, when a Stranger comes to the Gates, they fearch him exactly, to lee if he 

 have any Salt or Tobacco about him j for thofe Commodities bring the King his 

 greateft Revenue. • Sometimes a Stranger mall wait a day or two, before he ihall 

 have leave to enter. For a Souldier firft gives notice to the Officer that com- 

 mands the Guard, and then he fends to the Dcroga, to know what he fhall do. 

 Now, becaufe it many times happens that the Deroga is bufy, or gone to take a 

 walk out of the City, or elfe for that fometimes the Souldier'himfc'ff pretends he 

 cannot find the Deroga, only to create himlelf more errands, to get the more Mo- 

 ney ; a Stranger is fore'd to endure all this delav, lometimes, as I have laid before 

 for a day or two. 



When the King fits to do Juftice, I obferve that he comes into the Balconc that 

 looks into the HmjLa, and all that have bufmefs ftand below, ;ult againft the place 

 where the King fits. Between the People and the Walls of the Palace are fix'd 

 in the ground three rows of Poles, about the length of an Half-Pike, to the ends 

 whereof they tye certain ropes a-crofs one upon another. Nor is any pcrfon 

 whatfoever permitted to pafs beyond thofe bounds, unlefs he be call'd. This Bar, 

 which is never let up, but when the King fits in Judgment, runs along the whole 

 bredth of the Piazza •, and ;uft againft the Balcone there is a Bar to open, to let 

 in thofe that are call'd. Then two men, that each of them hold a Cord by the 

 end, extended all the bredth of thepaifage, have nothing to do but to let fall the 

 Cord, for any perfbnthat is call'd to ftep over it. A Secretary of State fits be- 

 low under the Balcone, to receive all Petitions $ and when he has five or fix to- 

 gether, he puts them in a Bag, and then an Eunuch, who ftands in the Balcone necr 

 the King, lets down a firing, to which the Bag being ti'd, he draws it up, and pre- 

 fents it to his Majefty. 



Every Munday the chiefeft of the Nobility mount the Guard , every one 

 h their turn, and are never reliev'd till at the eight days end. There are fome 

 of thefe Lords that have five or fix thoufand men under their command ; 

 and they lye cneamp'd in their Tents round about the City. When they mount 

 the Guard, every one goes from his own Habitation to the Rendevouz ; but 

 when they are reliev'd, they march in good order over the Bridg, thence 

 though the long Street into the Piazza, where they draw up before the 

 Balcone. In the firft place, march ten or twelve Elephants, more or lefs, ac- 

 cording to the quality of the Captain of the Guard. There are fome of thefe 



Elephants 



