Book I. Travels in I N D i A . j c 



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had left at GolconcU upon the King's earneft entreaty. The King was always 

 very much ironbfd with the head-ach : for which reafon the Phyfitians had or- 

 der'd that he mould be let blood in four places under the tongue } but there was 

 no perfbn that would undertake to do it : for the Natives of the Countrey un- 

 derhand nothing of Chirurgery. Now before that Peter de Lan, for that was 

 the Z>*tt£-Chirurgion's name, was cnrcrtaiifd in the King's fervice, he was ask'd 

 whether he could let blood ? To which he anfwer'd, that there was nothing (b 

 eafy in Chirurgery. Some few days after the King font for him, and gave him 

 to underftand that he was reiblv'd to be let blood the next day in four parts un- 

 der the tongue, as the Phyfitians had order'd, but he fliould take a care of not 

 drawing away above eight ounces. Dc Lan returning the next day to Court 

 was lead into a Chamber by three Eunuchs, and four Old-women, who carried 

 him to a Bath, and after they had undreft him, and wafti'd him, especially his 

 hands ; they anointed him with Aromatick-drugs , and initead of Ins own 

 EHropeari-Ooxhzs, they brought him a Robe according to the faftiion of the 

 Countrey. After that, they brought him before the King; where he found four 

 little Porringers of Gold, which the Phyfitians, who were preient, had weiglfd. 

 In fhort 3 he let the King blood under the tongue in four parrs, and performed his 

 bufinefs fo well, that when the blood came to be weiglfd, it weiglfd but bare eight 

 ounces. The King was fo fatisft'cl with the Operation, that he gave the Chirur- 

 gion three- hunder'd Pagods, which comes to almoft feven-hunder'd Crowns. 

 The Young-Queen and the Queen-Mother underftanding what lie had done, were 

 reiblv'd to be let-blood too. But 1 believe it was rather out of a curiofitv to 

 fee the Chirurgion, than out of any ncpeffity which they had to be Jet-blood, 

 For he was a handfom young-man ; and perhaps they had never feen a Ifrangcr 

 neer at hand, for at a diftanee, it is no improbable thing, in regard the Women are 

 (hut up in fuch places where they may lie, but not be ften. Upon this, de Lan 

 was can i'd into a Chamber where the fame Old-women that had waited on him 

 before he let the King blood, liript up his arm, and wafh'd it, but more especially 

 his hands 3 which when they were dry, they rubb'd again with iweet-Oils, 

 as before. That being done, a Curtain was drawn, and the Queen ftretching out 

 her arm through a hole, was let- blood ; as was the Queen-Mother afterwards 

 in the fame manner. The Queen gave him fifty Pagods, and the Queen-Mother 

 thirty, with fome pieces of Cloath of Gold. 



Two days after we went to wait upon the NahaPs Son, but were told we 

 could notfpeak with him that day .; the next day receiving the fame anfwer^ we 

 were advertiz'd upon enquiry, that we might wait long enough in that manner -> 

 that he was a young Lord that never ftirr'd from the King 3 or that if he did 

 leave the Court, it was only to keep his Miffes company in his own Haram. 

 The young Chirurgion feeing us fo delaid, offered to (peak to the King *s firft Phy- 

 fitian, who was alio of the King's Council, and who had teftiifd a great affecTion 

 toward the B at a v /,/w-Envoy, and for de Lan himlelf 3 for which reafon, he thought 

 he might embrace an opportunity to do him a kindnels. Jn fhort, de Lan had no 

 ioonerYpoke to him, but he lent for us, and having, after much civility (hewn us, 

 inform'd himlelf of the cauie of our coming, he defir'd us to fh'ew him our 

 Pearls, which we did the next day. After he had view'd them, he made us feal 

 them up again in our own bags : for all that is prefenred to the King muft be 

 feal'd with the Merchants-Seal ; and when the King has had a fight of the Com- 

 modity, it is feal'd up with his own Seal,, to prevent any fraud. Thereupon we 

 left the Pearls, fo feal'd up, in his hands, who promis'd to mew them to the 

 Kin? , and to give us a good account of the truft we had put into his 



hands. 



The next day about nine of the Clock before noon we went to the River to 

 fee how they warn, the King's and the Great Noble-men's Elephants. The Ele- 

 phant goes up to the belly in the water, and lying down upon one fide, with his 

 trunk lie throws the water feveral times upon that fide which lies out of the 

 water ; and when he has foak'd himfelf fufhciently, the Matter comes with a 

 kind of a Pumice -itone, and rubbing the Elephant's-skin, cleanfes it from all the 

 hlth that clings to it. Here fome believe, that when this creature is once laid 

 down, it cannot rife of its felf \ which is contrary to what I have fcen. For 



wherV 



