Book II. Travels in India. 125 



Idolaters beyond all meafufe ; and if any of them embrace Mahumetifm, 'tis only 

 becatrfe they would not work any longer. For then they turn Souldiers or Faquirs^ 

 who arc a tort of people that profels a renunciation of the World, and live upon 

 Alms, but are indeed very Rafcals. They reckon that there are in India Sococo 

 of th'efe Mahometan Faquirs, and twelve hunder'd-thouiand Idolaters. 



Once in fifteen days the King goes a Hunting, mounted upon his Elephant, and 

 fo continues during the chafe. All the Game he takes is brought within Musket- 

 Jhot of his Elephants. Which confifts generally of Lions, Tigers, Harts, and wild- 

 Goats. For they will not meddle with Boars, as being Mahometans. When he 

 returns home, he puts himfelf into his Palleki, and goes in the fame order, and 

 with the lame Guard, as when he returns from the Mofauec; laving that when he 

 aoes a Hunting, he is attended with three or four-hunder'd Horfemen, that ride 

 without any discipline in the World. 



As for the Princelfes, as well the Wives, Daughters and Sifters of the King, 

 they never ftir out of the Palace, unlefs it be to fpend a few days in the Countrey 

 for their pleafure. Some of them go abroad, but very rarely,to vifit fome great 

 Noblc-mens Wives, as the Wife of Giafer-KAn, who is the King's Aunt. But that 

 is only by particular leave of the King. And then it is not the cuftom as mi Perfia, 

 where the Ladies make their vifits only by night, and with a great number of 

 Eunuchs, who clear the Streets of all people they meet. For in the Mogul's 

 Court they ufually go out about nine in the morning, with only three or four 

 Eunuchs and ten or twelve Slaves, which are inftead of Maids of Honour. 



The Princelfes are carri'd in Pallets cover'd over with Embroider'd Tapeftry, 

 and a little Coach to hold one fingle perfon that follows the Palleki, drawn by 

 two men the wheels not being above a foot in diameter. The reafon why they 

 carry that Coach along with them, is, becaule that when the Princelfes arrive at 

 the Houfe where they intend to alight, the men that carry the Palleki, not being 

 permitted to eo any farther than the firft Gate,they then take their Coachcs,and are 

 drawn by their female-Slaves to the Womens Apartment. I have alio obferv d, 

 that in all the Houles of great Noble-men, the Womens Apartment is at the far- 

 ther-end of all. So that\ou mult crofs two or three great Courts, and a Garden 

 or two, before vou can come at it. 



When the Princelfes are married to any of the Court-Grandees, they become 

 ablblute Miftrefles of their Husbands j fo that if they ftudy not to pleafe them, 

 and do not as they would have them, in regard of their free accefs to the King, 

 they over-rule the King many times to their prejudice, even to the turning them 

 out'of their employments. • ,^_- ^ . 



As it is a cuftom that the firft-born always is Heir to the Throne, though he be 

 the Son of a Slave, (b fbon as the Princeflfes of the King's Haram perceive that 

 h reTs y one among them big with Child.they ufe all the art.fices ^agmable to 

 make them mifcarrv. Infomuch that being at Patna in the year 1666, Cha-Efi- 

 *Ws Surgeon aflbr'd me, that the Wife of Cha-£ft-K*n had F roci£d ^the 

 mUtarrying of eight Women; becaufe (he would fuffer no other Womens Children 

 but her own. 



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