126 



Travels in Indi 



A. 



Part II, 



CHAP. X. 



Of the Commodities which are brought as well out of the "Dominions 

 of the Great Mogul, as out of the Kingdoms of Golconda and \ fa 

 pour, and other neighbouring Territories. 



TT will be necelTary for the Reader to take notice what I have already faid con- 

 ■*- cerning the Weights and Meafures in ufe among the Indians, where I fpoke con- 

 • cerning the Mines, and the Serre. Now for the Cobit. 



The Cobit is a meafure for all Commodities that are meafur'd by the El] f 

 which there are feveral forts., as in Europs there are feveral ibrts of Ells. The 

 Cobit is divided into 24 Tafit s : and in regard the greateit part of the Commo- 

 dities of India are utter'd at Shy at , I have given you a defcription in the margin 

 of the fourth part of a Surat-Cobit, divided into fix Tafots, 



' Of their Silk, 



KAfembafar, a Village in the Kingdom of Bengali, lends abroad every year 

 two and twenty-thoufand Bales of Silk ; every Bale weighing a hunder'd 

 pound. The two and twenty Bales make two millions and two-hunder'd-thoufand 

 pound, at fixteen ounces to the pound. The Hollanders nfually carry away fix or 

 feven-thoufand Ba)es,and would carry away more,did not the Merchants of 'Tartary 

 and the Mogul's Empire oppofe them : for they buy up as much as the Hollander'- 

 the reft the Natives keep to make their Stuffs-. This Silk is all brought into the 

 Kingdom of Guz.erat, the greateft part whereof comes to Amadabat, and to Surat 

 where it is wrought up. 



In the firft place they make Carpets of Silk and Gold, others of Silk and 

 Silver, others all of Silk : For the Worded- Carpets are madcat fcttapour, fome 

 twelve leagues from Agra., 



In the fecond place they make Satins with ftreaks of Gold and Silver j others 

 plain : with Taffata's after the lame fafhion. 



In the third place they make Patoles, which are a fort of Silk-iruff very thin 

 but painted with all forts of Flowers, the manufacture whereof is at Amadabau 

 They cofc from eight Roupies to forty the piece. This is a Commodity wherein 

 the Dat-ch will not futfer any one of the Hollanders to trade in particular : for 

 they tranfport it to the Philippine- J flands, to the Iflands of Borneo, Java, Sntvatra, 

 and other neighbouring Iflands. 



The raw-Silk of Kafembafar is yellowifh, as are all the raw-Silks that come from 

 Per fa and Sicily j but the Natives of Kajembafar have a way to whiten it, with 

 a Lye made of the afhes of a Tree which they call Adam's Fig-tree; which 

 makes it as white as the Paleftme-SWk. The Hollanders (end away ail their Mer- 

 chandize which they fetch out of Bengala, by water, through a great CanaTtlfcc 

 runs from Kafembafar into Ganges, for fifteen leagues together ; from whence 

 it is as far by water down the Ganges to Onguely, where they lade their Ships. 



Of the Calient s : and fir ft of the painted Calicut s, call'dChhcs. 



f^ Hues or Painted Calicuts, which they call Calmendar, that is to fay, done with 

 V> a Pencil, are made in the Kingdom of Golconda-, and particularly about 

 Maflipatan. But there is made fo little, that though a man mould employ all 

 the Workmen that underftand the art of weaving Calicuts, he would hardly 



find enough to make three Bales. 

 The Chites which are made in the Empire of the Great Mogul are all Printed ; 



and nothing fo beautiful, neither for the figures nor the finenefs of the Linnen. 



Thofe which are made at Labor, are the coarfeft, and confequently the cheapeft of 



all. They are fold by Corges, every Gorge confiiting of twenty pieces, which coft 



from 16 to 30 Roupies. 



The 



/ 



