Book II. Travels in India. 127 



The Cbites which are made at Seronge, are fold from 20 to 5-0 Roupies the 

 Corge, or thereabouts. 



Thefe Chites ferve for Coverlets for Beds, for Sofia's or TabJe-cloaths after the 

 Countrey-fafhion^ Pillowbears., Handkerchiefs, but more efpecially for Waitcoats 

 as well for the men as women in Perjia. 



The fine Calicut-CT^ are made at Brampour-, and are us'd for handkerchiefs 

 by thofe that muff Tobacco. 



The women alfo, over all Ajia, make Veils of thefe Calicuts, to wear over their 

 heads, and about their moulders, which Veils are calPd Ormis. 



The Bafias or Calicuts painted red., blue, and black, are carri'd white to Agra, 

 and Amadabat, in regard thofe Cities are neareft to the places where the Indigo is 

 made that is us'd in colouring. They coft from two Roupies to 30 or 40 a-piece_, 

 according to the finenefs and the quantity of Gold at the ends, and fometimes up- 

 on the fides. The Indians have a way to dip fome of thefe Calicuts in a certain 

 water that makes them look like Water'd-Chamlets, which adds alfo to the 

 price. 



That fort which is fold for two Roupies, and fo onward till ye come to twelve, 

 is tranfported to the Coaft of Melinda, and it is the greateft. Trade the Governour 

 of Mozambique drives, who fells them to the Cafres, that vend them again among 

 the Abvjfms, and into the Kingdom of Saba : for thofe people not underltanding 

 the ufe'of Soap, need no more but only to wafh thefe Calicuts in water. That 

 fort which is valu'd from 12 Roupies upward, is tranfported to the Philippine- 

 Iflands, the Wands of Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and other adjacent places. Where 

 the women wear no other clothes, than a fingle piece of this Calicut. One part 

 whereof, without cutting it, ferves for a Petticoat j the other they wind about 

 their ftomachs and their heads. 



White Calicuts, 



*I T\ THltc Calicuts come partly from Agra, and about Labor, part from Ben- 

 V V gala : fome from Brouda, Baroche, Renonfiri, and other places. They 

 are brought out of the Loom to Renonfiri, and Baroche, where they are whiten'd 

 by reafon of the convenience of their Meadows, and the great ftore of Limons 

 that grow thereabouts. For the Calicuts are never fo white as they mould be, 

 till they are dipt in Limon-water. 



The Calicuts that come from Agra, Labor, and Bengala, are fold by the Corge, 

 and they are of feveral prices, from feventeen Roupies to three or four-hunder'd, 

 as the Merchant will have them wov'n. 



The Calicuts that come from Renonfari i and Baroche, are one and twenty cubits 

 long, new out of the Loom j but in the whitening they fhrink to twenty cu- 

 bits. 



Thofe of Brouda twenty cubits from the Loom, and fhrink in the whitening to 

 nineteen and a half. 



AH the Calicuts or Baft J s that come from thefe three Cities, are of two forts : 

 for fome are broad, fome arc narrow. The narrow are thofe I have already men- 

 tion'd, the prices whereof are various, from two Mamoud?s to fix. 



The broad JBafta's are a cubit, and one third part wide 5 the whole piece twenty 

 cubits long. The ufual price of them is from five MamoudCs to twelve : but a 

 Merchant being upon the place, may caufe them to be made much more large and 

 fine, till *hey are worth hve-hunder'd Mamoudis a-piece. I faw two pieces fold 

 for a thou&nd Mamoud?s. ... . . 



The EngUJh bought one, and the Hollanders another, each piece containing eight 

 and twenty cubits. . * 



Mahomed Alibeg returning into Perjia out of India where he had been tm- 

 baffador, prefentedC^-5<r/ the fecond with a Coco-nut, about the bignefs of an 

 Auftrich-egg, all befet with Pearls ; and when it was open'd. there was taken out 

 of it a Turbant that had fixty cubits of Calicut in length to make it, the Cloath be- 

 ing fo fine.that you could hardly feel it in your hand. For they will fpin their thread 

 fa fine, that the eye can hardly difcern it, or at leaft it feems to be but a Coh- 



Twijhtt 



