m 



128 Travels in I N D 1 A . Part. U 



Twified-Cotton. 



COtton twifted and untwifted comes from the Provinces of Brampour and Gh- 

 iLerat. Untwifted Cotton is never transported into Europe, being too curti- 

 berfbme, and of little value • only they lend it to Ormus i Baljara, and fometimes 

 to the Phihppine-lftdnds, and the Iflands of Smde. As for the twifted Cottons 

 the Englijh and Hollanders transport a good quantity, not of the fineft, but of that 

 fort which is priz'd from fifteen to fifty Mamoudis : It ferves for wieks for Can- 

 dles, for Packfaddles> and for the ground of Silk-ftuffs. 



Indigo. 



INdigo comes from feveral parts of the Great Mogul's Empire j and according 

 to tne diverfity of the places it differs in quality, and confequently in price. 



In the firft place, it comes from the Territories of Biana, Indoua, and Corfa, a 

 day or two's journey from Agra, : which is eikem'd the belt of all. It is made 

 alfo eight days journey from Surat, in a Village call'd Sarquc[s, two leagues 

 diftance from Amadabat. Here the flat Indigo is made. There is alfo Indigo lit- 

 tle inferior m goodnefs and price, which comes from the King of Golcondas Ter- 

 ritories. The Mein of Surat, which contains 42 Serve's, or 34 and a half of our 

 pounds, is valu'd from if to 20 Roupies. They make as good as this at Baroche. 

 That which is made up about Agra is made up in half Balls, and is the moft fought 

 for in all India. It is fold by the Mein, which in thole places contains 60 Ssrres 

 or j 1 and three quarters of our pounds. The ufual price is front 36 to'^o Rou- 

 pies. There grows alfo Indico tome 36 leagues from Brampour, about a great 

 Village call'd £aout,and roundabout the neighbouring Towns in the road to Sum : 

 Of which the Natives ufually make above a hunder'd-thoufand Roupies. 



There comes Indigo alio from Bengala, which the //W/W-Company tranfports 

 for Maflipatan. But they buy this Indigo, and that of Brampour and Amadahat l 

 cheaper by 24 in the hunder'd, than that of Agra. 



Indigo is made of an Herb which they fow every year after the rains are over: 

 which when it is grown up, is very like our Hemp. They cut it three times a 

 year j firft when it is about-two or three foot high ; and they cut it within half 

 a foot of the ground 5 the firft cutting far exceeds the two latter. The fecond 

 cutting is worfe than the firft by ten or twelve in the hunder'd, and the third 

 worfe than the fecond by twelve in the hunder'd. The difference is found 

 by breaking a piece of the Pafte, and obferving the colour. The colour of 

 that Indigo which is made of the firft cutting, is a Violet-blue, but more brisk 

 and lively than the two others : and that which is made of the fecond is more 

 lively than the third. 



When- they have cut the Herb, they throw it into Pits which they make with 

 Lime, which becomes fo hard, that you would judg it to be one intire piece of 

 Marble. They are generally fourfcore or a hunder'd paces in circuit j and being 

 lialf full of water, they fill them quite up with the Herb. Then they bruife and 

 jumble it in the water till the leaf, for the ftalk is worth nothing, become like a 

 kind of thick mud. This being done, they let'it fettle for fome days ; and when 

 thefetling is all at the bottom, and the water clear above, they let out all tbe 

 water. When the water is all drain'd out, they fill feveral baskets with this flime, 

 and in a plain Field you (hall fee feveral men at work, every one at his own baf- 

 ket, making up little pieces of Indigo flat at the bottom, at the top fharp like an 

 egg. Though at Amadabat they make their pieces quite flat like a fmall cake. 

 Here you are t6 take particular notice, that the Merchants, becaufe they would 

 not pay cuftom for an unneceflary weight, before they tranfport their Indigo out 

 of Afia into Europe, are very careful to caufe it to be fifted, to (eparate the duft 

 from it ; which they fell afterwards to the Natives of the Countrey to dye their 

 Calicuts. They that fift this Indigo mult be careful to keep a Linnen-cloath be- 

 fore their faces, and that their noftrils be well-ftopt, leaving only two little holes 

 for their eyes. Befides, they muft every half hour be fure to drink milk, which 

 is a great prefervative againft the piercing quality of the duft. Yet notwith- 



ftanding 



