i < 2 Travels in I ND ia. Part. IT 



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have aflur'd mc they Avould fometimes give 20000 Crowns for Rich a piece. And 

 no wonder they will give lb much Money tor a piece of Coral, who defpi'fing all 

 other jewels and Pearls, care for nothing but that which is in no efteem any where 

 elfe. They fet a great value upon the Skin of a certain Fifh which is rougher 

 than a Seal-skin. Upon the back of the Fifh there are fix little holes, and fome- 

 times eight, fomewhat elevated, with another in the middle 5 in the form of a 

 Rofe. Thev make Scabberds for Swords of the Skin ; and the more thole holes 

 grow in the form of a Rofe, the higher value they put upon them s having env'n 

 ten-thoufand Crowns for a Skin. To conclude the dilcowfe of Coral, you Tnuit 

 know that the meaner fort of people ufe it for Bracelets and Neck-laces all over 

 Afia, efpecialty toward the Northern Territories of the Great Mogd % and all 

 along the Mountains as you go to the Kingdom of A fen and Bout an. 



Yellow- Amber is only found upon the Coaft of PruJJia in the Baltic^- Sea, where 

 the Sea throws it upon the Sand when fuch and fuch winds blow.. The Efe&or 

 Of Brandenburgb, who is Sovereign of that Coaft, farms it out for 20000 Crowns 

 a year, and fometimes 22000. And the Farmers keep guards on both fides of 

 the (hoar, in regard the Sea cafts it up fometimes upon one fide, and fometimes 

 upon the other, to prevent the dealing of it. 



Amber is nothing but a certain congelation made in the Sea, like a certain Gum- 

 for you (hall find in feveral pieces, Flies, Gnats, and other infecls congeal'd therein 

 I faw feven or eight Flies fo congeal'd in one peice. 



In China, when any great Lord makes a Feaft, it is for his Grandeur and Mag- 

 nificence to caufe three or four feveral forts of Perfu'ming-pots to be fet upon the 

 Table, and to throw into every one of them a valt quantity of Amber 5 for the 

 more it burns, and the bigger the pieces are, the more magnificent is the Enter- 

 tainment accounted. The reafon of this cuftom is, becaufe they adore the fire • 

 and befides, that the Amber cafts forth a fcent pleafing to the Chinefet there is a' 

 kind of Oil in it, that flames after a more unufiia! manner than other materials of 

 fire. This wait of Amber makes it the belt Commodity that could be imported 

 into China, if the Trade were free for Strangers. At prefent the Hollanders have 

 engrofs'd all this Trade to themfelves, and the Chinefes come all to Batavia to 

 buy it. 



As for Amber-grife ; there is no perfon in the World that knows either what it 

 is, or where, or how it is produc'd. But the faireft probability is, that it muft be 

 only in the Eaftern-Sea : though fome parcels have been found upon the Coaft of 

 England, and in fome other parts of Europe. The greateft quantity is found upon 

 the Coaft of Melinda, efpecially in the mouth of a River call'd Rti de Sena The 

 Governor of Mozambique gets in the three years of his Government' above 

 300000 Pardo's of Amber-grife, every Pardo containing 27 Sous of our Monev 

 Sometimes they meet with very large and very confiderable pieces In the year 

 1627 a Pom^/fetting Sail from Goa to the Manilles, after he had raft the 

 Streight of Malacca, was by tempeft driv'n neer an unknown Iftand, where thev 

 came to an Anchor. Several of the Ship's-Company ventring a-rfiiore, met with 

 a River 5 and going to bath themfelves in it, one of them found a great piece of 

 Amber-grife that weigh'd thirty-three pounds; but felling together by the ears 

 about their fhares, the Captain, to reconcile them, told them 'twas pitty to deface 

 it, in regard it was a Prefent fit for the King $ and therefore advis'd them to prefent 

 it to the Vice-Roy, who would no doubt reward them for their pains Bv that 

 means the Captain got the parcel out of their clutches, and prefentinz it to the 

 Vice-Roy, got a reward for himfelf; .id the Party that found it : but the reft had 

 nothing at all. 



In the year 1646 or 16*47, a Middlebmgher of good quality found a piece of 

 W-two pounds upon the Coaft of the Ifland of St. Maurice, where he com- 

 manded for the Holland-Company, Eaft of the Ifland of St. Lawrence, and fent it 

 to Batavta : but there being a mark, as if fome piece of it were broken off, the 

 Zelander was accusd to have taken half, and turn'd out of his Command, what- 

 ever he could fay to juftify himfelf. ' 



CHAP, 



