1 82 "Travels in India. Part II. 



every day for a month together before he either eat or drank he was oblig'd 

 to this pofture for fifty times together, and confequently to kifs the ground a 

 hundred and fifty times. He told me, that the Bramins had enjoin'd him that 

 Penance becaufe he had fiitfer'd a Cow to dye in his Houfe, and had not lead 

 her to the water to be wafh'd before fhe dy'd. 



When an Idolater has loft any piece of Gold or Silver, or fumm of Mone^ 

 either by negligence, or as being ftoln from him, he is oblig'd to carry as muc! 

 as he loft to the great Bramin ; for if he does not, and that the other fhoulc. 

 come to know of it, he is ignominioully caft out of his Tribe, to make him 

 lilbre careful another time. 



On the other fide the Ganges Northward, toward the Mountains of 2ST a mro+ 

 cot, there are two or three Raja's, who neither believe God nor the Dev& 

 Their Bramins have a book containing their Belief, full of ridiculous abfurdi- 

 ties, whereof the Author whofe name is Baudou gives no reafon. Thefe Raja's 

 are the Great Moguls Vaflals, and pay him Tribute. 



To conclude the Malavares carefully preferve the nails of their left hands 

 and let their hair grow like women's. Thefe nails, which are half a linger Ion?' 

 ferve them inftead of Combs ; and it is with their left hand that they do all 

 their drudgery, never touching their faces,, nor what they ear, but with their 

 righthands, 



* 



CHAP. XV. 



Of the Kingdom of Boutan, whence comes the Musk, the good Rbu« 



barb, and fo?ne Furs. 



/ HP H E Kingdom of Boutan is of a large extent ; but I could never yet come 

 A to a perfeft knowledg thereof. I have fet down all that I could learn 

 at Patna, whither the Merchants of Boutan come to fell their Musk. The 

 moft excellent Rhubarb comes alfo from the Kingdom of Boutan. From hence 

 Is brought alfo that Seed which is good againit the worms^ therefore call'd 

 Wormfeed ; and good ftore of Furs. As for the Rhubarb, the Merchants run 

 a great hazard which way foever they bring it j for if they take the Northern 

 Road, toward Caboul, the wet fpoils it ; if the Southern Road, in regard the 

 journey is long, if the Rains happen to fall,- there is as much danger that way 5 

 16 that there is no Commodity requires more care then. that. 



As for the Musk, during the heats the Merchant lofes by it ^ becaufe it 

 dries and Jofes its weight. Now in regard this Commodity pays twenty-five 

 in the hundred Cuftom at Gorrochepour, the laft Town belonging to the Great 

 Mogul, next to the Kingdom of Boutan, when the Indian Merchants come to 

 that City, they go to the Officer of the Cuftom- Houfe, and tell him that they are 

 going to Boutan to buy Musk or Rhubarb, and how much they intend to lay 

 out j all which the Officer Regifters, with the name of the Merchant. Then 

 the Merchants inftead of twenty-five, agree with him for feven or eight in the 

 hundred, and take a Certificate from the Officer or Cadi, that he may not de- 

 mand any more at their return, ft the Officer refufes a handfom compofition, 

 then they go another way, over'Defarts and Mountains cover'd with Snow, 

 tedious and troublefome, till they come to Caboul, where the Caravans part, 

 fome for great Tartary, others for Batch. Here it is that the Merchants coming 

 from Boutan barter their Commodities for Horfes, Mules, and Camels 5 for there 

 is little Money in that Country. Then thofe Tartars tranfport their Commo- 

 dities into Perfia, as for as Ardevile and Tauris h which is the reafon that fome 

 Europeans have thought that Rhubarb and Wormfeed came out of Tartary. 

 True it is, that fome Rhubarb comes from thence 5 but not fo good as that 

 of Boutan, being fooner corrupted ; for Rhubarb will eat out its own heart. The 

 Tartars carry back out of Perfia Silks of fmall value, which are made in Tauris 



and 



