184 Travels in India. Part. II, 



After you have pafs'd the Mountains, you may travel to Bout an upon Oxen 

 Camels, Horfes, or Palleki's, which you pleafe. The Country is good, abound- 

 ing in Rice, Corn, Pulfe, and (tore of wine. All the people both men and wo- 

 men are clad in the Summer with a large piece of Fuftian, or Hcmpen-Cloath • 

 in the Winter with a thick Cloth, almolt like Felt. Both men and women wear 

 upon their heads a kind of Bonnet, much like our drinking Cans, which they 

 adorn with Boars teeth, and with round and fquare pieces of Tortois-Shells. 

 The. richer fort intermix Coral and Amber Beads, of which their women make 

 them Neck-Laces. The men as well as the women wear Bracelets upon their 

 Jeft hands only, from the wrift to the elbow. The women wear them ftrait 

 the men loofe. About their necks they wear a filkcn twift, at the end where- 

 of hangs' a Bead of yellow Amber or Coral, or a Boars Tooth, which dangleg 

 upon their breafts. On their left fides, their Girdles are button'd with Beads 

 of the fame. Though they be Idolaters, yet they feed upon all fort of food 

 except the flefh of Cows, which they adore as the ..ommon Nurfcs of all men • 

 they are befides great lovers of itrong water. They obferve alfo fbme Cere- 

 monies of the Chhiefes, burning Amber at the end of their Feafts, though they 

 do not worfhip fire like the Chincfcs. For which reafon the Merchants of Bou- 

 tan will give at Patna for a Serre of large pieces of yellow Amber, as big as 

 a Nut, bright and clean, thirty-five and forty Roupies. The Serre of yellow 

 Amber,Musk,Coral, Ambergrife,Rhubarlvnu other Drugs,containing nine Ounces 

 to the pound* Saltpeter, Sugar, Rice, Corn, and other Commodities, are alfo 

 fold by the Serre in Bengala j but the Serre contains feventy-two of our Pounds 

 at iixteen Ounces to the Pound j and forty Serres make a Mein y or 282.1 Pounds 

 of Paris, 



To return to yellow Amber, a piece of nine ounces is worth in Bom an from 

 2yo to 300 Roupies, according to its colour and beauty. Coral rough, or wrought 

 into Beads, yields profit enough 5 but they had rather have it rough, to fhape it 

 as they pleafe themfelves. 



The Women and Maids are generally the Artiits among them, as tothofe toys. 

 They alfo make Beads of Cryital and slgat. As for the Men, they make Bracelets 

 of Tortoife-fhell, and Sea-fhells, and polifh thofe little pieces of Shells which the 

 Northern people wear in their ears, and in their hair. In Patna and Data there 

 are above two thouiand perfons that thus employ themfelves, furnifhing the King- 

 doms of Boman, u4fem> Siam } and other Northern and Eaitern parts of the Mo- 

 gul^ Dominions. 



As for Wormfeed, the Herb grows in the Fields, and muft dye before the Seed 

 can be gather'd : but the mifchief is, that before the Seed is ripe, the wind fcat- 

 ters the greateft part, which makes it ib fcarce. When they gat'^-r the Seed, 

 they take two little Hampers, and as they go along the Fields, they move their 

 Hampers from the right to the left, and from the left to the right as if they 

 were mowing the Herb, bowing it at the top, and fo all the Seed falls into the 

 Hampers. 



Rhubarb is a Root which they cut in pieces, and ftringing them by ten or twelve 

 together, hang them up a drying. 



Had the Natives of Boman as much art in killing the Martin as the Mufcovke, 

 they might vend great ftore of thofe rich Furs, confidering what a number of 

 thofe Beafts there are in that Countrey. No (boner does that creature peep out 

 of his hole, but the Mafcovites, who rye upon the watch, have e'm prefently, 

 cither in the nofe or in the eyes } for mould tfcey hit e'm in the body, the blood 

 would quite fpoyl the skin. 



The King of Boman has conftantly feven or eight thoufand Men for his Guard. 

 Their Weapons are for the molt part Bows and Arrows. Some of them carry 

 Battel-axes, and Bucklers. 'Tis a long time ago fince they had the firit ufe of 

 Muskets and Cannons : their Gun-powder being long, but of an extraordinary 

 force.' They ailur'd me that fbme of their Cannons had Letters and Figures up- 

 on them, thar were above five-hunder'd years old. They dare not ftir out of the 

 Kingdom without the Governor's particular leave j nor dare they carry a Musket 

 along with them, unlefs their next Kindred will undertake for them that they (hall 

 bring it back. Otherwife I had brought one along with me j for by the cha- 

 racters 



