Book HI Travels in I 



NDIA. 



*99- 



CHAP. XXIIL 



The Authors return to Batavia. His re-vifiting the King of Ban- 

 tam. And a relation of fever al Extravagancies of cert am Fa- 

 quirs in their return from Mecca. 



A Bout eley'n a Clock at night we embark'd for Batavia ; for the 

 night winds blowing from the Land, are the only winds to ferve our 

 turn j fo that we were at Batavia between ten and elev'n the next morning. 

 There I ftay'd twenty days for the King of Bantam's fake, to make him believe 

 I had fought for that which I knew was impofTible to to be found. I had nothing 

 to do all the while, for in Batavia there is no other recreation than gaming 

 and drinking, which was none of my bufinefs. At that time the Sieur Cant 

 dv'd, one of the Indian Counfellors, who was fumptuoufly buri'd for his good 

 fervices done to the Company j but the people complain'd heavily of the in- 

 ;uitice which he had done as well to the Souldiers as Mariners. 



Having ftay'd twenty days at Bantam } I refolv d to go and return the King 

 of Bantam his Dagger again ; for it was impoffible to meet With Stones to fit 

 his Beazils. However I took along with me fome other Stones which he 

 had not feen. Coming to Bantam, the King caus'd us to be lodg'd in one of 

 his own Houfes in the City, which was made of Bamboo's. Thither in lefs 

 then a quarter of an hour, the King fent us fome Pateches, or fweet Water- 

 Melons, red within like Scarlet. We had alio Mango's, and a certain large 

 Fruit calfd Pompone, red alfb within, the meat of it being fbft and fpungy, but 

 of an excellent tafte. Having ftay'd our ftomachs, we went to wait upon the 

 King, whom we found in the fame place, with his old Mortar-bearer, who 

 every foot fed him with Betii with her fingers. There were fitting about the 

 Hall five or fix of his Captains, viewing a certain parcel of Fire- works, as Gra- 

 nado's, Rochets, and other devices to run upon the water, which the Chi- 

 nefes had brought $ who are the moft exquifite at thofe fports of any "people 

 in the world. When the King was atjeifure, L return'd him his Dagger, tel- 

 ling him, that Batavia was no place to meet with Stones ; and that fuch as 

 were to be found, were valu'd at double the price they were worth 5 and that 

 there was no place where he could fit himfclf, but at Golconda, Goa, or the 

 Diamond Mines. Thereupon the old woman took the Dagger, and carry 'd it in- 

 to his ILtram ; nor did the King fpeak a word more about it. After that I 

 fhew'd him what other Stones I had brought, a parcel whereof I Told him 

 to good profit ; the King ordering us to come the next day for payment. 



the next day about fix a Clock in the morning, my Brother and I, and a 

 Dutch Chirurgion, were going along a narrow way, between a River on the 

 one hand, and the Pales of a great Garden on the other. Behind the Pales a 

 Rafcally Bantamois had hid himfelf ; one of thofe that was newly come from 

 Mecca, and was upon the defign of Mocjua 5 that is, in their Language, when 

 the Rafcality of the Mahometans return from Mecca, they presently take their 

 Cric in their hands, which is a kind of Poniard, the Blade whereof is half 

 poyfon'd ; with which they run through the ftreets, and kill all thofe which 

 are not of the Mahumctan Law, till they be kill'd themfelves. Thefe Furies 

 think that in fo doing they do God and Mahomet good fervice, and fhall be 

 fav'd thereby. If any of thefe madmen be kill'd, the Rabble of Mahometans 

 buries them as Saints, and every one contributes to make them a fair Tomb. 

 Sometimes you fhall have an idle Rogue, in the Habit of a Dervich, that will 

 build him a Hut near the Tomb, which he undertakes to look to, and ftrew 

 with Flowers; And as his Alms increafe, he adds fome other ornament to it. 

 For the fairer and better fet out the Tomb is, the more devoutly it is wor- 

 ihip'd, and the more Alms it brings in. I rememb.er in the vear 1642, that 

 at Sonali, which is the Port of Surat, it happen'd that a Veflel of the great 

 Moguls return'd from Mecca, with a great number of Faquirs or Dervichs. For. 



ever^ 



