Chap. XX. Grand Seignor's Seraglio. 95 



tary, who are got into China '■> All thefe Kings, I fay, follow the Mabumetan Re- 



ligion. 



Since I have mentioned the Emperour of" Java, I (hall, by the way, infert here a curious to 

 an obfcrvation, which I made at the time of my being in that Ifland, which was, mar^ofthe 

 That the eldeft Son of that Emperour, who reign'd in the year 1648. had iix ringers Emperour of 

 on each of his hands, and fix toes on each foot, and all of equal length. J 3 ™'* Son - 



The Kings of Perfia, Vtfkpouf, and Golconda follow the Seel: of Halt > and the Kings Kings following 

 of the Mountains of Tartaiy, with fome others, have alfo their particular Secfs. Be- tbeDoftrineof 

 fides, it is to obferv'd, that, if we except the Grand Seignor, the King of Perfia, the Hali * 

 Arabian Princes, and the Cham of Great Tartary, all the other Kings, whom I have 

 named., have only Idolaters to their Subjects, and all the meaner fort of people is 

 involv'd in the darknefs of Paganifm. But as to the Grand Seignor's, with all his 

 Militia, they follow the Law of Mahomet. 



In Africa, there is a Mahometan King, whofe Territories lie all along the Coait of 

 Abex, which is towards Arabia Felix, as far as the Cape of Guardafu, and his Jurif- 

 di&ion extends over the Red Sea, and the Ocean. The Governours, whom the 

 Grand Seignor employs in Egypt, and in the Iilands of the Red Sea, and thole others, 

 whom he has cftablilh'd all along the Coaft of Barbery, at Tripoli, Tunis, and Argiers, 

 who aflume the Title of Kings, are alfo Mahumetans j and, in fine, the King of Fez 

 and Morocco follows the fame Law. 



All thefe Kings and Princes, are principally unanimous in this Point, That they ac- 

 knowledg themfelves oblig'd to fend every year fome Prefent to Mecha, which ordi- 

 narily confiiis in rich Carpets, to be put upon Mahomet's Sepulchre. Sometimes thefe the Great Mo. 

 Prefents are made upon a particular Vow •, and it happen'd in one of my Voyages^ to guIV Royal 

 Agra, that the Great Mogul, by way of thankfulnefs to the Prophet, for the recovery fattoMccha, 

 of his health, Cent to Mecha, an Alcoran, valued at four hundred thousand Crowns, 

 which had, in the midft of the Cover, a Diamond, of three hundred Carats h the reft 

 of it being garniuYd with feveral precious Stones on both fides. Theoccafion of this 

 Prefent was, the fright which a certain Bramere put him into, upon his telling him, 

 That he mould dy before the year was expir'd, which happen'd not accordingly. But 

 the King being extremely incens'd at that direful Predi&ion, and, upon the (mart In- 

 terrogatory he put to the Bramere, to wit, whether he knew alfo the time of his own 

 death, having receiv'd this Anfwer, That it mould be within three days, which real- 

 ly happen'd upon the third day, there was a furficient ground for him to be fright- 

 ned, and to conceive an apprehenlion, that the like accident might happen to.himielf, 

 before the time limited. Twas that indue'd him to fend a Prefent of fo great value, 

 to Mahomet's Sepulchre, to acknowledge the favour he had done him, in not furfenng 

 the Prediction of the Bramere to take crfecl:, the King having not had as much as any 

 indifpohtion, during all that time. 



When I gave an account of the Pilgrimage of Mecha, upon occafion of the Tent Toe feveral 

 and Carpet, which the Grand Seignor fends thither every year, I made no mention of "^tys whereby 

 the feveral ways which the Caravans take, according to the feveral parts of the World, '^ Mahume " 

 from whence great multitudes of Mahumetans do every year take their progrefs thtstpulchn of 

 thither. . their Prophet. 



In the firft place, the AmbafTadors, whom the Kings of the Iilands, whereof I 

 have given you the names, and the Kings of the Indies, on this fide the Ganges,, fend 

 to the Shecl^oi Mecha, with their Prefents come by Sea, to Mocha, a Maritime City 

 of Arabia Felix, and from thence they travel to Mecha by Land, by. the conveniency 

 of Camels. 



The Perftans, who inhabit all along the Sea-fide make their defcent from Ormus,ot t 



to Bandar,znd having pafs'd over the Gulf, which, at that place, is not above twelve or 

 thirteen Leagues in breadth, are fore'd to crofs Arabia ere they can get to the Pro- 

 phet'* 



