44 



Travels in India. Part II. 



is the place whither all the Banians come, that trade into Perfia, where they 

 follow the fame Trade as the fews, and out-do them in Ufury. They have a 

 particular Law among them, which permits them to eat Fowl upon certain 

 days in the year ; and not to have more than one Wife among two or three 

 Brothers, the eldeft whereof is accounted the Father of the Children. This 

 City alfo breeds abundance of Dancers, of both Sexes, that fpread themfelves all 

 over Perfia. » 



I come now to the Road from Candahar to Affa' t through Caboul and Labor. 

 From Candahar to Charifafar, coftes io 

 From Charifafar to Z elate, coftes 12 

 From Zelate to Betazy, coftes 8 

 From Betazy to Mez~our, coftes 6 

 From Meinour to Carabat, coftes 17 

 From Car abat to Chak^nicouz.e, coftes 17 

 From Candahar to Chabenicouz.e, a Frontier Town of the Indies, is a Coun- 

 try under the command of feveral Princes, that acknowledg the Perfian Em- 

 peror. 



From Cbakenicouz,e to Caboul, coftes 40 



In all thefe forty Coftes of way, there are but three pitiful Villages j where 

 fometimes, though very rarely, you have Bread and Barley for your Horfès j 

 but the fureft way is to carry provifion along with yo.u. In the Months of 

 fitly and Auguft, there blows a hot Wind in thofe parts, that takes away a 

 mans breath, and kills him upon the place ; being of the fame nature with 

 thofe" Winds, of which I have Ipoken in my Perfian Relations, that blow at 

 certain feafons near Babylon and Mcujful. 



Caboul is a large City, very well fortified ; and is the place where thofe 

 of Vsbel^ come every year to fell their Horfes. They reckon, that there are 

 bought and fold, every year, above fixty thoufand. They bring alfo out of 

 Perfia, great numbers of Sheep, and other Cattel ; it being the general Con- 

 coure of Perflans, Tartar ians, and Indians. There is alfo Wine to be had } 

 but Provifions go off at a very good rate. 



Before I go any farther, I muft take notice of one thing in particular, con- 

 cerning the people call'd Augans, who inhabit from Candahar to Caboul, to- 

 ward the Mountains of Balch, a fturdy fort of people, and great Robbers in 

 the night-time. It is the cuftom of the Indians to cleanfe and fcrape their tongues 

 every morning wifh a crooked piece of a root, which caufes them to void a great 

 quantity of Flegm and Rhume, and provokes vomiting. Now though thofe 

 people that inhabit the Frontiers of Perfia and India practice the fame thing ; 

 neverthelefs they vomit very little in the morning, but when they come to eat, 

 as foon as they have fwallowed two or three bits, their lungs begin to fwell, and 

 they are conftrain'd to go forth and vomit ; after which, they return again to 

 their Vi&uals with a very good appetite. Should they not do fo, they would 

 not live above thirty years ; and befides, they would be troubl'd with the 

 Dropfy. 



From Caboul to Bariabe, coftes 19 

 From Bariabe to Nimela, coftes 17 

 From Nimela to Aliboua, coftes 191 

 From Aliboua to Taka, coftes ■-■ 17 



From Taka to Kiemri, coftes 6 

 From Kiemri to Chaom, coftes 14 

 From Chaour to Novechaar, coftes 14 

 From Novechaar to -Atek^, coftes 19 

 Atek. 'is a City fituated upon a point of Land where two Rivers meet together. 

 'Tis one of the beft and ftrojjgeft Garrifons the Great Mogul has j into which 

 there is no ftranger permitted to enter without a PafTport from the King. Father 

 Poux the Jefuitand his Companion, going this way to Ifpahan, and not having 

 the King's Paflport, were fore d to return back to Labor, where they embark'd 

 upon the River for Scimdi, from whence they paft into Perfia. 



From Atel^ to Calapane, coftes 1 6 



From Calapane to koupate, coftes 16 



From 



