'Travels in India. 



Partll 



Coure furrounded with Portico's, under which lies the King's Guards. Out of 

 this Court you pals into another, built after the fame form, encompaft with fe- 

 veral fair Apartments, the Roofs whereof are terrafs'd. Upon which, as upon 

 thole where the Elephants are kept, there are very fair Gardens, wherein there 

 grow Trees of that bignels, that it is a thing of great wonder,, how thofe Arches 

 mould bear fo vaft a burthen. 



About fifty years fince, they began to build a magnificent Pagod in the City j 

 which would have been the faireft in all India 3 had it been finilh'd. The Stones 

 are to be admir'd for their bignefs : And that wherein the Nich is made, which is 

 on that fide where they fay their Prayers, is an entire Rock, of fuch a prodigious 

 bulk, that it was five years before five or fix-hunder'd men, continually employ'd, 

 could hew it out of its place. They were fore'd alfo to rowl it along upon an En- 

 gine with wheels, upon which they brought it to the Pagod ; and feveral affirm'd 

 to me^ that there were fourteen-hunder'd Oxen to drawit. I will tell yon here- 

 after the reafon it remains imperfect : For had it been finilh'd, in all reafon it had 

 excell'd all the boldeft Structures of u4fia. 



On the other fide of the City, as you go to Maflipatan, there are two great 

 Lakes., being each about a league in compals, wherein there ride lèverai Pinks 

 richly adorn'd for the King's Pleafure ; and upon the Banks are feveral fair Houfes 

 that belong to the Principal Lords of the Court. 



Upon three fides of the City ftands a very fair Mofcjnee, wherein are the Tombs 

 of the Kings of Golconda : and about four in the afternoon there is a Dole of 

 Bread and Pilau to all the Poor that come. If you would fee any thing that is 

 rare, you niuft go to view theft Tombs upon a Feftival-day. For then from 

 morning till night they are hung with rich Tapeftry. 



As for the Government and Policy which is obferv'd in this City : In the firft 

 place., when a Stranger comes to the Gates, they fearch him exactly, to fee if he 

 have any Salt or Tobacco about him j for thofe Commodities bring the King his 

 greateft Revenue. Sometimes a Stranger mail wait a day or two, before he (hall 

 have leave to enter. For a Souldier firft gives notice to the Officer that com- 

 mands the Guard, and then he lends to the Deroga, to know what he Ihall do. 

 Now, becaule it many times happens that the Deroga is bufy, or gone to take a 

 walk out of the City, or elfe for that fometimes the Souldier himlelf pretends'he 

 cannot find the Deroga, only to create himlelf more errands, to get the more Mo- 

 ney ; a Stranger is fore'd to endure all this delay, fometimes, as I have faid before, 

 for a day or two. 



When the King fits to do Juftice, I obferve that he comes into the Balcone that 

 looks into the Piazza, and all that have bufinels ftand below, ;ult againft the place 

 where the King fits. Between the People and the Walls of the Palace are fix'fl. 

 in the ground three rows of Poles, about the length of an Half-Pike, to the ends 

 whereof they tye certain ropes a-crofs one upon another. Nor is any perfon 

 whatfoever permitted to pafs beyond thofe bounds, unlefs he be call'd. This Bar, 

 which is never fet up, but when the King fits in Judgment, runs along the whole 

 bredth of the PtMk* ; and juft againft the Balcone there is a Bar to open, to let- 

 in thofe that are call'd. Then two men, that each of them hold a Cord by the 

 end, extended all the bredth of the palfage, have nothing to do but to let fall the 

 Cord, for any perfon that is call'd to ftep over it. A Secretary of State fits be- 

 low under the Balcone, to receive all Petitions 5 and when he has five or fix to- 

 gether, he puts them in a Bag, and then an Eunuch, who ftands in the Balcone neer 

 the King, lets down a firing, to which the Bag being ti'd, he draws it up, and pre- 

 fents it to his Majefty. 



Every Munday the chiefeft of the Nobility mount the Guard , every one 

 in their turn, and are never reliev'd till at the eight days end. There are lome 

 of thefe Lords that have five or fix thoufand men under their command j 

 and they lye encamp'd in their Tents round about the City. When they mount 

 the Guard, every one goes from his own Habitation to the Rendevouz 3 but 

 when they are reliev'd, they march in good order over the Bridg, thence 

 through the k>ng Street into the Piazza, where they draw up before the 

 Balcone, In the firft place, march ten or twelve Elephants, more or lefs, ac- 

 cording to the quality of the Captain of the Guard. There are fome of thefe 



Elephants 



