Travels in India. 



Fart. IT. 



The one and thirty'th, after we had travell'd nine hours , we ftopt at Gogeron. 



The firft of Sep ember we travell'd but fix leagues, and came to lie at Gandtcot. 

 It was but eight days before, that the Nahab had taken that City, after a Siege of 

 three months. Nor had it been taken without the affiftance of certain Frkr.ch- 

 men, who had forfaken the fervice of the £>#fc£-Company, by reafon of ill- ufagc. 

 They had alfo feveral Englijh and' D#?<r£-Cannoneers, with two or three Italians^ 

 which mainly forwarded the furrender of that place. 



Gandicot is one of the ftrongeft Cities in the Kingdom of Carnatica. It is fitua- 

 ted upon the point of an high Mountain i there being but one afcent to it, not- 

 above twenty or five and twenty-foot-broad at moft ; in fome places not above 

 feven or eight-foot-wide. On the right-hand of the way, which is cut out of 

 the Mountain, there is a moft hideous precipice ; at the bottom whereof runs a 

 vaft River. Upon the top of the Mountain there is a fmall plain, about a quarter 

 of a league broad, and about half a league long, ( This is all fow'd with Rice and 

 Millet, and water'd with many little Springs. The top of the plain on the South- 

 fide, where the City is built, is encompaft with precipices, two Rivers running at 

 the bottom, which form the point. So that there is but jone Gate to enter into 

 the City from the plain-fide ; and that too fortift'd With three good Walls of 

 Free-ftone., with Moats pav'd at the bottom with Free-ftone ; fb that the befieged 

 had but only one quarter of the City to defend, containing about five-hunder'd 

 paces. They had but two Iron-Guns, the one carrying twelve-pound-Ball, the 

 other eight. The one was planted upon the Gate, the other upon a point of a 

 kind of a Baftion. So that until the Nahab had found the way to mount his Can- 

 non upon a very high' place neer the City, he loft a great number of men by fe- 

 veral (allies which the Befieged made. The Raja that was within, was efteem'd 

 one of the braveft and moft experiene'd Captains that ever were amongft the Ido- 

 laters : whereupon, the Nahab finding that the place was not to be taken, unlefs he 

 could get up his Cannon to the top of that fteep afcent, fent for all the French- 

 men that were in the King's fervice, promifing to every one four months extraor- 

 dinary pay, if they could find a way to mount his Cannon upon the top of fucha 

 place 5 wherein they had the good-hap to be very fuccesful. For they mounted 

 four pieces of Cannon, and were fo profperous, as to hit the great Gun that was 

 planted upon the Gate, and render it unferviceable. At length, when they had 

 beaten down good part of the Wall of the City, the Befieged came to capitulate, 

 and march'd out of the Town upon very good Articles. The day we arriv'd, all 

 the Army was encamp'd at the foot of the Mountain, in a plain, through which 

 there ran a very fair River; .where the Nahab mufter'd his Cavalry, and found 

 them in a very good condition; An J?»g/j/fc-Cannoneerand an Italian feeing Mon- 

 fieur Jardin and- my felf pais by, guefs'd us to be Franguïs; and becaule it was 

 late, accofted us very civilly, and oblig'd us to ftay with them all night. By them 

 we underftood that there was in the City a JPrt «c^-Engineer, , whole name was 

 Claudius Maille of Bourges, and that he was employ'd by the Nahab to caft fome 

 pieces of Cannon which the Nahab intended to leave in the City. 



The next day we went into the City, and found out Mailles Lodging, having 

 been acquainted with him at Batavia -, who informing the Nahab of our arrival, 

 he prefently lent us Provifion for our felves and our beafts. 



The third day we went to wait upon the Nahab 3 who had pitch'd his Tents up- 

 on that part of the plain neer the place where the way is cut out of the Rock. 

 We inform'd him of the caufe of our coming, telling him that we had fome com- 

 modities that were rare, and worth the King's buying j but that we were unwil- 

 ling to (hew them to the King till he hadfeen them} believing it our duty to 

 render him that refpecT:. The Nahab was very well-pleas'd with our Comple- 

 ment 5 and after he had caus'd us to be prefented with Betle, we took our leaves 

 of him, and return d to our Lodgings , whither he lent to us two Bottles of 

 Wine,orie of Sack, and the other of Schiras, which is a rare thing in thatCountrey. 



The fourth day we waited upon him again,and carried along with us fome Pearles 

 ©Fan extraordinary weight, beauty and bignefs j the leaft whereof weighed twenty 

 four Caratts. After he had vewd them and Ihew'd them to fome of the Lords that 

 were about him,he ask'd the price, which when we had fet him,he return'd us our 

 Jewels and told us he would confider of it. 



The 



