Book I. Travels in India. 



had left at Golconda upon the King's earned entreaty. The King was always 

 very much troubl'd with the head-ach : for which reafon the Phyfitians had or- 

 der'd that he fhould be let blood in four places under the tongue ; but there was 

 no perfon that would undertake to do it : for the Natives of the Countrey un- 

 derftand nothing of Chirurgery. Now before that Peter de Lan, for that was 

 the D//r<:A-Chîrurgion's name, was entertain'd in the King's fervice, he was ask'd 

 whether he could let blood ? To wfich he anfwer'd, that there was nothing fo 

 eafy in Chirurgery. Some few days after the King fent for him, and gave him 

 to underftand that he was refolv'd to be let blood the next day in four parts un- 

 der the tongue, as the Phyfitians had order'd, but he fhould take a care of not 

 drawing away above eight ounces. De Lan returning the next day to Court, 

 was lead into a Chamber by three Eunuchs, and four Old-women, who carri'd 

 him to a Bath, and after they had undreft him, and wafh'd him, efpecialty hjs 

 hands j they anointed hjm with Aromatick-drugs , and inftead of his own 

 European-Clothes, they brought him a Robe according to the fafhion of the 

 Countrey. After that, they brought him before the King ; where he found four 

 little Porringers of Gold, which the Phyfitians, who were prefent, had weigh'd, 

 In fhorr, he let the King blood under the tongue in four parts, and perform'd his 

 bufinefs fo well. that when the blood came to be weigh'd, it weighed but bare eight 

 ounces. The King was fo fatisfi'd Avith the Operation, that he gave the Chirur- 

 gion three-hunder'd Pagods, which comes to almoft feven-hunder'd Crowns. 

 The Young-Queen and the Queen-Mother underftanding what he had done, were 

 refolv'd to be let-blood too. But I believe it was rather out of a curiofky to 

 fee the Chirurgion, than out of any neceffity which they had to be let-blood. 

 For he was a handfom young-man 5 and perhaps they had never fèen a ftranger 

 neer at hand, for at a diftance, it is no improbable thing, in regard the Women are 

 (hut up in fuch places where they may fee, but not be feen. Upon this, de Lan 

 was carri'd into a Chamber where the fame Old-women that had waited on him 

 • before he let the King blood, ftript up his arm, and wafh'd it, but more efpecially 

 his hands j which when they were dry , they rubb'd again with fweet-Oils 

 as before. That being done, a Curtain was drawn, and the Queen ftretching out 

 her arm through a hole, was let- blood ; as was the Queen-Mother afterwards 

 in the fame manner. The Queen gave him fifty Pagods, and the Queen-Mother 

 thirty, with fome pieces of Cloath of Gold. 



Two days after we went to wait upon the NdhaPs Son, but were told we 

 could not fpeak with him that day 5 the next day receiving the fame anfwer. we 

 were advertiz'd upon enquiry, that we might wait long enough in that manner j 

 that he was a young Lord that never ftirr'd from the King ; or that if he did 

 leave the Court, it was only to keep his MifTes company in his own Haram. 

 The young Chirurgion feeing us fo delaid, offer'd to fpeak to the King's firft Phy- 

 fitian, who was alfo of the King's Council, and who had teftift'd a great affe&ion 

 toward the Batavian-Envoy, and for de Lan himfelf ; for which reafon, he thought 

 he might embrace an opportunity to do him a kindnefs. In fhort, de Lan had no 

 fooner fpoke to him, but he fent for us, and having, after much civility fhewn us, 

 inform'd himfelf of the caufe of our coming, he defir'd us to fhew him ouf 

 Pearls, which we did the next day. After he had view'd them, he made us leal 

 them up again in our own bags : for all that is prefented to the King muft be 

 feal'd with the Merchants-Seal } and when the King has had a fight of the Com- 

 modity, it is feal'd up with his own Seal, to prevent any fraud. Thereupon we 

 left the Pearls, fo feal'd up, in his hands, who promis'd to fhew them to the 

 King , and to give us a good account of the truft we had put into his 

 hands. , . 



The next day about nine of the Clock before noon we went to the River to 

 fee how they wafh the King's and the Great Noble-men's Elephants. The Ele- 

 phant goes up to the belly in the water, and lying down upon one fide, with his 

 trunk he throws the water feveral times upon that fide which lies out of the 

 water -, and when he has foak'd himfelf fufficiently, the Matter comes with a 

 kind of a Pumice-ftone, and rubbing the Elephant's-skin, cleanfes it from all the 

 filth that clings to it. Here fome believe, that when this creature is once laid 

 down, it eannot rife of its felf j which is contrary to what I hâve feen, For 



