/ 



Travels in India. Part. II 



have aflur'd me they would fometimesgive 20000 Crowns for fuch a piece. And 

 no wonder they will give fo much Money for a piece of Coral, who defpifing all 

 other Jewels and Pearls, care for nothing but that which is in no efteem any where 

 elfe. They fet a great value upon the Skin of a certain Fifh which is rougher 

 than a Seal-skin. Upon the back of the Fifh there are fix little holes, and fome- 

 times eight, fomewhat elevated, with another in the middle 5 in the form of a 

 Rofe. they make Scabberds for Swords of the Skin 5 and the more thofe holes 

 grow in the form of a Rofe, the higher value they put upon them ; having g'iv'n 

 ten-thoufund Crowns for a Skin. To conclude the dilcourie of Coral, you mult 

 know that the meaner fort of people ufe it for Bracelets and Neck-laces all over 

 .z^, eipeciaUy toward the Northern Territories of the Great Mogul 5 and all 

 along the Mountains as you go to the Kingdom of Afen and Soman. 



Yellow- Amber is only found upon the Coaft of Êruflia in the Baltick^Sea, where 

 the Sea throws it upon the Sand when fuch and fuch wirtds blow. The Elector 

 of Bra.denburgh, who is Sovereign of that Coaft, farms it out for 20000 Crowns 

 a year, and fometimes 22000. And the Farmers keep guards on both fides of 

 the fhoar, in regard the Sea cafts it up fometimes upon one fide, and fometiines 

 upon the other, to prevent the fteaîing of it. 



Amber is nothing but a certain congelation made in the Sea, like a certain Gum; 

 for you {ball rind in feveral pieces, Flies, Gnats, and other infects congeal'd therein. 

 I law feven or eight Flies fo congeal'd in one peice. 



In China, when any great Lord makes a Feaft, it is for his Grandeur and Mag- 

 nificence to caufe three or four feveral forts of Perfuming-pots to be fet upon the 

 Table, and to throw into every one of them a valt quantity of Amber ; for the 

 more it burns, and the bigger the pieces are, the more magnificent is the Enter- 

 tainment accounted. The reafon of this cuftom is, becaufe they adore the firej 

 and befides, that the Amber carts forth a fcent pleafing to the Chine/es, there is a 

 kind of Oil in it, that flames after a more unufual manner than other materials of 

 fire. This waft of Amber makes it the beft Commodity that could be imported 

 into China, if the Trade were free for Strangers. At prefènt the Hollanders have 

 engrofs'd all this Trade to themfelves, and the Chine fe s come all to Batavia to 

 buy it. 



As for Amber-grife ; there is no perfon in the World that knows either what it 

 is, or where, or how it is produc'd. But the faireft probability is., that it muft be 

 only in the Eaftern-Sea : though fome parcels have been found upon the Coaft r f 

 England, and in fome other parts of Europe. The greateft quantity is found upon 

 the Coaft of Mdinda, efpecially in the mouth of a River cal I'd Rio de Sena. The 

 Governor of Mozambique gets in the three years of his Government above 

 300000 Pardo's of Amber-grife, every Pardo containing 27 Sous of our Money. 

 Sometimes they meet with very large and very confiderable pieces. In the year 

 1627 a Portugal fetting Sail from Goa to the Manille s, after he had paft the 

 Streight of MJacca y was by tempeft driv'n neer an unknown Ifland, where they 

 came to an Anchor. Several of the Ship's-Corripany ventring a-fhore, met with 

 a River ; and going to bath themfelves in it., one of them found a great piece of 

 Amber-grife that weigh'd thirty-three pounds ; but falling together by the ears 

 about ther fhares, the Captain, to reconcile them, told them 'twas pitty to deface 

 it, in regard it was a Prefent fit for the King ; and therefore advis'd them to prefent 

 it to the Vice-Rov, who would no doubt reward them for their pains. By that 

 means the Captain got the parcel out of their clutches, and prefènting it to the 

 Vice-Roy, got a reward for himfelf ; and the Party that found it : but the reft had 

 nothing at all. 



In the year 1646 or 1647, a Middleburgher of good quality found a piece of 

 forty-two pounds upon the Coaft of the Ifland of St. Maurice, where he com- 

 manded for the Holland Company, Eaft of the Ifland of St. Lawrence, and jfent it 

 to Batavia : but there being a mark, as if fome piece of it were broken off, the 

 Zelander was accus'd to have taken half, and turn'd out of his Command, what- 

 ever he could fay to juftify. himfelf. 



■ . ; .• ' . [ 



CHAP. 



