Travels in India. 



Part. H. 



After you have pafs'd the Mountains, you may travel to Boutan upon Ox«n, 

 Camels, Horfes, or Palleki's, which you pleafe. The Country is good, abound- 

 ing in Rice, Corn, Pulfe, and ftore of wine. All the people both men and wo- 

 men are clad in the Summer with a large piece of Fultian, or Hempen-Cloath -, 

 in the Winter with a thick Cloth, almolt like Felt. Both mien and women wear 

 upon their heads a kind of Bonnet, much like our drinking Cans, which they 

 adorn with Boars teeth, and with round and fquare pieces of Tortois-Shells. 

 The richer fort intermix Coral and Amber Beads, of which their women make 

 them Neck-Laces. The men as well as the women wear Bracelets upon their 

 left hands only, from the wrift to the elbow. The women wear them, ftrait, 

 the men loofe. About their necks they wear a filkcn twift, at the end where- 

 of hangs a Bead of yellow Amber or Coral, or a Boars Tooth, which dangles 

 upon their breafts. On their left fides, their Girdles are button'd with Beads 

 of the fame. Though they be Idolaters, yet they feed upon all fort of food, 

 except the flefh of Cows, which they adore as the common Nurfes of all men ; 

 they are befides great lovers of ftrong water. They obferve alfo Come Cere- 

 monies of the Chinefes, burning Amber at the end of their Feafts, though they 

 do not worfhip fire like the Chinefes. For which reafon the Merchants of Bou- 

 tan will give at Patna for a Serre of large pieces of yellow Amber, as big as 

 a Nut, bright and clean, thirty-five and forty Roupies. The Serre of yellow 

 Amber ,Musk,Coral, Ambergrile,Rhubarb,and other Drugs,containing nine Ounces 

 to the pound. Saltpeter, Sugar, Rice, Corn, and other Commodities, are alfo 

 fold by the Serre in Bengala ; but the Serre contains feventy-two of our Pounds, 

 at fixteen Ounces to the Pound ; and forty Serres make a Mein, or 2824 Pounds 

 of Parts. 



To return to yellow Amber, a piece of nine ounces is worth in Boutan from 

 2 jo to 300 Roupies, according to its colour and beauty. Coral rough, or wrought 

 into Beads, yields profit enough - 3 but they had rather have it rough, to fhape it 

 as they pleafe themfelves. 



The Women and Maids are generally the Artifts among them, as to thole toys.' 

 They alfo make Beads of Cryltal and Agar. As for the Men, they make Bracelets 

 of Tortoife-mell, and Sea-fhells, and polifh thole little pieces of Shells which thé 

 Northern people wear in their ears, and in their hair. In Patna and Daca there 

 are above two thouland perfons that thus employ themfelves, furnilhing the King- 

 doms of Bputan, Afem, Siam\ and other Northern and Eaftern parts of the Mo- 

 gups Dominions. 



As for Wormfeed, the Herb grows in the Fields, and muft dye before the Seed 

 can be gathered : but the mifchief is, that before the Seed is ripe_, the wind fcat- 

 ters the greateft part, which makes it lb fcarce. When they gather the Seed, 

 they take two little Hampers, and as they go along the Fields, they move their 

 Hampers from the right to the left, and from the left to the right, as if they 

 were mowing the Herb, bowing it at the top, and fo all the Seed falls into the 

 Hampers. 



Rhubarb is a Root which they cut in pieces, and ftringing them by ten or twelve 

 together, hang them up a drying. 



Had the Natives of Boutan as much art in killing the Martin as the Mufcovite, 

 they might vend great ftore of thofe rich Furs, confidering what a number of 

 thole Beafts there are in that Countrey. No fboner does that creature peep out 

 of his hole, but the Mufcovites, who lye upon the watch, have e'm prefently, 

 either in the nofe or in the eyes j for mould they hit e'm in the body, the blood 

 would quite (poyl the skin. 



The King of Boutan has conftantly feven or eight thoufand Men for his Guard, 

 Their Weapons are for the molt part Bows and Arrows. Some of them carry 

 Battel-axes, and Bucklers. Tis a long time ago fince they had the firft ule of 

 Muskets and Cannons : their Gun-powder being long, but of an extraordinary 

 force. They aflur'd me that fome of their Cannons had Letters and Figures up- 

 on them, that were above five-hunder'd years old. They dare not ftir out of the 

 Kingdom without the Governor's particular leave ; nor dare they carry a Musket 

 along with them, unlefs their next Kindred will undertake for them that they (hall 

 bring it back, Otherwife I had brought one along with me -, for by the' cha- 

 racters 



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