Book IH. Travels in India. 187 



CHAP. XVIL 

 Of the Kingdom of Afem. 



r - 1 



IT was never known what the Kingdom of Afem was, till Mirgimola had 

 fetl'd Aureng-z.eb in the Empire. For he confidering that he fhould be no 

 longer valu'd at Court, after the war was at an end, being then General f A»- 

 reng-z.eb\ Army, and powerful in the Kingdom, where he had great ftore of 

 Creatures, to preferve the Authority he had, refolv'd to undertake the Con- 

 queft of the Kingdom of Afem ; where he knew he mould find little or no re- 

 finance, that Kingdom having been at peace above joo years before. Tis 

 thought thefe were the people that formerly invented Guns and Powder j which 

 Ipead it (elf from Afem to Pegu, and from Pegu to Cbtuaftom whence the invention 

 has been attributed to the Cbinefes. However certain it is, that. Mirgimola 

 brought from thence feveral pieces of Canon, which Were all Iron Guns, and 

 ftore of excellent Powder, both made in that Countrey. The Powder is round 

 and fmaU, like ours, and very ftrong. 



Mirgimola embark d his Army in one of the mouths of Ganges, and (ailing 

 up one of the Rivers that comes from the Lake Chiumay, to the twenty-ninth 

 or thirtieth Degree, he landed his Army, and came into a Country abounding 

 in all humane neceflàries, ftill finding the lefs refinance becaufè the people were 

 furpriz'd. Being a Mabumetan, he fpar'd not the very Pagods, but burn'd and* 

 fack'd all where- ever he came to the thirty-fifth Degree. There he under- 

 ftood that the King of Afem was in the field with a more powerful Army 

 than he expected, and that he had feveral pieces of Canon, and great ftore of 

 fire-works withall. Thereupon Mirgimola thought it not convenient to march 

 any farther; though the chief reafon of his return was the drawing . on of 

 Winter; which the Indians are fo fenfible of, that it is impoffible to make 

 them ftir beyond the thirti'th or thirty-fifth Degree, efpecially to hazard their 

 lives. 



Mirgimola therefore turns to the South-weft, and befieges a City call'd Az.ov, 

 which he took in a fmall time, and found good plunder therein. In this City of 

 Az.00, are the Tombs of the Kings of Afem, and of all the Royal Family. For 

 though they are Idolaters, they never burn their dead bodies, but bury them. 

 They believe that the dead go into another world, where they that have liv'd 

 well in this, have plenty of all things ; but that they who have been ill livers, 

 fiiffer the want of all things, being in a more efpecial manner afflicted with 

 hunger and drowth ; and that therefore it is good to bury fomething with \them 

 to ferve them in their neceffities. This was the reafon that Mirgimola found 

 fo much wealth in the City of Aioo, For many ages together, lèverai Kings 

 had built them Chappels in the great Pagod to be buried in, and in their life 

 times had ftor'd up in the Vaults of their particular Chappels, great funis of 

 Gold and Silver, and other moveables of value. Befides, that when they bury 

 ^the deceas'd King, they bury with him likewife whatever he efteem'd moft, 

 pretious in his life-time, whether it were an Idol of Gold or Silver, or what- 

 ever elfe, that being needful in this, might be neceflary for him in the world 

 to come. But . that which favours moft of Barbarifm is, that when he dies, 

 all his beft beloved Wives, and the principal Officers of his Houfe povfon them- 

 felves, to be buri'd with him, and to wait 'upon him in the other world. Be- 

 fides this, they bury one Elephant, twelve Camels, fix Horfes, and a good num- 

 ber of Hounds, believing that all thofe Creatures rife again to icrve their 



King. ■ , 



The Kingdom of Afem is one of the beft Countries of all A fa, for it pro- 

 duces all things neceflary for humane fubfiftence, without any need of foreign 

 fupply. There are in it Mines of Gold, Silver, Steel, Lead, Iron, and great 

 ftore of Silk, but courfe. There is a fort of Silk that is found under the 

 the Trees,- which is fpun by a Creature like to our Silk-worms, but rounder,! 



* Bb 2 and 



