Chap. XX. Grand Seignor's Seraglio. 



tary, who are got into China h All thefe Kings, I fay, follow the Mahumetan Re- 

 ligion. 



Since I have mentioned the Emperour of Java, I (hall, by the way, infert here A cur i 0HS 

 an obfervation, which I made at the time of my being in that Ifland, which was, mar^ofthe 

 That the eldeft Son of that Emperour, who reign'd in the year 1648. had iix ringers Btnperour of 

 on each of his hands, and fix toes on each foot, and all of equal length. JavaV Son. 



The Kings of Per/?.?, Vifapour, and Golconda follow the Seel: of Hali , and the Kings Kings foHotx>ing 

 of the Mountains of Tartary? with fome others, have alfo their particular Sects. Be- the poitrine of 

 fides, it is to obferv'd, that, if we except the Grand Seignor, the King of Perfia, the ' 

 Arabian Princes, and the Cham of Great Tartary, all the other Kings, whom I have 

 named , have only Idolaters to their Subjects, and all the meaner fort of people is 

 involv'd in the darknefs of Paganifm. But as to the Grand Seignor's, with all his 

 Militia, they follow the Law of Mahomet. 



In Africa, there is a Mahumetan King, whofe Territories lie all along the Coaft of 

 Abex, which is towards Arabia Felix, as far as the Cape of Guardafu, and his Juris- 

 diction extends over the Red Sea, and the Ocean. The Governours, whom the 

 Grand Seignor employs in Fgypt, and in the Iflands of the Red Sea, and thofe others, 

 whom he has eftabliih'd all along the Coaft of Barbary, at Tripoli, 'Tunis, and Argiers, 

 who afliime the Title of Kings, are alfo Mahumetans ; and, in fine, the King of Fez. 

 and Morocco follows the fame Law. 



95 



All thefe Kings and Princes, are principally unanimous in this Point, That they ac- 

 knowledg themfelves oblig'd to fend every year fome Prefent to Mecha, which ordi- 

 narily confifts in rich Carpets, to be put upon Mahomet's Sepulchre. Sometimes thefe The Great Mo 

 Prefents are made upon a particular Vow s and it happened in one of my Voyages to gulV Royal 

 Agra y that the Great Mogul, by way of thankfulnefs to the Prophet, for the recovery f (nt t0 Mec ' la ^ 

 of his health, fent to Mecha, an Alcoran^ valued at four hundred thoufand Crowns, 

 which had, in the midft of the Cover, a Diamond, of three hundred Carats \ the reft 

 of it being garnilh'd with feveral precious Stones on both fides. Theoccafion of this 

 Prefent was, the fright which a certain Br amer k put him into, upon his telling him, 

 That he Qhould dy before the year was expir'd, which happen'd not accordingly. But 

 the King being extremely incens'd at that direful Prediction, and, upon the fmart In- 

 terrogatory he put to the Brameré, to wit, whether he knew alfo the time of his own 

 death, having receiv'd this Anfwer, That it mould be within three days i which real- 

 ly happen'd upon the third day, there was a fufticient ground for him to be fright- 

 ned, and to conceive an apprehenlion, that the like accident might happen to himfelf, 

 before the time limited. fTwas that indue'd him to fend a Prefent of fo great value, 

 to Mahomet's Sepulchre, to acknowledge the favour he had done him, in not fuffering 

 the Prediction of the Bramer e to take effect, the King having not had as much as any 

 indifpolition, during all that time. 



When I gave an account of the Pilgrimage of Mecha } upon cccafion of the Tent The feveral 

 and Carpet, which the Grand Seignor fends thither every year, I made no mention of f^-j^'^ 

 the feveral ways which the Caravans take, according to the feveral parts of the World, Mns f 

 from whence great multitudes of Mahumetans do every year take their progrefs thesepulchre of 

 thither. their Prophet, 



In the firft place, the Ambafladors, whom the Kings of the Iflands, whereof I 

 have given you the names, and the Kings of the Indies, on this tide the Ganges, fend 

 to the Sheck^ of Mecha, with their Prefents come by Sea, to Mocha } a Maritime City 

 of Arabia Felix, and from thence they travel to Mecha by Land, by the conveniency 

 of Camels. 



The Ferfians, who inhabit all along the Sea-fide make their defcent from Ormus&t à 

 to Bandarjmd having pafs'd over the Gulf, which, at that place, is not above twelve or 

 thirteen Leagues in breadth, are fore'd to crofs Arabia ere they can get to the Pro- 

 phet's 



