Part III. 
Travels into /-fo I N D I E S. 
II 
They would have me go next to Serc^nech^ which is a fmall Town about Serquech. 
a League and a half from the City. The Indians fay, that in ancient 
times that place was the Capital of Guz^erat^ becaufe of the vaft number 
of Tombs of Kings and Princes that arc there :, but it is far more probable, 
that that place was only deftin'd for their Burying, and that Amedabad hath 
always been the Capital. I obferv'd there a Building much of the fame 
ftrndture as that of Chaakm. It hath the fame Ornaments, and is dedi- 
cated alfo to one of their Saints • and all the difference is, that this has 
thirteen Domes on each fide, and the Dome which covers the Chappel, is 
f)ainted and guilt in the infide. Oppolite to this Fabrick, there is another 
ike to it, and dedicated alfo to a Saint. 
Near to thefe Sepulchres, I faw a Mofque like to that which I viewed at 
Amedabad^ and the only diflerence is, that it is lefs. It hath adpyning to 
ft a great Tanquies or Refervatory ^ in the Chappels on the fides whereof, 
are the Tombs of the Kings, Queens, Princes and Princeffes of Guzerat^ to 
which they defcend by feveral Steps of very lovely Stones. They are all Sepulchres of 
of good fol id work, whereby it fufficiently appears, that they have been '^^^ '^'"S^, ^^^^ 
made for Kings and Princes-, but they are framed according to the fame 
Model. They conhfi: commonly of a large fquare Building that hath 
three great Arches on each Front, and over them a great many little ones. 
There is a large Dome in the middle, and a great many little ones in the 
fides, and in every corner a Tower with a little pair of Stairs in the thick- 
nefs of the Wall, to go up to Terras- Walks which are at certain diftances 
upon the Building -, the Tomb being exadly under the great Dome. Moft 
of thefe places are full of the marks of the Peoples Devotion, both Maho- 
metans and Indians, who on certain days flock thither, of whom the 
latter bewail the lofs of their Princes. There are a great many Pagods in 
thofe quarters, and from Sercjuech comes all the Indigo which is fold at indigo at Ser- 
Amedahad. T"^'- 
Without the City of Amedabad there is a lovely Well, the Figure of it is an An exrraordi- 
oblong fquare ^ it is covered with feven Arches of Freeftonc, that much adorn nary WeJJ. 
it : There are fix fpaces betwixt the Arches to let light in, and they are cal- 
led, the Mouths of the Well. It is four Fathom broad, and about four and 
twenty long. At each end there is a Stair-cafe two Foot broad to go down 
to it, with fix Stories or Landings fupported by Pilafters eight Foot high : 
Each Storie hath a Gallerie, or place of four Fathom extent, and thefe Gal- 
leries and Pilafters are of Freeftone : Sixteen Pilafters fupport each Gallerie^ 
and the Mouths of the Well are about the fame length and breadth that 
the Galleries are : The Figure of the third Mouth differs from the reft, be- 
caufe it is an Odogone, and has near it a little turning Stair-cafe that leads ' 
down to the Well -, the Water of it rifes from a Spring, and it was up to 
the middle of the fourth Story when I went down, feveral little Boys at 
that time fwiming in it from one end to the other amongft the Pillars. 
The Indians fay, that this Well was made at the charges of a Nurfe of a 
King of Guz^eraty and that it coft thirty Millions -, but I could difcover no 
work about it that required fo great expences. 
In this Town there is an Hofpital for Birds. The Gentils lodge therein AnHofpitalfor 
all the fick Birds they find, and feed them as long as they live if they be Birds, 
indifpofed. Four-footed Beafts have theirs alfo : I faw in it feveral Oxen, 
Camels, Horfes, and other wounded Beafts, who were look'd after, and 
well fed, and which thefe Idolaters buy from Chriftians and Moors, that 
they may deliver them, (as they fay,) from the cruelty of Infidels-, and' 
there they continue if they be incurable, but if they recover, they fell 
them to Gentils and to none elfe. 
There are a great many Forrefts about Amedabad^ where they take Pan- panthers for 
thcrs for Hunting,, and the Governour of the Town caufes them to be Hunting, 
taught, that he may fend them to the King. The Governour fuffers none 
to buy them but himfelf, and theywhofe care it is to tame them, keep 
them by them in the Meidan^ where from time to time they ftroak and make 
much of them, that they may accuftom them to the fight of Men. 
C 2 The 
