( 
' 14 travels into ^/;^ I N D I E S. Part III. 
fome Jcherons both Men and Women have killed themfelves upon (iich oo^ 
cafions -, but that has not been feen of a long time, and at prefent, they- 
fay, they compound with the Robbers for a certain Sum which the Tra- 
veller gives them, and that many times they divide it with them. The 
Banians make ufe of thefe People -, and I was told that if I would employ 
them, I might be ferved for two Row/j/ei a day : Neverthelefs I would not 
do it, as looking upon it to be too low a kind of Prote6î:ion. 
So then I ordered my Coach-man to drive me the fame way I came, and 
to return to Souz,entra that 1 might go to Surrat by the ordinary way, 
though the compafs he fetched made my Journey longer by feven Leagues 
and a half. For all the caution I could ufe, my men loft their way beyond 
Tetnad, and we found our fclvcs at the Village of Btlpar, the inhabitants 
Gratiates. wherof wlio are called Gratiates, are for the moft part all Robbers. I met 
with one of them towards a little Town named Sellj ; he was a fellovi?" in 
very badcloaths, carrying a Sword, upon his Shoulder^ he called to the 
Coach-man to ftop, and a Boy about Nine or Ten years old that was with 
him, ran before the Oxen : My Men prefently offered them a Pecba which 
is worth about ten French Deniers, and prayed the little Boy to be gone -, 
but he would not^ till the Coach-man growing more obftinate, obliged 
the Man to accept of the Fecha. Thefe Blades go fometimes in whole 
troops, and one of them being fatisfied, others come after upon the fame 
Road, who muft alfo be contented, though they feldom ufe violence for 
fear of offending their Raja. I wondered how that Gratiate being alone, 
durft venture to fet upon ib many ^ but the Coach-man told me, that if 
the leaft injury had been offered to him, he would have given the alarm by 
knocking with his Fingers upon his Mouth, and that prefently he would 
have been affifled by his Neighbours : In the mean time this fmall rancoua- 
ter convinced me that there was not fo great danger upon the Roadsj as 
* fome would have made me believe. 
We found our way again fhortly after : We then croffed the River of 
Maf}}' a River. Mahy^ and coming out of it I gave half a Roupie to the fame Gratiaus whom 
The Raja of ^ payed as I went to Amedabad. The tole belongs to the Raja of the Coun- 
the Gratiates try, wlio is to aufwer for the Robberies committed within his Territories, 
makes good And the truth is, he is as exa6t as poffibly hé can be to hinder them, and 
Robberies. caufe reltitution to be made of what is taken, elpecially if it be Mer- 
chants Goods, or other things of confequence : And my Coach-man told me^ 
that one day having loft an Ox, he went to the Raja to demand his Ox ; 
The Raja fent for thofe who he thought had ftoln it, and caufing them to 
be cudgelled, till one of them confeflîng he had it, he obliged him to bring 
it out, and reftore it to the Coach-man, who was to give him only a 
Roupie for the blows he had received. But the Raj a of the Gratiates do's 
much more -, for if he that comes to complain, have not time to ftay till 
what he hath loft be found, if is enough if he tell the place of his abode, 
and he fails not to fend it him back by one of his People, though it be 
eight days Journey off. He is fo much a Gentleman, that moft commonly 
he fends Prefents to People of fafhion who pafs by BUpar^ and do's them 
all the good Offices they defire of him. 
Seeing the Caravans that pafs by that place on their way to Jgra^ pay 
The Rafa him ten Roupies a Man, he treats the whole Caravan gratify and fends Pro- 
treats the Ca- vihons and Vi£luals into the Camp -, which he orders his Cooks to drefs. 
ravan gratis. Thefe do wliat they can to pieafe the Caravan, and earn fome Peckat 
from them, and they are reckoned the heft Cooks in the Countrey -, but in 
truth, their Ragoes are not at all good : Nor do's their Mafter forget to 
fend Dancing Girls to divert the Company -, and when they are ready to 
go, he furnifhes the Caravan with feveral Horfe-men for their fecurity,until 
they be out of his Jurifdi61:ion. His Territories comprehend all the Villa- 
ges from Cambaye to Baroche., and all his Subjeils are called Gratiates. 
Next Day I came to the Town of Baroche., and ftay'd only a few Hours 
to refrefh my Men and Oxen. The Officers of the Cuftom-houfe asked 
me at parting. If I had any Merchants-goods, and having anfwered them 
that I had none ^ they took my word, and ufed me civily : So I crolTed 
the River at Oudijjer^ from whence next day I went to Surrat. CHAP. , 
