i6 
The Houfes of 
Sur ni t. 
The time to 
Build 111. 
The Streets of 
Sur rat. 
The Meat at 
Stirrat. 
Oyles at Sur- 
rsit. 
Grapes at Sur- 
rat. 
Naapoura a 
Town. 
Vinegar at 
S^.rrat. 
Travels into /^A^ I N D I E S. Part III 
lovely Gate which is in the Bazaar or Met Jan : The Cuflom-hoafe is hard 
by, and that Caftle has a particular Governour, as the Town has ano- 
ther. 
The Houfes of this Town on which the Inhabitants have been u^'lling to 
lay out Money, are fiat as in Perfta^ and pretty well built -, but they coft 
dear, becaufe there is no Stone in the Countrey -, feeing they are forcYl to 
make ufe of Brick and Lime, a great deal of Timber is employ'd, which 
muft be brought from D^w^« by Sea, the Wood of the Countrey which is 
brought a great way off, being much dearer becaufe of the Land-Carriage. 
Brick and Lime are very dear alfo -, aud one cannot build an ordinary 
Houfe at lefs charge than five or lix hundred Livres for Brick, and twice 
as much for Lime. The Houfes are covered with Tiles made half round, 
and half an Inch thick, but ill burnt -, fo that they look ftill white when 
they are ufcd, and do not laft and it is for that reafon that the Bricklay- 
ers lay thcjii double, and make them to keep whole. Canes which they 
call Bambous ferve for Laths to fallen the Tiles to -, and the Carpenters work 
which fupports all this, is only made of pieces of round Timber : Such 
Houfes as thefe are for the Rich ; but thofe the meaner fort of People live 
in, are made of Canes, and covered with the branches of Palm-trees. 
Now, it is better building in the Indies in the time of Rain, than in fair 
weather, becaufe the heat is fo great, and the force of the Sun fo violent, 
when the Heavens are clear, that every thing dries before it be confolidate, 
and cracks and chinks in a trice ; whereas Rain tempers that heat, and hin- 
dering the Operation of the Sun, the Mafon-work has time to dry. When 
it rains the Work-men have no more to do, but to cover their Work with 
Wax-cloath, but in dry weather there is no remedy-, all that can be done 
is to lay wet Tiles upon the Work as faft as they have made an end of it \ 
but they dry fo foon, that they give but little help. The Streets of Sur- 
rat are large and even, but they are not paved, and there is no confidera- 
ble publick Building within the Precin£t of the Town. 
The Chriftians and Mahometans there eat commonly Cow-beef, not 
only becaufe it is better than the Flefli of Oxen, but alfo becaufe the Oxen 
are employed in Plowing the Land, and carrying all Loads. The "Mut- 
ton that is eaten there, is pretty good -, but belides that, they have Pullets, 
Chickens, Pidgeons, Pigs, and all forts of wild Fowl. They make ufe of 
the Oyl of Cnici^i fiheftrts, or wild Saffron with their Food ; it is the beft in 
the Indies^ and that of Sejamum which is common alfo, is not fo good. 
They eat Graps in Surrat from the beginning of February, to the end of 
J]^ril, but they have no very good tafte. Some think that the reafon of 
that is, becaufe they fuffer them not to ripen enough : Neverthelefs the 
Dutch who let them hang on the Vine as long as they can, make a Wine 
of them which is fo eager, that it cannot be drunk without Sugar. The 
white Grapes are big and fair to the Eye, and they are brought to Surrat^ 
from a little Town called Naapoufa, in the Province of Balagate^ and font- 
days Journey from Surrat. 
The Strong-water of this Country is no better than the Wine, that 
which is commonly df unk, is made of Jagre or black Sugar put into Water 
with the bark of the tree Bahoul.io give it fome force -, and then all are Diftil- 
led together. They make a Strong-water alfo of Tary which they Diftil ; 
But thefe Strong-waters are nothing fo good as our Brandy, no more than 
thofe they draw from R ice, Sugar and Dates. The Vinegar they ufe is al- 
fo made of Jagre infufed in Water. There are fome that put Spoilt-rai/ins 
in it when they have any -, but to make it better, they mingle Tary with it, 
and fet it for feveral days in the Sun, 
CHAP. 
c 
