I ■ ' ■ ■ I . I I t t % 
Part III. Travels i?ito r^/? I N D I E S. 
CHAP. X. 
Of the Officers of Surrat. 
THere is a Mufty at Surrat, who has the infpedion over all that concerns officers of 
the Mahometan Religion, and a C^r^// eftabliftied for the Laws, to surrat. 
whom recoLirfe is had in cafe of contefl:. The Great Mogul entertains ano- ^ufty, 
ther great Officer there, whom the Franks call Secretary of State, and ^^'^^ 
whofe duty much rcfembles that of the Intendant of a Province in France. 
He is called Faca-Ne'uis^ that is, who writes and keeps a Regifter of all that ^"'^''-•n^w. 
happens within the extent of the Country where he is placed. The King 
keeps one in every Government, to give him notice of all that occurs, and 
he depends on no Minifter of State, but only on his Majefty. 
There are two Governours or Nabaâ at Surrat, who have no dependailce Two Gover- 
one on another ,and give an account of their adions only to the King. The "o^^sac sur^ 
one Commands the Caftle, and the other the Town -, and they encroach ^j^*^^ 
not upon one anothers rights and duties. The Governour of the Town 
Judges in Civil matters, and commonly renders fpeedy Juftice : If a Man The way offu- 
fue another for a Debt, he muft either fliew an obligation, produce two ingfor a Debt 
witnefles, or take an Oath : If he be a Chriftian, he (wears upon the Gof- in the indies. 
pel -, if a Moor, upon the Alcoran, and a Heathen fwears upon the Cow t 
The Gentils Oath confifts only in laying his hand upon the Cow, and fay- 
ing, that he wifties he may eat of the Flefh of that Beaft, if what he fays 
be not true -, but moft of them chufe rather to lofe their caufe than to 
fwear, becaufe they who fwear are reckoned infamous among the Idolaters. 
The firil time one goes to wait upon the Governour, as foon as they 
come they lay before him, five, fix, or ten Roupie every one according to 
his Quality -, and in the Indies the fame thing is done to all for whom they 
would fliew great refped. This Governour meddles not at all in Criminal 
Affaires-, an Officer named Cotoual takes cognifance of them. In Turky he The Criminal 
is called SousbaJJa, and in Verjta Deroga. He orders the Criminals to be pun- CotouaL 
iftied in his prefence, either by Whipping or Cudgelling, and that cor- 
redion is inflided many times in his Houfe, and fometimes in the Street 
at the fame place where they have commited the fault. When he goes a- 
broad through the Town,he is on Horfe-back, attended by feveral Officers 
on Foot, fome carrying Batons and great Whips, others Lances, Swords, 
Targets, and Maces of Iron like the great Peftles of a Morter ^ but all 
have a dagger at their fideSi Neverthelefs neither the Civil nor Criminal 
Judge can put any one to death. The King refer ves that Power to himfelf ; 
and therefore when any Man delerves death, a Courier is difpatched to 
know his pleafure, and they fail not to put his Orders in execution, fo foon 
as the Courier is come back. 
The Cotoual is obliged to go about the Street in the Night-time, to pre- 
vent diforders ; and lets guards in feveral places. If he find any Man a- 
broad in the Streets, he conimits him to Prifon, and very rarely does he let 
him go out again, without being Baftonadoed or Whipt. Two of the Of- 
ficers that wait on him, about nine of the Clock beat two little Drums, 
whil'ft a third founds two or three times a long Copper-Trumpet, which 
1 have defcribed in my Voyage into Fer/ta. Then the Officers or Serjeants The cry of 
cry as loud as they can, Caberdar, that's to fay, take heed and they who are c<»W^r, 
in the Neighbouring Streets, anfwer with another cry, to (hew that they 
are not afleep. After that they continue their round, and begin to cry 
again afrefh until they have finithed it. This round is performed thrice a 
Night, to wit, at nine of the Clock, Midnight, and three in the Morning.. 
D 2 The 
